'A.D. The Bible Continues' on NBC: Argentina's Juan Pablo di Pace on Channeling his Inner Faith to Portray Jesus (EXCLUSIVE)
For Argentina's Juan Pablo di Pace, portraying Jesus, The Son of God for NBC's "A.D. The Bible Continues" in the middle of the Moroccan desert transformed into the city of Jerusalem, was a true test of not only his acting skills, but his faith in God -- and ultimately in himself.
"It's an incredible role. It was very humbling and hard and strange because I never really thought I was worthy or good enough to play him because I have always been like the black seep of my family," di Pace told Latin Post in an exclusive interview. "It was a huge challenge to give reality and to give something authentic to him, I think. I wanted to make him very human, just very vulnerable."
"A.D. The Bible Continues," which airs Easter Sunday, April 5 on NBC, at 9/8 p.m. Central, is the highly anticipated follow-up to "The Bible," which went on to become "the highest-rated series of 2013 with more than 100 million viewers."
"We start with the worst part of his life, so it had to be like hit the ground running," di Pace added. "That was tough, but in a way it was the best thing that could have happened because I had no choice but to find that place and be really open and let him work through me."
Executive Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who are also known as a Hollywood power couple, showed their support for di Pace and the cast on Tuesday during the series' premiere held at The High Line Hotel in New York.
The venue was perfect for the "A.D. The Bible Continues" premiere as it was candlelit with a gothic, church-like backdrop, stained-glass windows with scenes of the cast on TV screens as the orchestra played the dramatic soundtrack for the series.
Burnett, who donned a huge beard during Lent, also shared his enthusiasm for the cinematography of the film.
"It's shot on the best cameras in the world. ... This is like a major, major feature film," Burnett, who's also known for producing "Survivor," "The Apprentice," "The Voice," "Shark Tank" and "Lucha Underground," told Latin Post. "It's been great. We've come from the Crucifixion, through the Resurrection to the total acts of the Apostles, the healings, the persecution, the Roman Army, the Ethiopian Army. This is an epic series!"
Di Pace, who has starred in the NBC series "Camp" and TNT's reboot of "Dallas," will follow in the footsteps of Portuguese actor and former model Diogo Morgado, who starred in both "The Bible" and "Son of God," as well as ABC's "Revenge." Actor Jim Caviezel of 2004's "The Passion of the Christ" also preceded him in the intense role.
What can viewers expect from "A.D. The Bible Continues?"
"'A.D.' is an uplifting and harrowing journey through the beginning moments of the birth of the church picking up where the smash hit, 'The Bible,' left off," according to NBC. "A.D. follows the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts exploring the aftermath of Christ's death and its profound impact on his disciples, his mother Mary, and key political and religious leaders of the era."
Viewers will witness "disciples struggle to survive and share their beliefs, guiding us from the sorrow of Christ's ultimate sacrifice to the awe-inspiring wonder of the Resurrection and beyond."
With a Pope from Argentina as well as Jesus being portrayed by one of Argentina's skilled actors, who was also named after a Pope, Argentina is a faithful force in its own right.
With that said, does di Pace have any Easter plans with his family?
"I won't be with them because I am here and sadly, they will be in Europe. I will be with friends celebrating."
Di Pace was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but moved to London and then Spain to further his studies and acting career.
He added that his mother, who is a religious painter, is especially proud of him taking on the challenging role of Jesus, the Messiah.
"It's very intense. It's great. I can do no wrong in my mother's eyes!" he joked.
Coming from a religious background, does di Pace plan on attending Mass on Easter Sunday?
"I should, shouldn't I?... I think will!" he laughed.
Check out the official trailer for "A.D. The Bible Continues," which premieres on Easter Sunday, April 5 at 9/8 Central.