Jonathan Roumie trades in Jesus sandals for dress shoes in new ‘wholesome’ rom-com

Jonathan Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in “The Chosen,” is trading in the sandals for dress shoes in a new movie titled “Solo Mio” to be released on Feb. 6.

Roumie first appeared as Jesus in the hit series in 2019. In 2023, he took on the role of Lonnie Frisbee, an evangelical pastor, in the film “Jesus Revolution.” Now, Roumie is playing the role of Neil, a wannabe therapist, in his first non-faith-based role since taking on the role of Jesus Christ.

“It was a lovely change of pace for me,” Roumie told EWTN News in an interview. “It was nice to play a character that is not shouldering the weight of the world.”

“Solo Mio,” rated PG and taking place in Rome, is a romantic comedy starring Kevin James as Matt Taylor, an art teacher left at the altar in Rome who decides to go on his nonrefundable honeymoon despite no longer being in a relationship. Throughout his journey, he encounters fellow honeymooners Neil, played by Roumie, and Julian, played by Kim Coates, who offer friendship and advice.

Roumie shared that he became friends with James, a practicing Catholic, during a Lenten spiritual retreat. Two years later, James reached out to Roumie to pitch him the idea of the movie.

“I said, ‘I’d do anything you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing, if you want me in it, I’d be honored to be in it,” Roumie recalled. “Because I just love him, I love his heart, and I love who he is and getting to know him as a person and as a man of faith to me was like, ‘All right, whatever this guy’s doing I know it’s going to be — he’s got God at the center of his life, so I know it’ll be good no matter what.’”

Reflecting on his character, Neil, and Jesus, Roumie pointed out a similarity the two share in that they “both have huge hearts.”

“Neil wants to help people heal. That’s his thing. He’s a therapist and he wants to help people heal and so does Jesus. And so I think that’s where they can kind of connect in that way,” he added.

Another major theme seen throughout the film is the importance of genuine male friendships — a theme also seen among Jesus and the disciples in “The Chosen.”

Roumie said he believes portrayals of male friendships are important because “for whatever reason, culture or society or the world in its current state has driven culture to, I don’t know, paint this negative picture of what it means to be masculine and what it means to share brotherhood.”

“I think it comes down to this detraction of masculinity. And the whole toxic masculinity thing I think was something adopted by the culture that became very pervasive over the last 10 years,” he added. “And so you’ve seen any image of men being just men, and like good men, just stripped from stories and stripped from culture as if that’s what people want to see. And I think it’s a gross mischaracterization of what it means to be a man.”

The actor said he sees this new movie as a “real throwback to how stories used to be told and the kinds of movies that used to be made — they were just good films, with great stories, that were wholesome, and that were beloved by generations of fans.”

Roumie admitted that he’s aware that there will be people who are “a little nervous to see it because they only want to see me as Jesus.”

“To them I say: It’s OK. It’s going to be OK. You’re going to enjoy the film. It’s within the ethos of the projects that appeal to me. It’s within the ethos of the spirit of the work that I think God has put me on this Earth to do. It’s within the ethos of the mission and the ministry that I carry as an artist,” he said.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/jonathan-roumie-trades-in-jesus-sandals-for-dress-shoes-in-new-wholesome-rom-com