“Our Time Is Coming to an End”: The Chosen Cast Reflect on Bittersweet Farewell as Season 7 Approaches
As the multi-season biblical epic The Chosen heads toward its planned seventh and final season, the ensemble cast is confronting the emotional weight of bringing their journey to a close.
Speaking with Movieguide®, actors Noah James (Andrew) and Abe Bueno-Jallad (Big James) opened up about navigating their creative inputs over the years, trusting showrunner Dallas Jenkins’ overarching vision, and the emotional parallels between their own departures and their characters’ journeys.
Balancing Personal Tastes with a Seven-Season Arc
Both actors reflected on the balance between their individual storytelling instincts and the broader creative blueprint mapped out by the writers’ room. Bueno-Jallad admitted he occasionally favored edgier tones, revealing he had advocated for more of a “spy game, thriller” atmosphere during Season 4.
James emphasized why deferring to the showrunners’ disciplined long-term strategy remained crucial:
“I think that sometimes, my personal taste of a show or art differs somewhat from The Chosen, but I think The Chosen’s always been right in the way they’ve done it,” James explained. “We know what it feels like on the inside of the scenes, but a lot of the times, the things that we might be pushing for, they’re like, ‘You guys, we have seven seasons. We have to navigate that arc correctly.’ And they’ve done a really good job with it.”
Bueno-Jallad added that his anticipation now centers on seeing how the final scripts weave earlier character developments into a cohesive payoff: “I’m just always wondering how they’re going to activate certain components of [the story] to wrap in things we’ve already built.”
A Poignant Parallels in the Final Chapter
For James, Season 7 carries a striking parallel between reality and the script: the cast’s sadness over bidding farewell to their roles mirrors the disciples’ grief during Christ’s final days, set against the eventual joy of the Resurrection.
“It’s an unusual thing because the show will be nearing its conclusion for us as human beings and as actors,” said James. “We know that our time is coming to an end, as completely juxtaposed with [our characters] feeling like their time has come to an end, and then having the resurrection and then having the joy that brings in their lives. So, it’s going to be a really bittersweet season, I think.”
Series creator Dallas Jenkins echoed that emotional resonance when discussing the completed scripts, noting that early feedback from the cast has been overwhelmingly moved:
“We want to finish strong. We want to land the plane in a very beautiful way… So far, I’m getting texts of just excitement and tears and joy and beauty and all these things that I think you’re going to see in Season 7.”
Reflecting on a Global Grassroots Phenomenon
Reflecting on the scale of The Chosen’s evolution, George Xanthis (who portrays John) noted how far the production has come from its modest beginnings to filling convention halls at ChosenCon:
“I remember when we had five fans and a table on some dirt. It’s not lost on me how lucky we are. It gives you an idea of how this show has resonated for so many different people. It’s telling a human story. When things are human, they’re in touching distance.”
While the end of filming marks the beginning of the farewell for the cast, audiences still have the full drama of Seasons 6 and 7 to experience on screen.
