Argentinean Actor Juan Pablo Di Pace Cast as Jesus in 'The Bible' Sequel 'A.D.' Set for Easter 2015 Release
Argentinean actor Juan Pablo di Pace has been cast in the role of Jesus Christ in the upcoming 12-part miniseries "A.D.," the sequel to the record-breaking series "The Bible," produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. The NBC original series is set to premiere Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015.
"Christianity is among the most diverse movements in history, so when Mark and I looked to bring this epic story of A.D. to life on NBC, it was important to us to find a cast as diverse and beautiful as the church is around the world," Downey said about the cast, according to Deadline.com on Wednesday.
Di Pace, the 35-year-old Argentinean actor set to play the role of Christ, has also starred in the TNT show "Dallas" and NBC series "Camp."
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He spoke of his excitement to be cast by the producers, and wrote in a Twitter message that he is "humbled and happy to be playing HIM."
Di Pace's IMDB Biography page notes that he has lived in Spain, Italy and England, and has made several appearances on British television, including BBC One series such as "The Catherine Tate Show" and "New Tricks."
The actor has also starred in the Spanish production of "Saturday Night Fever," while in 2012 he wrote and produced "Primer Acto," a one-man show that won him a number of awards in Spain.
The "A.D." series will chronicle the lives of Jesus' followers after the Resurrection, with a central emphasis being placed on Mary Magdalene, played by Chipo Chung, described as "the backbone of the group" who "works tirelessly to keep the movement going amidst all the challenges."
The History Channel's "The Bible" miniseries, which starred Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado as Jesus, broke a number of TV records, bringing in over 100 million viewers during its run. In April 2013 it became the top-selling DVD miniseries of all time in the first week of its release, by selling close to 525,000 copies.
"We feel incredibly blessed that we were able to bring this amazing love story to life on the screen," Burnett and Downey have previously said about the series' success.
"It's our hope that folks everywhere will continue to be touched by the message of the Bible and cherish these stories at home with their families for years to come. This is just the beginning."
