‘Working on the Show Has Changed My Life’—Brandon Potter Opens Up About Playing a Villain on ‘The Chosen’

Brandon Potter is no stranger to the big screen, whether he is behind the scenes or in front of the camera. But as he has spent the last four years on the set of “The Chosen,” Potter realizes he’s happened on something pretty special.

In the biblical series, Potter plays the role of Quintus. Now, before you grab your commentary or search online, Quintus is not an actual character in the Bible. His role is closely based on the many Roman centurions who interacted with Jesus.

Potter described his role in portraying Quintus as “one of the great joys of my life.”

Brandon Potter Plays Quintus, a Villain in ‘The Chosen’

Potter recently sat down with Jeanne Ortega Law of The Christian Post for an interview on his role and work on the set of “The Chosen.”

For more than four years, Potter has played Quintus—a Roman magistrate in Capernaum. In Season 1, Quintus displayed all of the characteristics of a rough and dedicated Roman soldier. He is shown interacting with and supervising Matthew, who was a tax collector before he followed Jesus.

When asked about the series’ wholesome content, Potter replied, “Well, the world is a big, complicated place.”

“And, this story—a beautiful story, told beautifully—is meaningful to a lot of people for just those reasons,” Potter continued. “You can find light in a world that can feel dark sometimes.”

Potter went on to describe the pleasure he experiences just showing up for work on the set. Of course, the fans make it fun. But the actor spoke even more highly of those on the production staff: “The people who make ‘The Chosen’ also believe in it and love it.”

“A show this big with this many moving parts can sometimes feel anonymous,” Potter said. “You feel like a mercenary, just kind of a gun for hire. You show up and do your job and leave. And that’s not the way that this show is.”

Potter mentioned that the cast and crew share a WhatsApp thread, where they interact with one another and provide one another with life updates. “The Chosen” also has an app where viewers can post how certain scenes impact them personally.

“In terms of favorite scenes, I always go back to the scene that I got to do with Jonathan Roumie, the man who plays Jesus. It’s just the two of us sitting and talking,” Potter said, continuing:

The reason why I love that scene is, first of all, because of the writing. You never get a scene in television where it’s just two people talking for something like six or seven minutes. That never happens. There’s no dialogue that long in any kind of show. Usually, it cuts away, or there’s an action sequence or cut to a commercial. So I was excited to do this scene just for that because it felt sort of like a play.

This scene was met with unexpected challenges, as it was shot out of sequence. There were a number of additional people there to ensure a successful take.