1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Jersey and Amanda jam Nation. 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 2: Well, with Easter just around the corner, it's timely that 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 2: we're chatting to our next guest. George Xanthus is back 4 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 2: for season five of The Chosen Last Supper. This is 5 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 2: the first multi series about the life of Christ. This 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 2: is the highest crowdfunded TV series or film project of 7 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 2: all time. George high there, he is good. 8 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: Hey guys, I'm a big fan of the show. By 9 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: the way, thanks so much for having me on. 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 2: Please. Oh I'm so flattered, flattered that George likes this. 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 2: But also John the. 12 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 3: Baptist, John the Baptist, and you know that you're a 13 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 3: Greek Orthodox, yes, but John the Baptist, he exists in 14 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 3: the Greek Orthodox Church as well, a. 15 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: Part of Well, i'll tell you what this is actually 16 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 1: really serendipitous. I thought I was John the Baptist as well. 17 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: I'm actually John the Apostle in the show. So I 18 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: thought I did land the role when I got the 19 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: role of the Chosen right at the start eight years ago. 20 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: Been on the show since the start, I thought I 21 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: was John the Baptist. And in the Greek Orthodox Church 22 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: they used to have the pictures of him with his 23 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: head on the plate a play and I was like, oh, no, 24 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: my character dies like straight away. And I was like 25 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: super depressed. They're like, no, no, no, John the Gospel Writer 26 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, I didn't know that was a disciple. 27 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: So I was pleasantly surprised to find that my character 28 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: lives on to old age. 29 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 2: So excuse my ignorance, John, Is it as in one 30 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 2: of the books of the Bible? 31 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Matthew, Mark Luke and John. 32 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 2: That's the wow. And so how did this come about? 33 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: You're in Australian you were living in LA at the time. 34 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: Yes, I was in LA and it was just basically 35 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: an ordinary audition. You get it in your email inbox, 36 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: and I just went and auditioned. I auditioned for a 37 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: character named Simon. And this is one of the strengths 38 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: of the show actually, is that I didn't know it was. 39 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: It was biblical. It was basically the show of these 40 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: you know, beleagued Israelites in first century Galilee, and there 41 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: was a fisherman and a tax collector, and I just 42 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: went for the role of a fisherman and yeah, after 43 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: a few auditions, I landed the role of John the 44 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: apostle who was a fisherman originally. 45 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: Have you learned more about that part of history or 46 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 2: your spirituality? How has been part of this role changed you? 47 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: Well, definitely, Because I grew up Greek Orthodox, I wasn't 48 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: necessarily I don't know, it's hard for a six year 49 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: old to listen to sermons in church. I don't think 50 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: I really understood the stories as much. But with the Chosen, 51 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: because the show is from the perspective of all of 52 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: the Chosen, from the Disciples, from Mary Magdalen, even from 53 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: like the Pharisees and the Romans, so we get a 54 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: really in depth view of what life was like in 55 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: first century Galilee. And when you do what it does, 56 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: we always say it brings the characters off the stained 57 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: glass windows, and so you get to hear what this 58 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: rabbi was like first person. And so when Jesus is 59 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: teaching a message in the show, there's a lot of 60 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: context to it. So I am learning more about what 61 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: that individual said in that point in time. 62 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 3: Being Greek Orthodox. Recently, my grandson was christened in a 63 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 3: Greek Orthodox church. I'd never been in one, and my 64 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 3: daughter first said to me, she's twenty eight. She looked 65 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 3: at me and she said, so these guys, they support 66 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 3: Jesus as well. They are on the same summer. He's 67 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 3: not the mother of the baby, the guy on the cross, sweetpea. Yeah, 68 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: that's the same Jesus. But I was quite taken with 69 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 3: how they christened the baby. They strip him naked and 70 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 3: then dunk him in the cauldron in the big thing 71 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 3: of water. 72 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: Well everything, oh yeah, well, okay, so the Greek Orthodox 73 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: priest that married my parents also baptized me, so they 74 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: did that whole thing with me, dunking me in the water. 75 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: But then he also married my wife and I and 76 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: I actually asked him about, you know, my character, so 77 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: it kind of did come full circle. 78 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: So yeah, so. 79 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's definitely a really beautiful cultural tradition, Greek Orthodoxy, 80 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: and I'm really proud to have been brought up Greek 81 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: Orthodox for sure, and it's yeah, it's beautiful. I'm so 82 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: glad to hear that. 83 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 3: Great, you know, and also we don't have any sort 84 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 3: of ethnicity in our family, so now we've got a 85 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 3: bit of Greek in there, so you know, great, like 86 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 3: you know, Musaka, all that stuffy bit of perfection with. 87 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: The story we're up to season five. I mean, we 88 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 2: know where we're heading. How far into the story are you? 89 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: So, yeah, we've shot seasons one and four already and 90 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: season five begins with Jesus on the donkey. So that's 91 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: Holy Week. So that's Palm Sunday for those who aren't 92 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: aware of the of how the story goes. And so 93 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: season five covers the events of Holy Week, and you know, 94 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: in the Bible it's probably a few kind of key moments, 95 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: but our show has the ability to kind of see 96 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: in seven episodes. We're able to see seven to eight episodes, 97 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: u to see every single moment that occurred in Jesus's 98 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: life in that week. And it ends with him getting arrested, 99 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: and we know what happens after he's arrested. He's actually 100 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: put on the cross. So that's where our series ends. 101 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 3: John in all of this, when you know, so Judas 102 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: portrays Jesus. Peter also denies that he knows him. 103 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 2: John's down the show. 104 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 3: What is John doing while this is all going on? 105 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: Well John, It's so funny because yeah, John is he's 106 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: known as the Beloved Disciple because he never left Jesus' side. 107 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: So John was actually the only disciple at the crucifixion. 108 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: All the other disciples had kind of scattered away. But 109 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: John was actually originally known as one of the sons 110 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: of Thunder, so he was actually before he was this 111 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: kind of saintly person, he was quite an abrasive and 112 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: passionate individual. Let's just say so. John is by Jesus's side, 113 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: but he's kind of acting like a bodyguard. He's like, 114 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: don't touch my rabbi. He's like, really really passionate about 115 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: his rabbi. 116 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 2: At least you know that you're there right at the 117 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: end as an actor. Hey, he's got a right. 118 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: To the end. 119 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 3: Old Jesus is on the cross, and you'll going, hey, 120 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 3: look at me. 121 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: More days on the call. 122 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 3: She better than having you head on a silver platter. Yeah, well, 123 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 3: this is great, George. It's so great to have you 124 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 3: in the studio. They chosen Last Supper is in cinemas 125 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 3: now or catch Seasons once before on Prime. It's so 126 00:05:58,880 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 3: great to see George. 127 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: No, thanks so much for having me. And we're in 128 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: cinemas right now. We're in there for a week. And 129 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: we actually opened at number four in Australia and number 130 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: two in New Zealand. Our pre sales are off the hook, 131 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: so yeah, it's doing super well in cinemas, and yeah, 132 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: thanks guys for having me, because yeah, the show's really 133 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: blowing up, and yeah, I'm really proud to be an 134 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: Ausy on the show. 135 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 3: To yourself a favor of this Easter. 136 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: Thank you, George, Thank you.