Seasons & episodes

Grasshoppers and scorpions. Spiders and snakes. Liz Tabish (Mary Magdalene) knows how to keep her cool around creepy crawly critters. That’s where this call begins, but just like bugs and snakes, we cover a lot of ground. From Liz’s love of writing and directing authentic women’s stories to her hankering for a comedic role or two, you’ll get to know the real woman behind a beloved character.

Though Ramah rests in peace, Yasmine Al-Bustami is wide awake, fully caffeinated, and ready for a lively call. We get to hear what she’s been up to since Season 4—which runs the gamut from spontaneous road trips to straightlaced financial work. That’s right: she acts and also does accounting…come to think of it, maybe that’s why Ramah was so good with numbers.

This week, you get to hear the MARVELous way Dani Taylor became our Additional Assistant Director—and what in the world that job even is. Among other things, Dani will also tell you (1) why she wants to visit Finland and (2) who on our crew should never, ever be allowed to even sip an energy drink. Enjoy!

Use the ̶F̶o̶r̶c̶e̶ phone, Luke! In this week’s call, we chat with our favorite Luke (Dimyan, not Skywalker)...although he does own several lightsabers and knows how to use them. We talk about his love of all things nerdy, his creative writing, and an oddity when it comes to his brain and language: he can affect any accent, but can’t remember his family’s native Egyptian Arabic. Enjoy!

Chad Gundersen has worked his entire professional life as a film and TV producer, and he’s been with The Chosen since the very first season—but if you’d have told any of that to his younger self, he would’ve never believed you. In this call, Chad tells us about the very different career plans he had for himself and how he and his family gave those up to take a pretty wild ride on the path God had for them instead. Plus, he tells how he missed one of the biggest days in Chosen history—even though he was instrumental in pulling it off.

Did you know that George can read his character’s Gospel in its original Greek? That’s just one of the cool things you’ll learn about the actor who plays our thunderous and beloved John. He catches you up on how he’s not catching up on sleep (b/c of a newborn) and how he keeps up with Abe who plays his bro on the show. Just like a real little brother, George also loves to give Abe a hard time. Hear all about it on this week’s call.

This week, we catch up with long-time crew member—and one of the most encouraging guys you’ll ever meet—Jeremy Gauna, aka, “JP.” He’s worked in Locations here on The Chosen since the end of Season 1, but we got to hear about some exciting acting work he’s been doing on the Yellowstone prequel, 1923. And yes, he knows Harrison Ford. Enjoy.

This week, we had a walk-and-talk with Abe (Big James) as he hiked through woods in a remote, undisclosed location (we’re pretty sure it was just Southern California). Anyhow, Abe responded to a few messages from previous callers, then told us all about his experience as a first-time dad, the 1840s period film he’s making, and his deep roots in the Southwest. On that note, did you know he knows how to build an adobe-style home? Hear all about it in this week’s call.

Lights, camera, Akis!...Okay, maybe that's not the exact expression, but there's no "Action!" without our Director of Photography, Akis Konstantakopoulos. We gave him a call to catch up and ask about life outside The Chosen, but we ended up talking shop, too—like how tricky it is to light a scene with candles. It was also cool to hear about Akis' long-time friendship and collaboration with Phedon Papamichael, a fellow DP whose work you've almost certainly seen, even if you don't know it.

When she’s not playing Tamar on The Chosen, you might find Amber Shana Williams filming a Spanish spy thriller, singing, swordfighting, or maybe even just watching cartoons. We caught up with her in Spain to hear what she and her fam have been up to…and Chris just might have convinced her to help train him for a lightsaber rematch with Luke Dimyan. We’ll see.

Instead of picking up the phone this week, we pulled up a chair for a delightfully honest sit-down convo with Dallas’ better half, Amanda. We touched on lots of different topics, including how much she loves acting on camera (not at all); how much extra sleep she and Dallas are getting (not much); and how easy she is for God to parent (not easy at all, she claims)...but then, who is? Enjoy this refreshingly candid convo.

What do you call someone who was raised without TV, but grew up to be on TV? Or a professional ballerina who’s also a sci-fi nerd? Or a Texan who’s also a British citizen? Or an actor who’s played a dangerous, deranged medieval queen, but also a beloved follower of Jesus? We call her Amy Bailey, and she calls herself a “professional weirdo.” But really she’s so much more: a wife and mom, educator, classical dance instructor, and just a wonderfully honest and nuanced thinker. Get ready for a good (and yes, weird) talk.

This is your last call—for now. With Season 6 filming underway, it’s time to press pause on these recordings, but don’t worry: we plan to continue our between-season talks in the future. For now, enjoy a great convo with Paras Patel—part serious, part silly, and surprisingly “fiery” as we discuss burnout, fire ants, and Xxtra Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Noah (Andrew), Luke (Judas), and David (John the Baptizer) discuss the impact of Jesus' sermon.

The scene is emotionally powerful, but is it theologically sound? Dallas and Jordan (Little James) discuss his character's moving encounter with Jesus about his malady. Paras (Matthew) and Brandon (Quints) also give us the sharp contrast between what's happening with their characters. Even as Matthew is finding what he's lost as he follows Jesus, Quintus is in danger of losing everything—maybe even his head.

You have to wonder how Jesus' family and lifelong friends felt when he came out as the Messiah—and was rejected by his own hometown. Episode 3 gave us that scenario, and in this Aftershow, Jonathan Roumie (Jesus), Vanessa Benavente (Mother Mary), and Demetrios Troy (Lazarus) discuss what it was like portraying it. Dallas and Rabbi Jason Sobel also join us to tackle a couple of controversies in this episode: Did Jesus have biological brothers, and is he "the law of Moses"?

Warning: we talk about feelings a lot in this Aftershow—but if you've watched Episode 4, you understand why. Actors Giavanni Cairo (Thaddeus) and Ivan Jasso (Yussif), and writers Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson join us to discuss all the interpersonal shakeups happening among Jesus' followers. Even as new friendships and unlikely alliances are forming, long-term family bonds are being strained.

In Episode Five, we rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Zhaleh Vossough (Veronica, aka, "the woman with the issue of blood") shares the joy of seeing her character not only healed of a chronic disease, but accepted by Jesus and restored to a loving community. Then our writers, Ryan and Tyler, bring the hurt—explaining the all-too-familiar pain that Eden and Simon are experiencing, and why Jesus won't just wave his hand and make it go away.

Question: What do Mary Magdalene, Simon Z, and Barnaby have in common? Answer: Each found new freedom from their past in Episode Six. Actors Liz Tabish (Mary), Alaa Safi (Simon Z), and Aalok Mehta (Barnaby) talk with us about how their characters can now look ahead with greater confidence. Then Dallas joins us to answer questions about the snake dream, a young (and likeable?) Pilate, the disciples taking up arms, and a lot more.

Paras Patel (Matthew) joins us to talk about that crucial moment from his backstory—where he met a man who was everything he wasn't, but should be. Then writers, Ryan and Tyler, explain why Simon's rocky time now is necessary for making him rock solid later.

Jesus' most "beloved" friend and his most relentless enemy (or at least, the actors who play them) come to the table to discuss this intense season finale. George Xanthis (John) and Shaan Sharma (Shmuel) get the conversation started, then Dallas and our executive producers wrap it up by telling you all about that final scene that left you saying, "Wow!"

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To wed or not to wed? That's the question for Thomas and Ramah. Between the demands of discipleship, lack of financial security, and opposition from her father, their road to the altar is full of obstacles—but they're not going to give up without a fight. You'll see the next chapter of their story in theaters starting February 1. Find your showtime at https://www.thechosenriseup.com/

Our cast has some choice four-letter words to describe this season—but probably not what you’re thinking. Listen as they try to condense more than eight hours into just four letters. And if you’re not satisfied with their short descriptions, that’s okay. You can see full episodes right now. Find your showtime at https://www.thechosenriseup.com/