7 seasons of 'The Chosen' changed the people who made it

An unusual stillness occupied the 1,200-acre property housing “The Chosen” set in mid-September.

Only three days of filming were left before the set would enter a state of dormancy.

Nothing was being shot on this particular weekend, leaving the grounds nearly vacant. The typical bustle of an active film set was absent. There were no cameras, light diffusers or actors weaving through the space.

With production on the verge of completion, the Midlothian, Texas, set would soon be retired from its yearslong role as backdrop of the biblical drama.

Five years ago, the ancient Capernaum replica didn’t exist. Now, with 527 days of filming behind it, the set was slowly being undressed. It looked — and felt — naked without all the layered details the production design team spent four months arranging ahead of the seventh season.

Stacks of plastic storage tubs stuffed with props were tucked neatly around corners and behind walls, while others were scattered haphazardly across the set. Power drills, propane tanks and mounds of rolled-up rugs were strewn about the replica city.

Ladders remained in place, ready to remove hard-to-reach decorations from ceilings and walls. And furniture had been cleared from the homes and piled into large, jumbled heaps.

The set won’t go unused. All the buildings are permanent, made with real stone, brick and roofing, but the embellishments that make it unmistakably “The Chosen” will be gone.

Several location scouts for big-name directors have already rolled through the Texas set, sizing it up for future projects. The props now being packed away will soon be stored in a warehouse, where filmmakers can rent them for their own productions.

Like a handful of his castmates, Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus, had already said his goodbyes. Filming wrapped for Roumie days earlier.

“It was bittersweet,” Roumie said of completing his role as Jesus on the series. “It’s the end of a long chapter in my personal and professional career. I had to say goodbye to a few people.”

Still, the cast will periodically move in the “same direction,” he noted. After they part ways with the Texas set, two seasons of the series remain unreleased, and it will be years before the seventh and final season premieres in full.

But in the final days on set, the cast and crew of “The Chosen” are reflecting on the end of a yearslong undertaking — bringing Jesus to hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and how telling his story changed their own lives.

“It was a beautiful day,” Roumie said of his last moments on set. “There were a lot of tears shed.”

Saying goodbye

“The Chosen” came with a fixed end. Its creator, Dallas Jenkins, has said since the beginning that the series will be done in seven seasons. (The first three episodes of Season 6 are now available on Prime Video.)

So the final days in mid-September had long been expected by cast and crew.

“We were conditioned to anticipate (the end),” said Alaa Safi, who plays Simon Z.

Even so, cast and crew across the set were reluctant to say goodbye. Many described the people they’d worked with for the past eight years as “friends” and, more often, “family.”

“It’s been difficult,” said Austin Reed Alleman, who plays Nathaniel. “I just know I’m dreading Thursday when it’s my turn (to say goodbye) because it’s going to be terrible.”

“It’s a very, very special set. Very special environment,” he added.

For Safi, the hardest part will be losing the routine of coming to set and interacting with those he has formed close relationships with. Like Roumie, and many others, he described the final moments on set as “bittersweet.”

Moving on from a project that heavily molded both their professional and personal lives left the cast and crew feeling melancholy. But, like an actual family, their guards had by now been dropped, giving way to jokes and laughter.

“More than any other season, there have been more jokes,” said George H. Xanthis, who plays John. “There is obviously reminiscing and there is the sadness of finishing, but it’s quite surprising how much laughter there’s been.”

“We’re literally laughing through our tears.”

Among the crew, the sentiment was the same. It will be an emotional goodbye.

In the hair and makeup department, there are already plans to stay in touch — reunions, text threads and promotional events will make that easy. Finding another project with the same impact as “The Chosen” will be the challenge.

“Its definitely emotional thinking that we’re finishing this,” said Mandy Benton, the makeup department lead. “It’s been the biggest blessing to be part of. And it’s a show that will stay with me forever, and nothing can — or will ever — compare to this project.”

“I’ve always been a woman of faith,” she continued, “but being able to be a part of creating these stories ... it’s helped me grow spiritually.”

‘The Chosen’ changed the people who made it

No one is leaving “The Chosen” set unchanged.

Years of portraying followers of Jesus Christ — exploring their fears, weaknesses, faith and personal transformation — taught the actors lessons in patience, surrender and humility, they said. Others said the experience gave them a deeper understanding of scripture and the humanity of the people within it.

Many described finding personal meaning in the experiences their biblical characters faced onscreen. And some said they will leave the show carrying lessons in faith, loving one another, tolerance, being open to people with differences, redemption and forgiveness.

At its core, “The Chosen” is a story about people — their struggles, relationships and capacity for change. By bringing the humanity of Jesus’ followers to the forefront, the series gives audiences, and the people who make the show, new ways to relate to these biblical figures.

Gritty details such as going without food, dirt-clogged fingernails, ragged clothes and the repeated failures of Jesus’ apostles are not smoothed over. And Jesus is seen laughing with friends and expressing grief and fatigue while still humbly performing miracles.

“The reason (’The Chosen’) does so well is because it speaks to everybody,” Safi said. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe in.”

“It’s beyond just a creative endeavor,” he added. “Every scene is an opportunity to create some kind of ripple effect ... we’re just planting the seed and somehow it lands in a miraculous way.”

For members of the cast and crew, witnessing that connection firsthand has added another dimension to the experience of making the series.

In the eight years since “The Chosen” launched, the project has dramatically expanded, reaching more than 300 million people in over 175 countries and in a record-breaking 125 languages. It’s also racked up nearly a billion episode views. No other biblical series has ever come close.

Neither the cast nor crew could anticipate that trajectory of growth or impact when filming began.

Alleman reflected on witnessing that impact, which for him began after the second season. While filming a scene for the season, his character, Nathaniel, sits alone beneath a fig tree, hopeless after his career falls apart. The experience later informs his testimony of Jesus.

While filming the scene, Jenkins told Alleman that millions of people around the world would relate to his character’s experience. At the time, Alleman hadn’t understood how many people would resonate with the scene. Now, he’s seen it firsthand.

“So many people around the world have reached out telling me that they’re affected by the show and my character,” he said. “I think about those people. I think about the people I meet who have gone through things that have been helped by our show.”

“As an actor, all we want to do is have our art affect people, and if this show has done that, then I have peace.”

The series has had massive success and touched millions of lives, but the experience of making it has left those involved humbled. There is more to learn. More to do.

“I have more to learn about Christ,” Roumie said when asked about the greatest lesson he would take from the experience. “And what it means to be his follower.”

The road ahead

As of now, “The Chosen” sets in both Midlothian, Texas, and Goshen, Utah, have already been undressed. Props are packed away in a warehouse. And actors have already said their goodbyes.

Filming on the series is complete.

After the emotional farewells, cast and crew remain optimistic about what comes beyond the biblical drama. They are also hopeful about the series’ continued reach and impact, with two seasons awaiting release.

“I was very lucky to be a part of it. I can’t put it any other way ... it’s a dream,” Safi said. “And also, you can’t be attached to it, so we’re letting go now. But the impact it had on people for (years) so far, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to do from now on.”

As the series is continually discovered by audiences, Safi said he hopes people “across a variety of confessions and backgrounds ... can remember or learn that what Jesus came to teach was something much more universal than we think today”

There is still more to come from “The Chosen” universe. More biblical stories are already in development, many of them carrying forward the same goal of sharing Jesus with 1 billion people worldwide.

Multiple spinoff series are already in the works, such as “Joseph of Egypt” and “The Way of the Chosen.”

Additional projects centered on Moses and the Book of Acts are also planned. Outside of television, ChosenCon, talk shows, podcasts and other events will continue to grow the franchise’s reach.

But amid that growth, the vision behind the series remains unchanged.

“I want people to have, after they’re done watching the show, that they know and love Jesus more than they did before,” Jenkins told the Deseret News in June. “And if that’s achieved for a number of people around the world, then we’ve done our part.”

The experience of making “The Chosen” will stay with cast and crew long after leaving the 1,200-acre property in Texas. But for Roumie, the next step comes with a sense of curiosity and optimism.

“We’re turning the page, and I’m excited to see what the Lord has planned,” Roumie said. “I’m not anxious or nervous. I’m just, I’m curious more than anything else to see how it’s all going to go.”