Mel Gibson drew media attention earlier this month when it was announced Jim Caviezel wouldn’t reprise his role as Jesus in the sequel to “The Passion of the Christ.”
Instead, Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will step into the coveted portrayal for the highly anticipated film, “The Resurrection of the Christ,” slated for a two-part release beginning on Good Friday in 2027.
The reason for Gibson’s decision not to recast Caviezel is simple: it’s a matter of chronology. The “Person of Interest” star has just aged too much over the past two decades to portray Jesus in a film that picks up only three days after the crucifixion.
But until the announcement for “The Resurrection,” many didn’t know anything about Ohtonen — and maybe still don’t. So here are a few of the roles he’s known for:
The Last Kingdom
Ohtonen’s biggest role so far is likely his portrayal of the warrior Wolland in season five of the popular Netflix series “The Last Kingdom.”
The show, a British historical drama, is based on the novel series, “The Saxon Stories,” by Bernard Cornwall. It ran from 2018 to 2022, telling the story of a Saxon noble who was captured and raised by Danes after his family was killed.
Ohtonen’s role of Wolland didn’t arise until the final season of the series. He was portrayed as a mercenary and a manipulative schemer, often helping orchestrate smuggling crimes and assassination plots.
According to Common Sense Media, the series contains gore, inappropriate language, and sexually explicit content.
Vikings: Valhalla
The 36-year-old Finnish celebrity played Johan in the first season of Netflix’s “Vikings: Valhalla.”
Airing its third and final season in 2024, the show was created by Jeb Stuart and is a follow-up show to the series “Vikings,” which originally premiered on the History Channel.
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The show centers on the growing tensions between the descendants of the Vikings and the native English, with infighting between the Norse over conflicting pagan and Christian beliefs.
Like “The Last Kingdom,” Common Sense Media reports the series contains violent depictions, explicit language, and sexual content.
To Cook a Bear
Ohtonen is starring in the new Sweden-based Disney+ series “To Cook a Bear,” in which he plays Roope.
The show is a six-episode historical thriller set in a remote northern Swedish village in 1852 and centers on a pastor, his family, and their foster son.
An adaptation of Mikael Niemi’s novel by the same name, the series tells the story of a runaway boy and the priest team up to search for a killer bear in the nearby wilderness.
IMDb lists the series as containing “mild” sexual content, “moderate” profanity, and “severe” violence.
CBN News has reached out to Ohtonen for an interview.
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