Caviezel portrayed Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's 2004 The Passion of the Christ. During filming, he was struck by lightning, scourged by accident, dislocated his shoulder, and suffered from pneumonia and hypothermia.[14] Prior to filming, Gibson reportedly warned Caviezel that playing Jesus in his controversial film could hurt his career. In 2011, he stated that good roles had been hard to come by since, but this movie, in particular, the role of Jesus Christ was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Passion of the Christ went on to take in a box office of $612.1 million.[15][16]
Caviezel had leading roles in the 2006 films Unknown and Déjà Vu. He played Kainan in Outlander (2008) and provided the voice of Jesus on the 2007 New Testament audio dramatization The Word of Promise.[17][18] In 2008, he starred in Long Weekend.[19]
In 2009, Caviezel played French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam in The Stoning of Soraya M., a drama set in 1986 Iran about the execution of a young mother. When asked about how his Catholic faith was affected by this story, he said, "You don't have to go any further than the gospels to figure out what the right thing to do is, whether you should be more concerned helping someone regardless of their religion or where they're from".[20] That same year, he reprised the role of Jesus in the latest installment of The Word of Promise.[21] Caviezel starred in The Prisoner, a remake of the British science fiction series with the same name, in November 2009.[22][23]
From 2011 to 2016, Caviezel starred in the CBS drama series Person of Interest as John Reese, a former CIA agent who now works for a mysterious billionaire as a vigilante. The show received the highest ratings in 15 years for a series pilot and consistently garnered over 10 million weekly viewers.[24] Caviezel was nominated for the People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor in 2014[25] and again in 2016[26] for his work on Person of Interest.
In 2017, Caviezel signed on as lead character of CBS's SEAL Team series.[31] However, Caviezel left the project due to creative differences before production began and was replaced by David Boreanaz.[32]
Caviezel portrayed the Apostle Luke in the film Paul, Apostle of Christ, which opened in theaters on March 23, 2018, to mixed reviews.[33][34]
In January 2018, Caviezel's agent announced that Caviezel had signed on with Gibson to reprise his role as Jesus in The Passion of the Christ sequel, entitled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.[35][36] In September 2020, Caviezel said, "Mel Gibson just sent me the third picture, the third draft. It's coming." He added, "It's going to be the biggest film in world history."[37]
In 2018, Caviezel signed on to portray Tim Ballard, a DHS Agent and an anti-human-trafficking activist, in the film Sound of Freedom, about the organization Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) and its mission to save children from sex trafficking and slavery. Ballard had specifically requested that Caviezel play him.[38] Caviezel stated, "This is the second most important film I have ever done since The Passion of the Christ. ... It's going to affect the saving of a lot of children and the changing of lives. It will also bring a lot of light into the darkness."[39] The film was theatrically released on July 3, 2023.
In 1996, Caviezel married Kerri Browitt, a high school English teacher. They have adopted three children from China.[41][30]
Out of respect for his wife, Caviezel requested that he wear a shirt and that Jennifer Lopez wear a top during a love scene in the film Angel Eyes,[42] and he refused to strip in a love scene with Ashley Judd in High Crimes.[43] He said, "I do love scenes—but not ones with gratuitous sex. I also don't do gratuitous violence. And it's not just about my wife, although that's important. It's sin, pure and simple. I mean, it's wrong."[44]
Religious beliefs
Caviezel is a devout Catholic. In a 2017 interview, Caviezel talked about the importance of his Catholic faith, the lasting impact that The Passion of the Christ has had on his life, and his special devotion to the Virgin Mary.[45][46] During the filming of The Passion of the Christ in Italy, he received daily counsel, confession, and Holy Communion from a local Catholic priest, with an interpreter.[47]
Political views
Caviezel is publicly against abortion.[30] In 2006, Caviezel was featured with actress Patricia Heaton and Missouri athletes Kurt Warner and Mike Sweeney in an advertisement opposing Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2, which allowed any form of embryonic stem cell research and therapy in Missouri that is otherwise legal under federal law. He began the advertisement by saying, "Le-bar nash be-neshak" (Aramaic for "You betray the Son of Man with a kiss"), a reference to Judas's betrayal of Jesus Christ and a phrase used in the Gospel According to St. Luke.[48][49] (In the advertisement, the line did not include a translation into English.) Caviezel closed the commercial with the line, "You know now. Don't do it. Vote no on 2." The advertisement was a response to a commercial featuring Michael J. Fox, who favored embryonic stem cell research.[50]
Support of QAnon
Beginning in 2021, Caviezel endorsed elements of the QAnon conspiracy theory,[51][52] first doing so during a remote appearance at the "Health and Freedom Conference"[53][54] at Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.[55] The appearance was to promote the film Sound of Freedom, centering on anti-human trafficking activist Tim Ballard. Ballard's activism has been alleged to correspond to the rise of QAnon, though he denies any connection to the movement.[56] Caviezel mentioned that Ballard was supposed to be appearing at the conference but was "saving victims of trafficking" who were victims of "adrenochroming", a fictional practice whose existence is suggested by QAnon adherents.[57] Caviezel suggested he had seen evidence of children being subjected to the practice.[58] The event included appearances by other QAnon promoters, such as L. Lin Wood[59] and Michael Flynn.[60] In October of the same year, Caviezel spoke in Las Vegas at the "For God & Country: Patriot Double Down" conference, where he mentioned the need to fight child sex trafficking, Satan and liberal values. He claimed that "the storm is upon us", a slogan associated with QAnon echoing the belief in a final battle against evil and repeated the battle cry of William Wallace in Braveheart, also urging the audience to "[send] Lucifer and his henchmen straight back to hell where they belong".[61]
After Sound of Freedom was released in 2023, Caviezel continued to promote QAnon during interviews and media appearances related to the film.[62] During a July 2023 appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show, Kirk asked Caviezel to address claims of his belief in QAnon. He claimed he was unaware of QAnon when the movie was filmed in 2018, and subsequently defended followers of QAnon, claiming that they were being persecuted and comparing them to the Christians in the New Testament. Caviezel also made more remarks about adrenochrome and claimed that "QAnon" does not exist, only "Q" and "anons" - a common talking point used by QAnon followers to deflect from their support for the movement.[63]
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson is an American actor and film director. He is known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic action series Mad Max and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action-comedy film series Lethal Weapon.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with much of the plot centered on Judas, who is dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus is steering his disciples. Contemporary attitudes, sensibilities and slang pervade the rock opera's lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout the depiction of political events. Stage and film productions accordingly contain many intentional anachronisms.
Adrenochrome is a chemical compound produced by the oxidation of adrenaline (epinephrine). It was the subject of limited research from the 1950s through to the 1970s as a potential cause of schizophrenia. While it has no current medical application, the semicarbazide derivative, carbazochrome, is a hemostatic medication.
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film produced, directed, and co-written by Mel Gibson. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It also draws on pious accounts such as the Friday of Sorrows, along with other devotional writings, such as the reputed visions attributed to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich.
Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern is a Romanian film and stage actress, described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian theater and film". In the English-speaking world, she is best known for portraying the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her 1992 role as Nela in Balanța, a film known in the United States as The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania. She received a star on the Romanian Walk of Fame in Bucharest on 1 May 2011.
José Eduardo Verástegui Córdoba is a Mexican actor, singer, and producer. He was part of the band Kairo and later embarked on a solo music career, before he started appearing in Mexican telenovelas and eventually feature films like Chasing Papi, Bella, and Little Boy, the latter two produced by his own production company, Metanoia.
QAnon is a far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement that originated in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". Those claims have been relayed and developed by online communities and influencers. Their core belief is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters is operating a global child sex trafficking ring that conspired against president Donald Trump. QAnon has direct roots in Pizzagate, an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier, but also incorporates elements of many other theories. QAnon has been described as a cult.
Stelio Savante is a South African actor and filmmaker that has appeared in 140 films and series in the last three decades. He is known for his roles as a South African/Israeli journalist and undercover Mossad agent opposite Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan in the political thriller Infidel, a Portuguese mayor opposite Matt Dillon in the Hawaiian drama Running for Grace, a small town deputy directly opposite Cress Williams, Kellan Lutz and Anne Heche, in her final film performance in the noir What Remains, and a rogue policeman in the South African epic drama Colors of Heaven. In 2007 he became the first male South African-born Screen Actors Guild award nominee for his recurring role on Ugly Betty followed by roles in the studio films My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. He is also known for the roles of Moses in the biblical series The Chosen, and the voice of Ajax in the popular video games Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Call of Duty: Mobile.
Mel Gibson is an American actor, director, and producer, who made his acting debut on the Australian television drama series The Sullivans (1976–1983). While a student at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, he was given an uncredited role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and subsequently appeared as a leading actor in the micro budget surf drama Summer City. Gibson rose to prominence during the Australian New Wave cinema movement in the early 1980s, having appeared in his breakthrough role in George Miller's dystopian action film Mad Max (1979), portraying the eponymous hero. He reprised the role in its sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). He appeared in Peter Weir's war drama Gallipoli (1981) and the romantic drama The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Five years later he played Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action comedy Lethal Weapon alongside Danny Glover—a role he later reprised in its sequels Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
Christo Jivkov was a Bulgarian actor. He first gained recognition for portraying Giovanni delle Bande Nere in the period drama The Profession of Arms (2001), and later became better known for his leading role as St. John in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004).
Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is a nonprofit United States-based anti-sex trafficking organization founded in 2013 by Tim Ballard. The organization has been criticized for its conduct during sting operations and has been accused of exaggerating claims regarding its work. There have been no actual verified rescues performed by the group, and the group's claims of rescues have misled donors and the public about what the group does. The group claims to have conducted multiple sting operations, some outside the United States, and donated technological and monetary resources to law-enforcement agencies that combat sex trafficking.
Angel Studios, Inc. is an American independent media company and film distribution studio based in Provo, Utah. It operates the over-the-top video on-demand service Angel Studios. The streaming service is available worldwide and can be accessed via web browsers or via application software installed on smartphones, tablet computers, and smart TVs.
Timothy Ballard is the founder and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an anti-sex trafficking organization. Ballard was removed as CEO and forced to leave O.U.R. in 2023 amid accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple employees. Shortly afterward, five women filed a lawsuit against Ballard, accusing him of coercing them into sexual acts during his sting operations. Another lawsuit was then filed against Ballard by a married couple, accusing him of sexual assault and grooming. Utah Governor Spencer Cox subsequently called for a criminal investigation into Ballard's actions.
Paul, Apostle of Christ is a 2018 American biblical drama film written and directed by Andrew Hyatt. It stars James Faulkner as Paul the Apostle and Jim Caviezel as Saint Luke.
The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection - Chapter I is an upcoming American epic biblical drama film written and directed by Mel Gibson. Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, the film is a sequel to The Passion of the Christ (2004), where it will focus on the three days between Jesus' death and resurrection. Alongside Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern and Francesco De Vito will reprise their roles as Mary and Peter the Apostle, respectively.
Liberating a Continent: John Paul II and the Fall of Communism is a David Naglieri documentary about the role Pope John Paul II played in the demise of the U.S.S.R., the end of Communism in Poland, and lifting the iron curtain. It is narrated by Jim Caviezel, his fourth narration of a documentary regarding the Catholic faith and the second of which is about John Paul II. It is directed by David Naglieri, who has also directed John Paul II in Ireland a Plea for Peace and John Paul II in America: Uniting a Continent. The former was the first documentary Caviezel narrates that deals with John Paul II. It portrays the 9 day visit to Poland the Pope made in 1979, where he influenced the Solidarność movement. It also documents John Paul II's role in the movement to end martial law as declared by leaders of Poland, positing that his meetings with Communist leaders of Poland changed the course of history.
Sound of Freedom is a 2023 American Christian thriller film directed and co-written by Alejandro Monteverde, and starring Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino and Bill Camp. Caviezel plays Tim Ballard, a former U.S. government agent who embarks on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia. It is produced by Eduardo Verástegui, who also plays a role in the film. The plot centers around Ballard's Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-sex trafficking organization. While is purportedly based on the life of Ballard, multiple investigative journalists have written about the real-life Ballard and O.U.R., pointing out that the events in the film bear little resemblance to reality.
Isaac Kappy was an American actor and musician. He had roles in the films Thor (2011) and Terminator Salvation (2009) and in the AMC television series Breaking Bad. He was a member of the band Monster Paws.
Q: Into the Storm is an American documentary television miniseries directed and produced by Cullen Hoback. It explores the QAnon conspiracy theory and the people involved with it. It consisted of six episodes and premiered on HBO on March 21, 2021. The series received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its insight into the conspiracy theory, and others finding it to be overlong and lacking in analysis of the impacts of QAnon. Some reviewers have criticized the series for not following best practices outlined by extremism researchers for reporting on extremism and conspiracy theories.
Jonathan Roumie is an American actor known for his role as evangelist Lonnie Frisbee in the 2023 film Jesus Revolution and as Jesus in The Chosen TV Series, a crowd-funded television series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. He is also a voice artist.
↑ "Jim Caviezel". About.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2010. One of five children, he grew up as part of a devout Roman Catholic family.
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