“For many are called and few are chosen,” Saint Matthew warns in the mouth of Jesus in relation to entering (or not) the kingdom of heaven. This aphorism is also valid at the gates of Hollywood, where, as is well known, few manage to propel their careers to divine glory. Several of these chosen ones simultaneously profess deep Christian beliefs, a personal side that, far from seeming incompatible with the walk of fame, they show without complexes to their fans and in some of their creations.
At the top of the ranking of famous actors with a solid belief in the existence of Christ is Mel Gibson, whose extreme Catholicism has never been a secret to anyone. The American extrapolated his strong religious convictions to cinema in 2004 through the production and direction of the controversial film The Passion of the Christ. The film, which focuses on the last hours of Jesus, was developed with a great bloody charge in which Christ became the protagonist of scenes close to gore.
At the same time, Gibson had to deal with criticism that he was an anti-Semitic for directly pointing to the Jews as those responsible for the prophet’s death. This controversy was denied by the director in an interview for ABC News, in which he stressed that his work “was not a war between Jews and Christians.” “The film adapts to the narratives of the passion and death of Christ, found in the four gospels of the New Testament.”
For the role of the Messiah, Gibson turned to actor and also a fervent Christian Jim Caviezel, who claimed to have felt the presence of God during filming, which he experienced as a true ordeal. A faithful follower of Pope John Paul II and firm defender of Trump, whom he described in an interview for Fox as “the new Moses,” the actor endured the impact of lightning during the crucifixion scene during the filming of the film. two real lashes, the dislocation of the shoulder due to the weight of the cross and pneumonia. Still, he called the stormy experience “the role of a lifetime for him.” “The fact that Mel called me when he was 33 (Christ’s age when he died), was one reason. I believe that Our Lord truly wanted it.”
The Passion of Christ was also a source of inspiration for the popular actor, director and producer Mark Wahlberg, who considered the film “a love letter from Mel to God.” Years later, it would be Wahlberg himself who would call Gibson to play a role in The Miracle of Father Stu, a film based on the true story of a boxer who becomes a priest.
In a more moderate line but publicly faithful to their beliefs, are the actors Denzel Washington, an evangelical Christian committed to several charitable foundations; and the Spanish Antonio Banderas, steward of the Virgin of Favors and Tears of Malaga with whom he proudly processions every Palm Sunday, except this year. Due to inclement weather, the brotherhood was forced to cancel the traditional pilgrimage. “Holy Week is a metaphor for life, sometimes tears touch us and sometimes favors touch us, this year we have been touched by tears,” the famous man from Malaga stated philosophically while consoling his brothers.
