What Actor Should Play Jesus?
This part just got cut out of my sermon for tomorrow, but I thought it would be a fun blog debate.
If each of the gospels were made into a movie, who would play the part of Jesus? Here are my votes... I'd love to hear yours.
Gospel of Matthew: Morgan Freeman as Jesus. Why? Matthew centers around Jesus' teaching (think Sermon on the Mount). You want a Jesus character whose voice is soothing yet commanding. Who can deliver lines with perfect timing and accuracy. Who has academic-style intellectual prowess, yet speaks in ways that resonate with the common man... the kind of actor whose voice hooks you and scares you at the same time.
Gospel of Mark: that's for the sermon tomorrow. You'll find out.
Gospel of Luke: Denzel Washington. Luke emphasizes Jesus' interactions with people from every stripe of society: rich, poor, slave, free, religious, irreligious, young, old, male, female. So the actor has to be an "everyman" Jesus - someone who incarnates the best of all different kinds of people. A man whom everyone can see themselves in.
Gospel of John: Nicholas Cage. John, written by "the disciple whom Jesus loved," shows us much of Jesus' personal, affective side. We need an actor who is manly and strong, yet warm, affectionate, and accessible - the kind of man we could see hugging his disciples, comforting the woman at the well, or grieving in the garden of Gethsemane.
What do you think?
If each of the gospels were made into a movie, who would play the part of Jesus? Here are my votes... I'd love to hear yours.
Gospel of Matthew: Morgan Freeman as Jesus. Why? Matthew centers around Jesus' teaching (think Sermon on the Mount). You want a Jesus character whose voice is soothing yet commanding. Who can deliver lines with perfect timing and accuracy. Who has academic-style intellectual prowess, yet speaks in ways that resonate with the common man... the kind of actor whose voice hooks you and scares you at the same time.
Gospel of Mark: that's for the sermon tomorrow. You'll find out.
Gospel of Luke: Denzel Washington. Luke emphasizes Jesus' interactions with people from every stripe of society: rich, poor, slave, free, religious, irreligious, young, old, male, female. So the actor has to be an "everyman" Jesus - someone who incarnates the best of all different kinds of people. A man whom everyone can see themselves in.
Gospel of John: Nicholas Cage. John, written by "the disciple whom Jesus loved," shows us much of Jesus' personal, affective side. We need an actor who is manly and strong, yet warm, affectionate, and accessible - the kind of man we could see hugging his disciples, comforting the woman at the well, or grieving in the garden of Gethsemane.
What do you think?
posted by Bob | 4:00 PM
12 Comments:
Nicholas Cage may be the worst actor of all time - seriously. I'm convinced that the only reason he is allowed to act is because of his relation with the Francis Ford Coppola. How about another relative of Coppola's for the Jesus of John: Jason Schwartzman anyone?
derrick
by the way, how long of a movie would this be? i mean, passion and the nativity story were both a couple hours long, and they only covered one event each of Jesus' life. Perhaps you should look for an actor with big time endurance, above all else.
Hmm, good point, Cage ain't the best actor in the world. I was thinking Dennis Quaid might be another good pick. It's gotta be someone manly yet affective... someone you could see as your big brother.
Derrick. Aren't you the perpetual trouble-shooter? :0) This is no dig. It takes one to know one.
I like Ryan Gosling for John.
Leigh
I vote for John Cusack, a la high fidelity.
Derrick, i disagree with you when you say Nick Cage is the worst actor of all time. He's not great, but Kevin Costner can't act his way out of a wet paper bag.
Derek-
Usually I'm quick to defend 'the Nick's of the World' but you're right, he's no good. Fortunately, I was able to see Raising Arizona before any other movie of his -that's his best. Truth be told, I was probably far too young to watch that movie in the first place!
John Cusack?! I see more of myself in Cusack than Jesus... I mean, he was a mess in High Fidelity, am I right?
...this is getting good!
Does anyone want to see my Nicolas Cage impression? It's really good.
-Matt
What about Viggo Mortensen or Daniel Day Lewis for John? I agree with the Cage comments - Nick Cage is not a very dynamic actor.
after listening to the sermon, bob i am seriously ticked that you jumped on the chuck norris bandwagon. can i call you Reverend Huckabee from now on?
Patrick
p.s. Chuck Norris, if you read this, my real name is Jimbo Jones and i live at 742 Evergreen terrace in Springfield.
Matt, if it's anywhere near on par with your Buster Bluth, I'd love to see it. I don't think there's an actor I dislike more than Nicholas Cage.
Ivy, I'm with you. My immediate vote was Viggo Mortensen, a la Aragorn in Lord of the Rings.
Patrick, watch yourself. The 3 leading causes of death in America are heart disease, cancer, and Chuck Norris.
Oh yeah, it's on par with Buster. For sure.
What about Christian Bale for John? In 3:10 to Yuma, he was a great father figure. And obviously Batman is manly - it's in his name.
-Matt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxkz_ygndLU
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