To embody the biblical monarch consumed by paranoia and worldly power, Caviezel drew unexpectedly on the physical, emotional, and spiritual marks left on him from playing Christ more than two decades ago.
Best known for his iconic portrayal of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, as well as starring roles in Sound of Freedom and CBS’ drama series Person of Interest, Catholic actor Jim Caviezel is taking on a role that marks a dramatic inverse in his acting career: playing the tyrant King Herod the Great in the biblical epic Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ.
Reuniting with Sound of Freedom director Alejandro Monteverde (Cabrini, Sound of Freedom), Caviezel, 58, steps into Judea during the early Roman period for the Angel Studios film, which will be released next month.
In an exclusive sit-down interview in Los Angeles with Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s The World Over, Caviezel opened up about the spiritual and artistic journey of stepping into the shoes of one of history’s most infamous oppressors.
Stepping Into the Shadows of King Herod
Taking on the antagonist responsible for the Massacre of the Innocents was not something Caviezel initially planned. Hesitant at first due to preparations for future projects, he said a conversation with producer Leo Severino and a consultation with Mel Gibson convinced him to embrace the challenge.
“I’m an actor. … First I was going to be doing The Resurrection,” Caviezel shared, noting Gibson’s Passion of the Christ sequel.
“Then I get a phone call from Leo Severino and he’s really down. … So I called Mel, and I said, ‘Hey, can I do this movie?’ He goes, ‘Why? Can you do a big makeup job?’ ‘Yeah, we’ll do that.’ ‘And can you change your voice?’ ‘Yeah, I’ll do that.’ That’s how I did it.”
To embody the biblical monarch consumed by paranoia and worldly power, Caviezel drew unexpectedly on the physical, emotional, and spiritual marks left on him from playing Christ more than two decades ago.
“If you were to look at your soul as like a coat of arms … I have all of these chinks in it and stab marks and all the wounds from playing Jesus. And it’s still there and it’s scarred. And I just looked at those scars and those chinks and I said, ‘Oh, that’s Herod.’ And I was able to reverse that.”
For Caviezel, Herod’s tragic flaw serves as a timeless moral warning about the destructive nature of fear and pride:
“What profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?” Caviezel reflected.
“He had power, but he was worried — who’s going to kill him? Who’s going to be the one to take the throne? And what and who is this? This line of David has to be dealt with.”
Spiritual Warfare and Action in Ghost Soldier
Herod is not Caviezel’s only movie this holiday season. Ahead of Zero A.D., he stars in the action-thriller Ghost Soldier, playing Henry “Fitz” Fitzgerald, a former Special Forces Green Beret and weapons developer living off the grid in Wyoming who steps up to defend his community against a predatory corporation.
Grounded in classic ’80s and ’90s action aesthetics and shaped by real-life (Tier 1) military operators, Ghost Soldier weaves military authenticity with explicit spiritual elements — most notably the St. Michael Prayer.
“I have a history of working with veterans … a lot of Tier 1 operators,” Caviezel explained.
“And I say, ‘Hey, on your neck. What is that?’ ‘That’s my scapular.’ ‘What’s that on your neck?’ And it’s a St. Michael’s. … I said, ‘Are you Catholic?’ ‘No.’ ‘Oh, why? What? Did you get it?’ ‘It’s better than a lucky rabbit’s foot, I guess.’ And so I was like, it needs to be in the movie.”
Reflecting on the deeper battle lines present in modern media, Caviezel noted that true storytelling should confront spiritual realities head-on:
“When we did The Passion of the Christ, we went out to kick everybody’s … . We wanted to be No. 1. … And it was important because we’re in a war over this culture right now. … I always start with the spiritual weapons, the sacraments. … My character has to fight a whole army of special forces. But I have weapons that nobody’s ever seen, and I’m able to get inside. That’s why it’s a ghost soldier.”
The film also pays homage to Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart — who famously paused his Oscar-winning acting career to fly 26 combat missions in World War II — by featuring Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in a pivotal scene.
Caviezel recalled meeting Stewart in 1997 as a young actor, where Stewart offered him simple advice: “Young man, you make good movies.”
A Mission Beyond the Box Office
Whether exploring the tragedy of Herod’s prideful soul or shining a light on the horrors of human trafficking, Caviezel views his entire body of work as an offering ordered toward a higher purpose.
Addressing Gibson’s warning 22 years ago that playing Jesus might impact his standing in Tinseltown, Caviezel remains unshakeable in his vocation.
“I go back to the boy in the theater, the one who saved me. … He came to me in that theater and he said, ‘I’d like you to be an actor.’ And he came to me with the most love I ever felt, the most peace ever felt,” Caviezel said.
“Everything that I do in my job is about bringing people to Jesus. Because I love him and I don’t deserve it. But he loves me, and I want the world to know that I love him. And so I try to find stories that are redeemable.”
Ghost Soldier hits theaters nationwide on Veterans Day ahead of the release of Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ this December.
