Every Easter since 1978, millions of television viewers around the world are transfixed by the piercing – almost otherworldly – blue gaze of Robert Powell, who at the age of 31 perfectly embodied “Jesus of Nazareth”.

Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic film managed to make people believe that this is the real, historical form of the Son of God, with Powell imploring in an earlier interview: “Stop worshiping me, I’m not Jesus!”

Robert Powell and Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, immediately after the screening of the film “Jesus of Nazareth” in Paris, January 7, 1978

“When they played Jesus, I was 31 years old and I confess that until then I had no particular interest in religion. After 9 months of filming in the imposing landscapes of Morocco and Tunisia, I can say that I truly believe in Jesus,” Powell previously stated.

In the same interview he had said that the first thing he did when filming was over was to cut his hair and shave.

How he got the role of Jesus

Initially the producers considered giving the role to a major American actor – with Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino as the main candidates. But Zeffirelli believed that their appearance was completely against the established “image” of Christ.

At the same time, the then unknown Powell had done some auditions for the role of Judas Iscariot. When he saw these tests, Zeffirelli wondered: “If Judas has such expressive eyes, how should Jesus’ be?”.

jesus

And Powell eventually got the role, on one condition: before filming began he married his fiancée Barbara Lord, because producer Sir Lew Grade would not accept the actor playing Christ living in sin!

Today, the 79-year-old actor makes few appearances – for example, in May he will participate in a tribute to Charles Dickens