Robert Powell became famous with the appearance of the film “Jesus of Nazareth”, produced in 1977 and which continues to be one of the most watched films about the life of the Savior, near Easter. The actor, who is now 78 years old, suffered a serious accident on the set of the film.
The whole world knows Robert Powell, the blue-eyed actor who played Jesus Christ in one of the most famous films about the life and crucifixion of the Son of God. Although the film gained worldwide fame, not many people know that the actor almost lost his life while on the set.
Robert Powell and the accident he suffered while playing Jesus of Nazareth
The way he played this iconic role led some people to believe that he was the real Jesus. But Robert Powell has always maintained that he is not the Savior and urged his fans to stop viewing him as such.
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“I am not Jesus. I do not stop telling and repeating to the world, since 1977, that I am not Jesus Christ. I’m just a British actor and comedian. I’m sick and tired of seeing my photos displayed in places of worship and others praying and worshiping me,” the actor said at one point.
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The film “Jesus of Nazareth”, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, has become one of the most famous films about the life of Jesus Christ. The famous director would have originally wanted the role of Jesus to be played by Al Pacino or Dustin Hoffman, but the intense blue eyes of Robert Powell were the ones that best suited the main character of this film.
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During filming, Robert Powell also suffered an accident, which the actor told about a few years ago.
“I almost died while filming in Tunisia. Someone released a rope that lifted me onto a 40-kilogram steel cross. A cameraman grabbed the rope before I fell 4 meters with all that weight on my neck,” said Powell, quoted by the Daily Mail.
How the role of Jesus Christ changed his life
The role of Jesus Christ had a big effect on the British actor, who says his life changed after filming for nine months for the movie “Jesus of Nazareth”.
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Franco Zeffirelli’s six-episode series, which was filmed on primitive locations in Tunisia and Morocco, placed great physical and emotional demands on Powell. But this was only part of the story. The British actor also underwent a profound philosophical change.
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“Before we started filming, I had no particular interest in religion and absolutely no opinion about Christ. Now I believe in Christ and His Divinity, even though I don’t necessarily go to Church. Before I was cast, my knowledge of Christ was limited to Sunday school teachings and religious stories, all at a fairly immature level. I knew that wasn’t going to be enough for me as an actor to work with to develop a character. So I read the Bible carefully, taking it apart and analyzing it,” said Robert Powell, according to powellisimo.free.fr.
See more images of Robert Powell in the PHOTO Gallery above
Photo source: Profimedia
Last modified April 14, 2023 12:39 pm
