List of The Chosen characters

The Chosen is an American historical drama television series created, directed and co-written by American filmmaker Dallas Jenkins. It is the first multiseason series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century, the series centers on Jesus and the different people who met and followed or otherwise interacted with him. The series stars Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, alongside Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, and George H. Xanthis.

Cast

Main

  = Main cast (credited)
  = Recurring cast (2+)
  = Guest cast (1)
Character Portrayed by Seasons
1 2 3 4 5
Simon Peter Shahar Isaac Main
Jesus Jonathan Roumie Main
Mary Magdalene Elizabeth Tabish Main
Matthew the Apostle Paras Patel Main
Andrew Noah James Main
Zohara Janis Dardaris Main Does not appear Guest
Eden Lara Silva Main Guest Main
Shmuel Shaan Sharma Main
Zebedee Nick Shakoour Main
John the Apostle George H. Xanthis Main
Big James Shayan Sobhian Main Does not appear
Kian Kavousi Main Does not appear
Abe Bueno-Jallad Does not appear Main
Nicodemus Erick Avari Main Does not appear Main
Quintus Benedictus Dio Brandon Potter Main Recurring Main Does not appear
Gaius Kirk B. R. Woller Main Recurring Main
Thaddaeus Giavani Cairo Main
Little James Jordan Walker Ross Main
Thomas Joey Vahedi Guest Main
Ramah Yasmine Al-Bustami Guest Main Guest
Mary of Nazareth Vanessa Benavente Guest Main
Philip Yoshi Barrigas Does not appear Main Does not appear
Reza Diako Does not appear Main
Nathanael Austin Reed Alleman Does not appear Main
Simon Z. Alaa Safi Does not appear Main
Judas Iscariot Luke Dimyan Does not appear Guest Main
Yussif Ivan Jasso Recurring Main
Tamar Amber Shana Williams Guest Recurring Main
Atticus Aemilius Pulcher Elijah Alexander Does not appear Recurring Main

Recurring

Character Portrayed by Seasons
1 2 3 4 5
The Blind Beggar Andrew Flagg Recurring Does not appear Guest Does not appear
John the Baptizer David Amito Recurring
Josiah Steve Shermett Recurring Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Salome of Capernaum Nina Rose Leon Recurring Guest Recurring
Dasha Leticia Magaña Recurring Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Jesse Dennis Apergis Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Guest Recurring
Yanni Wasim No'mani Does not appear Recurring
Madai Tony Sears Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Lamech Sergio Lanza Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Alphaeus Troy Caylak Guest Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Jairus Alessandro Colla Does not appear Recurring Guest
Barabbas Michael Steger Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Guest
Veronica Zhaleh Vossough Does not appear Recurring Guest Recurring
Leander Tom Connolly Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Guest
Michal Mel Mehrabian Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Nili Ella McCain Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Akiva Philip Shahbaz Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Fatiyah Sonya Balmores Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Recurring
Dion Andy Dispensa Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Guest
Argo Greg Roman Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Telemachus Kace Winfield Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Ivo Malachi Grayson Does not appear Recurring Guest Does not appear
Chuza Nick Chinlund Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Joanna Amy Bailey Does not appear Guest Recurring
Herodias Shereen Khan Does not appear Recurring Does not appear
Herod Antipas Paul Ben-Victor Does not appear Recurring Guest
Joseph Ben Caiaphas Richard Fancy Does not appear Recurring
Zebadiah Brad Culver Does not appear Recurring
Shammai Ric Sarabia Does not appear Guest Recurring Does not appear
David Jorge Franco IV Does not appear Guest Recurring Guest
Lazarus Demetrios Troy Does not appear Guest Recurring Guest
Martha Sophia Cameron Blum Does not appear Guest Recurring
Mary of Bethany Catherine Lidstone Does not appear Guest Recurring
Gedera Liche Ariza Does not appear Recurring
Malchus Jonathan Togo Does not appear Recurring
Pontius Pilate Andrew James Allen Does not appear Guest Recurring
Claudia Sarah J. Bartholomew Does not appear Guest Recurring
Matthias Jake Sidney Cohen Does not appear Guest Recurring
Ozem Ethan Flower Does not appear Guest Recurring
Simon of Cyrene Tony N. King Does not appear Recurring
Shimon Juri Henley-Cohn Does not appear Guest Recurring
Tova Camille Kasemsri Does not appear Recurring
John Mark Nick Alvarez Does not appear Recurring

Main characters

Simon Peter

Portrayed by Shahar Isaac, Simon Peter is a former fisherman in Capernaum, who is the de facto leader and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is one of the sons of Jonah, the older brother of Andrew, the husband of Eden, the son-in-law of Dasha, and a former fishing partner of Zebedee and his sons. Alongside the two brothers, Big James and John, Simon Peter is part of Jesus's inner circle. Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter, meaning "rock".

Max Valentin Esquivel portrays a child Simon Peter.

Jesus

Portrayed by Jonathan Roumie, Jesus is a craftsman and a rabbi from Nazareth. The son of Mary and Joseph, and the cousin of John the Baptizer, he is considered the Messiah and the Son of God by some, but due to the crowds that follow him, he is viewed as a potential threat by others. Jesus often identifies himself as the "Son of Man".

James Nowosielski, Darren Valinotti, and Shayan Naveed Fazli portray baby, child, and adolescent Jesus, respectively.

Mary Magdalene

Portrayed by Elizabeth Tabish, Mary Magdalene is a formerly demon-possessed woman from Magdala and one of the women helping Jesus's ministry.

Camila Carreon portrays a child Mary Magdalene.

Matthew the Apostle

Portrayed by Paras Patel, Matthew is a former tax collector in Capernaum and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is the son of Alphaeus and the former tax collector of Simon Peter and Andrew.

Director Dallas Jenkins, who has stated he is "very familiar with the Autism community", chose to have Matthew portrayed as being on the Autism spectrum, with certain mannerisms of his character reflecting this despite the show never explicitly describing him as autistic nor the historical Matthew the Apostle having been described as such. While controversial, this received praise from those with autism and other mental or physical conditions.

Andrew

Portrayed by Noah James, Andrew is a former fisherman in Capernaum and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is one of the sons of Jonah, the younger brother of Simon Peter, a former disciple of John the Baptizer, a friend of Philip from his hometown, Bethsaida, and a former fishing partner of Zebedee and his sons. Alongside Philip, he is a former comrade of Avner and Nadab.

Zohara

Portrayed by Janis Dardaris, Zohara is the wife of Nicodemus.

Eden

Portrayed by Lara Silva, Eden is the wife of Simon Peter, the daughter of Dasha, and one of the women helping Jesus's ministry.

Shmuel

Portrayed by Shaan Sharma, Shmuel is a leading Pharisee from Capernaum and a member of the Sanhedrin.

Zebedee

Portrayed by Nick Shakoour, Zebedee is a former fisherman in Capernaum, the father of Big James and John, the husband of Salome, and a former fishing partner of Simon Peter and Andrew.

John the Apostle

Portrayed by George H. Xanthis, John is a former fisherman in Capernaum and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is one of the sons of Zebedee and Salome, the younger brother of Big James, and a former fishing partner of Simon Peter and Andrew. Jesus nicknames him and his brother, Big James, the "sons of thunder". Alongside Simon Peter and Big James, John is a part of Jesus's inner circle.

William Spinelli portrays a child John the Apostle.

Big James

Portrayed by Shayan Sobhian and Kian Kavousi in season 1 then by Abe Bueno-Jallad starting with season 2, Big James is a former fisherman in Capernaum and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is one of the sons of Zebedee and Salome, the older brother of John, and a former fishing partner of Simon Peter and Andrew. Jesus nicknames him and his brother, John, the "sons of thunder". Alongside Simon Peter and John, Big James is a part of Jesus's inner circle.

Roxton Garcia portrays a child Big James.

Nicodemus

Portrayed by Erick Avari, Nicodemus is a leading Pharisee from Jerusalem, a respected rabbi, and a high-ranking member of the Sanhedrin. He is a secret disciple of Jesus.

Quintus Benedictus Dio

Portrayed by Brandon Potter, Quintus Benedictus Dio is a former Roman magistrate in Capernaum and the former Praetor of Galilee.

Gaius

Portrayed by Kirk B. R. Woller, Gaius is a former high-ranking Roman centurion and a Roman magistrate in Capernaum, the father of his servant son named Ivo, and the current Praetor of Galilee. He is the former guard of Matthew.

Thaddaeus

Portrayed by Giavani Cairo, Thaddaeus is a former stonemason in Bethsaida and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus.

Little James

Portrayed by Jordan Walker Ross, Little James is a former prospective member of the 288 Jerusalem Temple choir and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus.

Thomas

Portrayed by Joey Vahedi, Thomas is a former caterer from the Plains of Sharon, the partner of Ramah, and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus.

Ramah

Portrayed by Yasmine Al-Bustami, Ramah is a former vintner from Tel Dor, the partner of Thomas, and one of the women helping Jesus's ministry.

While many parts of Ramah's character and arc were added for the show, she represents the many women who helped Jesus's ministry and was featured as a major character to provide emotional depth to the series. Her death sparked controversy among audiences, though Jenkins and his wife deemed the plot point necessary to spark discussion on a recurring theme in Christianity and other faiths.

Mary of Nazareth

Portrayed by Vanessa Benavente, Mary is the earthly mother of Jesus, the widowed wife of Joseph, the daughter of Joachim of Nazareth, and one of the women helping Jesus's ministry. She is a relative of the couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and the aunt of John the Baptizer.

Sara Anne recurs as a younger Mary.

Philip

Portrayed by Yoshi Barrigas in seasons 2 and 3 then by Reza Diako starting with season 4, Philip is a former disciple of John the Baptizer and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is both a companion of Andrew from his hometown, Bethsaida, and an old friend of Nathanael. Alongside Andrew, he is a former comrade of Avner and Nadab.

Nathanael

Portrayed by Austin Reed Alleman, Nathanael is a former architect in Caesarea Philippi from Cana and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is the son of Talmai and an old friend of Philip.

Simon Z.

Portrayed by Alaa Safi, Simon Z. is a former Zealot from Ashkelon and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is the brother of Jesse, the healed paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda.

Joseph Scott Campbell portrays an adolescent Simon Z.

Judas Iscariot

Portrayed by Luke Dimyan, Judas Iscariot is a former business apprentice from Kerioth, who is the treasurer and one of the twelve disciples, called apostles, of Jesus. He is the son of Simon Iscariot.

Yussif

Portrayed by Ivan Jasso, Yussif is a leading Pharisee from Jerusalem, a respected rabbi, and a high-ranking member of the Sanhedrin. He is a secret disciple of Jesus.

Tamar

Portrayed by Amber Shana Williams, Tamar is an Ethiopian friend of Ethan, the healed paralytic in Capernaum, from Heliopolis, and one of the women helping Jesus's ministry.

Atticus Aemilius Pulcher

Portrayed by Elijah Alexander, Atticus Aemilius Pulcher is one of the Roman cohortes urbanae sent from Rome to investigate the Zealots and then Jesus.

Recurring characters

Guest characters

Notes

  1. ↑ Max Valentin Esquivel portrays a child Simon Peter
  2. ↑ James Nowosielski, Darren Valinotti, and Shayan Naveed Fazli portray baby, child, and adolescent Jesus, respectively
  3. ↑ Camila Carreon portrays a child Mary Magdalene
  4. ↑ William Spinelli portrays a child John the Apostle
  5. ↑ Sobhian portrays Big James in season 1, episodes 1–4
  6. ↑ Kavousi portrays Big James in season 1, episodes 5–8
  7. ↑ Bueno-Jallad has portrayed Big James since season 2
  8. ↑ Roxton Garcia portrays a child Big James
  9. ↑ Sara Anne recurs as a younger Mary
  10. ↑ Barrigas portrays Philip in seasons 2–3
  11. ↑ Diako has portrayed Philip since season 4
  12. ↑ Joseph Scott Campbell portrays an adolescent Simon Z.
  13. ↑ Benjamin Issa and Chris Edward Garcia portray child and adolescent Jesse, respectively

References

  1. ↑ Moore, Even (March 18, 2020). "'The Chosen': Elgin filmmaker wants people to 'Binge Jesus' on an app". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  2. ↑ Parke, Caleb (January 7, 2019). "Story about life of Jesus emerges as largest crowdfunded entertainment project in history". Fox News. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Names of the 12 Disciples". Angel Studios. January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ "The Chosen Cast & Characters". Angel Studios. September 4, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  5. ↑ "The Chosen - Season Four". Independent Catholic News. January 26, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  6. ↑ Dillard, Maggie (2024-04-10). "'The Chosen' Star Paras Patel Talks His Unique Role as Matthew and Promoting Autism Awareness (EXCLUSIVE)". Woman's World. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
  7. ↑ Abernethy, Andrew (2021-05-07). "Why Matthew's Disability in 'The Chosen' Matters". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
  8. ↑ Speer, Darian (2024-07-16). "The Chosen Season 4's Saddest Death Didn't Come From The Bible". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  9. ↑ Dillard, Maggie (July 12, 2023). "The Christian Series 'The Chosen' Won the Hearts of Millions and Is Coming to Network TV —Here's What You Need to Know". Yahoo. Retrieved January 10, 2024.