Jordin Sparks is “grateful” to be a new addition to “The Chosen” universe.
Sparks, winner of “American Idol” Season 6 and two-time Grammy-nominated artist, will play a role in the biblical drama’s upcoming animated spinoff series, “The Chosen Adventures,” as the voice of the character Fish.
The children’s comedy series, which is co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and 5&2 Studios — the studio behind “The Chosen” — follows 9-year-old Abby as she explores life in Capernaum and learns from her new rabbi, Jesus.
“I wanted to be a part of ‘The Chosen Adventures’ because my faith has always played a really big role in my life, in the decisions that I make and how I represent myself and how I live my life, and I’ve always really loved kids, so anytime I can be a part of those things, I want to, and this marries both of those things together,” Sparks said.
Sparks added that she also joined the show for her mother, who she said is a “huge” fan of “The Chosen” and “lost her lid” when Sparks revealed she had a role on the series.
“I’m just really grateful that I got to be a part of this, for myself, for my son as well, and for my mom.”
Sparks’ character, Fish, who is introduced in the ninth episode of the series, is “going through a little bit of an existential crisis,” the “No Air” singer said.
“What I loved about (Fish) is that she still had faith,” Sparks said. “As long as you have the faith of a mustard seed, you’re able to pull through and you can make it through whatever you’re going through. So I hope that’s what comes across in my character.”
“I feel like my character is kind of me, basically, in a nutshell,” Sparks added, describing her Fish character as “really funny” and “silly.”
In 2007, Sparks won “American Idol” as a 17-year-old, making her the youngest winner in the show’s history. Her self-titled debut album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2008.
In addition to her music career, Sparks starred in Lin-Manual Miranda’s Broadway musical “In The Heights” in 2010 and returned to Broadway in 2021 for a role in “Waitress.” Sparks has also had starring roles in a handful of movies and guest star roles in several TV shows.
For her role in “The Chosen Adventures,” Sparks hopes young viewers will see themselves in each of the characters, and feel comfortable with their childlike curiosity, which she said can trigger important conversations and connections.
“To be able to have a moment to connect with your kids after watching something that you both enjoy, I think is going to be beautiful,” Sparks said. “I really hope people take that away from the show and also that to have a childlike faith, always to have a childlike faith.”
“I’m really grateful to be a part of it.”
Jordin Sparks and religion
Sparks, who was raised Christian, shared her conversion experience in a video with Kingdom Coalition shared in 2017.
“Before giving my life fully to God, my life and my heart was only half in it,” she shared in the video. “I was lukewarm, which is pretty much the worst thing that you can do.”
Sparks said she relied heavily on the success of her musical career, romantic relationships and fame for a sense of identity.
“After a while, my behavior made me feel like a zombie and I wasn’t sure of who I was,” she said. “And that wasn’t working for me.”
On Easter 2016, Sparks said she fully dedicated her life to Jesus and underwent a drastic transformation.
“My life has changed dramatically and though I may still struggle with many things...they are getting better,” she said. “I am different in so many ways such as having a peace that I have never had before in my entire life and a joy that nobody can take away.”
She added, “I want to encourage you to trust God with your life. He’s been so faithful to me and never abandoned me.”
When does ‘The Chosen Adventures’ come out?
All 14 episodes of “The Chosen Adventures” will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, Oct. 17, in the United States and internationally in the United Kingdom, Latin America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and sub-Saharan Africa.