Guest Blog: Bruce Marchiano – The First Time I Was Asked to Portray Jesus
We asked Bruce Marchiano to tell us a bit more about portraying Jesus and he has shared with us an exclusive story and pictures about the first time he was asked to portray Jesus:
Praise to Jesus! It is with great pleasure that I enjoy the opportunity to “guest blog” for Richard and The Christian Film Review. Just a few weeks ago Richard and I met over the phone as he interviewed me for my series, The Encounter. We’ve shared a wonderful email exchange ever since and it’s just a real blessing to get to know him – a true brother in the Lord. Thank you, Richard!
So… most folks guess that the first time I was asked to portray Jesus was for the film, The Gospel of Matthew. And to be honest, in interviews I always spoke of it as the first time myself. But recently it hit me – there was one time before Matthew. It was for a missionary play that would tour churches here in the southern California area and then Australia for 6 weeks.
It’s a long story how, as an actor working hard to build my career, the last thing I wanted to do was join a missionary team at all! I’d only been saved two years so it was quite a shock when I heard the announcement one Sunday morning and so clearly sensed the Lord calling me to sign up. I mean that call was so strong and ever-present, after weeks of fighting it I finally gave in. And then to top it off, the leader/director came to me and said, “I’d like you to play Jesus.” Yikes!
You see, up to that point my whole career was playing, shall we say, unsavory characters. With the Mediterranean look I inherited from an Italian father and Syrian mother, I was typecast. But hey, I wasn’t complaining – it was work in a profession that is probably 90% unemployment!
So to portray Jesus – in my head that was a million mile stretch and I adamantly refused. The director tried hard but I dug my heels in and asked to run the sound board instead haha! In my self-understanding there was absolutely zero way I could even come close to portraying…Him. The director conceded and they ended up casting a bald guy and just covering his head with a shawl haha!
Well, it wasn’t long after that missionary tour that my heart began turning away from playing bad guys. In fact I’ll never forget once telling a friend, “I think the Lord wants me to start playing nice guys.” That very week I saw a casting notice for Matthew, and the rest is history. Today I sit having portrayed Him in so many films it takes me to my knees in awe; enjoying a career so breathtakingly purposeful, so “exceedingly above and beyond anything I could ever dream” (Ephesians 3:20).
I’m no expert or anything – just a sinner saved by grace trying his best to hear the Lord and grow in the knowledge of His grace and faithfulness. But as I look back on that missionary play I can’t help but think the Lord was giving me a peek at His hope for me. And it’s downright scary how stubborn I was – and probably frightened – that I didn’t recognize it was His doing; His “voice” showing me what lay in store; His call to “just trust Me” in spite of how much it didn’t make sense.
If I may, what’s the Lord maybe showing you? That maybe you don’t really want to see haha! May I encourage you today – just go, just do it, just trust Him…and say “ok.” I can promise you from experience that His plan before you is beyond anything you could dream up for yourself. He loves you, precious one. Just go! Glory to the name of Jesus!
Please visit alisonschoice.com for Bruce Marchiano’s newest film, Alison’s Choice, which he also wrote/directed, available in the USA on DVD and worldwide on-demand at: vimeo.com/ondemand/80209