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Jim Caviezel was one of Hollywood’s charming actors during the late 1990s who was involved in several projects before his days in Hollywood suddenly lost spark. However, this transition occurred after he starred as the lead in Mel Gibson’s 2004 biblical drama,The Passion of the Christwhich became commercially successful yet highly controversial.
Also Read:Harry Potter Star Gary Oldman Blamed Novel for His Anti-Semitic Rant to Defend Controversial Mel Gibson in His Infamous Playboy Interview: “I had just finished reading…”
After the project, his chances in Hollywood started to get bleak. Surprisingly enough, he was rejected by theSupermanReturnsdirector after the former expressed his interest in portraying the titular role.
Jim Caviezel Was in for Superman Returns But Director Turned Him Down
Also Read:Despite Calling Batman V Superman a “Piece of Sh*t”, Mel Gibson Wanted to Be Part of DC Universe
Back in 2004, when theSuperman Returnsproject was looking for a person to don the superhero outfit, Jim Caviezel, who became a renowned personality due toMel Gibson‘s film,The Passion of the Christshowed his apparent interest in the role.
“I have had no direct, face-to-face talks with Bryan Singer. All talking has been done through mediators,”Caviezel told IESB.com.“It appeals to me a great deal, but I haven’t seen a script yet. I like to play iconic characters, and I see the role of Superman as a big responsibility. Playing Superman would be a great challenge.”
However, the film director, Bryan Singer in a different interview with Aint-It-Cool.com complimented his acting skills but refused to have him in the film.
“James Caviezel [is] a wonderful actor,”the director recently told.“But no, I’m committed to casting an unknown.”
It was clear at the time that he had no plans to bring a famous personality to the project, especially the former whose portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth hit the headlines at the time. Eventually, Brandon Routh was chosen for the titular role. As for theG.I. Janeactor, he once admitted that Gibson’s controversial project was the reason why he was made a Hollywood outcast.
Jim Caviezel’s The Passion of the Christ Led Hollywood to Shun Him
Also Read:“Violence without conscience”: Mel Gibson, Who Rejected Key Role in $2.7B MCU Franchise, Blasted Marvel Action Scenes
According to the actor, his 2004 project played a major role in ensuring that he gets shunned by Hollywood. In an audience of churchgoers in Orlando, Florida in May 2011, he claimed that choosing to work with an action hero led him to be“rejected by my own industry.”
He mentioned that just 20 minutes after theMad Maxactor offered him to play the lead role in the epic biblical drama, he called him back only to beg him to not take the role.
Caviezel shared,
“He said, ‘You’ll never work in this town again.’ I told him, ‘We all have to embrace our crosses.'”
He further mentioned why Gibson tried to talk him out regarding the role.
“He said, ‘Jesus is as controversial now as he has ever been. Not much has changed in 2,000 years.”‘
The 54-year-old actor was less bothered by that and eventually decided to stake his acting career“to speak the truth.”
Despite being surrounded by controversy,The Passion of the Christbecame a commercial hit grossing over $612 million worldwide.
Source:Contact Music,Guardian
Priya Sharma
Articles Published :1321
Priya Sharma, Senior Content Writer and Social Media Manager at FandomWire and Animated Times. Having graduated in Journalism and Mass Communication, she possesses extensive expertise in crafting engaging and informative content. She has written over 2000 articles across Animated Times and FandomWire on pop culture, showing her dedication to delivering diverse and trending content to readers across the world. Apart from pop culture, she is quite enthusiastic about the Hallyu culture and is exploring the world of anime, expanding the horizons of her knowledge.
