Jesus Actor Diogo Morgado to Star as Mysterious Character in New CW Sci-Fi Pilot 'The Messenger'
"Son of God" and "The Bible" actor Diogo Morgado, who played Jesus, has landed his next acting role as a mysterious character in the upcoming CW sci-fi pilot "The Messengers."
The Hollywood Reporter reported on Wednesday that Morgado will portray a character referred to as The Man, who is "a mysterious figure who wakes up naked and burned in the desert and sets out on a mission to provide some answers about the strange events." The plot of the show, which will be directed by Stephen Williams and will be filmed in Albuquerque, N.M., centers around a mysterious object that crashes on Earth and a group of strangers who are tasked with preventing the apocalypse.
This will be the Portuguese actor's first regular acting role in an American series.
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Morgado has recently been speaking out about his role as Jesus in the History Channel's hit miniseries "The Bible," which later transitioned into the "Son of God" movie – currently playing in theaters. He revealed that he initially "freaked out" when he learned that he was chosen for the iconic role.
"I was in shock; I was in panic because I knew the responsibility. I mean, I went to Jerusalem and while I was there, I felt on my own the importance of the story. [It's] so alive," the 34 year-old actor told TODAY.
He has also responded to his frequent dubbing as the "hot Jesus" in articles and social media, saying that while he takes it as a compliment, he does not want such descriptions to take away from what the filmmakers tried to achieve.
"The best story is the story that gets to the most people. If the message of Jesus was love, hope and compassion, and I can bring that to more people by being a more appealing Jesus, I am happy with that," Morgado added.
"The Bible" and "Son of God" co-producer Roma Downey, who also starred in the movie as the older Mary, said in a New York Times interview that when selecting Morgado, they were looking for someone who was "strong and charismatic, who could also be a carpenter."
"Diogo is 6 foot 3 with broad shoulders. He has a strong presence but also a natural humility. We were really looking for someone who could portray the lion and the lamb," Downey explained.
