Jonathan Roumie wasn’t reading from a script when he walked toward fellow “The Chosen” actor Elijah Alexander and said a few words that Alexander says helped set him on a journey toward Jesus Christ.
“There’s something for you here.”
Alexander, who portrays the fictional Roman officer Atticus Aemilius on the hit biblical series, opened up about his remarkable journey during a conversation with members of the Robertson family on the “Unashamed” podcast. What unfolded was more than a behind-the-scenes story from “The Chosen.” Alexander described a series of deeply personal encounters that ultimately preceded his decision to be baptized and publicly devote his life to God.
Long before joining “The Chosen,” Alexander was raised Jewish by an Egyptian Jewish father and a Lutheran mother who converted to Judaism. As a child, Hebrew school introduced him to the sweeping biblical accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Elijah and Noah—stories that planted a deep fascination with God and storytelling.
But decades later, Alexander found himself in an entirely different season.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, acting work disappeared. Alexander said he had built so much of his identity around being an actor that suddenly losing work left him without the purpose he once knew. He taught high school and took jobs in property management, construction and demolition to stay afloat.
Then came “The Chosen.”
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After multiple auditions and callbacks, Alexander received a last-minute call to join the production after another actor contracted COVID. Within days, he was on set.
Eventually, something happened even when the cameras weren’t rolling.
While filming the Sermon on the Mount, Alexander watched Roumie—fully immersed in his portrayal of Jesus—move through the crowd and quietly interact with actors playing the disciples. Then Roumie began walking toward him.
Alexander couldn’t understand why.
Roumie stopped, looked him directly in the eyes and said, “There’s something for you here.”
Alexander initially responded with humor, joking about the food and accommodations. But Roumie came closer, grabbed his arms and repeated the message.
Alexander stopped joking.
“That was the seed that was planted,” he told the Robertsons. “That was the beginning of my literal walk with Jesus.”
But that was only chapter one.
Years later, while Alexander was filming his first on-screen exchange between Atticus and Jesus, Roumie looked at him moments before Dallas Jenkins called “Action” and gave him another simple command:
“Follow me.”
Alexander described the scene that followed as a “revelation of truth” that touched something far deeper than his acting career.
Then came the cross.
While filming the Crucifixion in Matera, Italy, Alexander saw Roumie sitting at the foot of the cross, battered and bruised in costume and wearing the crown of thorns.
Roumie motioned Alexander toward him, grabbed his forearm and said, “I’m doing this for you.”
Then he said it again.
“I’m doing this for you also. I love you, Atticus.”
Months later, on Aug. 28, 2025, Alexander was baptized on the set of “The Chosen,” publicly entering what he described as a covenant with God and devoting his life to Him. Later, a pastor pointed out the date: 8/28—Romans 8:28, the passage declaring that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Alexander said the verse has since become a “mantra” for his life.
Yet perhaps the most striking part came afterward.
Alexander told the Robertson family that he eventually recounted these three pivotal moments to Roumie himself.
Roumie didn’t remember them.
Not one.
Alexander said Roumie had “absolutely no memory” of the encounters. For Alexander, however, they had become part of something much bigger. He believes Jesus met him in the language he understood—acting, storytelling and the very work that had defined so much of his life.
What may have seemed like fleeting interactions to Roumie became defining moments in another man’s journey toward Christ.
Sometimes the words God uses to change a life aren’t delivered from a pulpit, under bright lights or even while the cameras are rolling.
Sometimes they’re whispered when nobody thinks the scene has even started.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
