Jonathan Roumie Says Labeling The Chosen as ‘Religious’ Is a ‘Disservice’: ‘A Gate Goes Down in People’s Minds’ (Exclusive)

“I think it can be a religious experience for certain people that watch the show, but I wouldn’t call it a religious show by any stretch,” Roumie tells PEOPLE

Jonathan Roumie is setting the record straight about The Chosen. 

The actor, 50, who portrays Jesus in the historical drama series, says that referring to the show as “religious” misrepresents its intent.

“I think classifying it as a religious show is a disservice to what we’re doing as storytellers, as filmmakers and even as believers of the show,” Roumie, 50, tells PEOPLE. “When you say religious, a gate goes down in people’s minds that have sensitivities to that word — for whatever reason, whatever experience they’ve had — and all of a sudden they will not watch it. So I think it shouldn’t be called that.”

With a viewership of 280 million people worldwide and the first two episodes of the fifth season, The Chosen: The Last Supper — Part One, now in select theaters nationwide, Roumie encourages viewers to engage with the show on their own terms. “I think it can be a religious experience for certain people that watch the show, but I wouldn’t call it a religious show by any stretch,” he explains.

The actor adds, “It’s a historical drama that centers around the beginnings of this religious movement, this spiritual movement that irrevocably changed the world and has been changing real people watching the show.”

Reflecting on the impact the show has had on its viewers, Roumie says, “There are people that are being converted watching the show in prison. There are people that have not been to a church in 30 years that are like, ‘I haven’t believed in God. Now I want to know who he is,’ and they start asking the questions.”

His castmates agree that this show extends beyond religion. “I could not imagine any of this happening the way it has happened,” Elizabeth Tabish, who plays Mary Magdalene in the series, tells PEOPLE about the widespread response to the show.

She continues, “I thought if it does get some success, it’ll be a very niche audience. And the way it has been accepted and embraced by so many different cultures, so many different countries, so many different types of people — religious and non-religious — has been incredible.”

Whether viewers consider the show religious or not, Roumie hopes it sparks reflection and leaves a lasting impact. “What we’re trying to do is just point out, ‘Hey, this is an alternative to the reality you’re currently living in. What do you think of it?’” the actor says.

He adds, “A lot of it’s plausible, a lot of it’s scriptural and we just want to see what happens—see what God does with people when they watch the show.”

The Chosen: Last Supper will debut in theaters in three parts, with Part One (episodes 1-2) now in select theaters nationwide, while Part Two (episodes 3, 4, 5) and Part Three (episodes 6, 7, 8) will be released at later dates. All of season 5 will available to stream on Prime Video later in 2025.