Unashamed with the Robertson Family
Unashamed with the Robertson Family

Ep 1420 | From ‘The Chosen’ Set to Baptism: How Jonathan Roumie Helped Change Elijah Alexander’s Life

September 15, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

From Roman Soldier to Disciple: Elijah Alexander’s Unlikely Path to Baptism

Elijah Alexander, who plays the Roman special forces officer Atticus on The Chosen, was raised Jewish in Detroit—the son of an Egyptian Jewish father and a Lutheran mother who converted to Judaism. He spent decades building a career as an actor, wrapping his identity and purpose in the profession. Then the pandemic stripped all of that away. No work, no home, no family support. He ended up teaching high school in Colorado’s Vail Valley, doing construction and property management to stay afloat, feeling “completely desolate.” And then he got an audition for a show about Jesus.

The Audition That Changed Everything

Alexander had been fascinated by biblical stories since Hebrew school as a child—the accounts of Abraham and Isaac, Moses, Noah. “I wasn't thinking I want to be an actor,” he says. “I was thinking, I want to embody and inhabit those stories.” But that childhood longing got buried under decades of professional striving. When the pandemic hit and his career vanished, he found himself for the first time truly listening instead of talking, waiting on God to show him a sign. “All the while he's waiting for me,” Alexander realized. “He's waiting on me to make the choice to be chosen.”

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Episode Open & Advertisements** - The show begins with ads for Hilton Hotels, Primark activewear, and a brief intro to the podcast.
  • 2 (01:06) **Introducing Elijah Alexander** - The Robertson family welcomes actor Elijah Alexander, known for playing the Roman character Atticus on *The Chosen*, and establishes his connection to the show.
  • 3 (03:22) **Elijah’s Background and Spiritual Journey** - Elijah shares his upbringing in Detroit as a culturally Jewish person and his decades-long search for identity and purpose as an actor.
  • 4 (06:37) **The Seed of Storytelling** - Elijah traces his passion for storytelling back to Hebrew school, where he was captivated by Old Testament stories of Abraham, Moses, and Jacob.
  • 5 (14:03) **The Call to *The Chosen*** - Elijah explains how he got the role of Atticus on *The Chosen* during the pandemic, a time when he was "completely desolate" and working multiple jobs to survive.
  • 6 (16:52) **The First Encounter: "There's Something for You Here"** - Elijah recounts the pivotal moment on set during Season 3 when Jonathan Roumie, in character as Jesus, approached him before filming the Sermon on the Mount.
  • 7 (26:59) **Leading to Baptism** - The conversation shifts to how Elijah’s experiences on set, culminating in the filming of Season 6, led him to request baptism.

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Show Notes

‘The Chosen’ actor Elijah Alexander opens up about the powerful first words fellow actor Jonathan Roumie spoke to him off camera and how they helped launch his journey to Jesus. Raised Jewish, Elijah tells Jase, Al, and Zach how playing the Roman Atticus eventually led him from searching for God to becoming a disciple and getting baptized on set. He also reflects on his lifelong love of biblical storytelling and his role as King Nebuchadnezzar in the upcoming film Daniel and the Fiery Furnace.


In this episode: 1 John 4:7; Acts 17:26-27; Matthew 28:19; Romans 8:28; John 1:38


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Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts!

https://open.spotify.com/show/3LY8eJ4ZBZHmsImGoDNK2l


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Chapters

00:00 Meet ‘The Chosen’ Actor Elijah Alexander

04:18 From Jewish Roots to a Search for God

12:06 The Call That Changed Elijah’s Life

19:28 Jonathan Roumie’s First Message to Elijah

25:48 Finding God in Higher Learning

29:09 Filming the Crucifixion Changes Everything

34:18 Elijah’s Journey to Baptism

41:45 Why Jesus Asked So Many Questions

46:08 The Unforgettable Baptism Request

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