Actor John Rhys-Davies answered a nudge of instinct when he joined his latest project, the podcast “The Christ.”
Starring Rhys-Davies as narrator, “The Christ,” from the Faith Podcast Network, is a four-episode audio epic chronicling the life of Jesus Christ from prophecy to death and resurrection.
“It is the greatest story ever told,” Rhys-Davies said, adding that as an actor, when presented with an opportunity to tell a great story, the instinct is always to say yes.
“This is a story that’s been told for 2,000 years. It has been told by very humble, very frightened people; by very sure, very certain people; by great orators; by little evangelicals standing in a market in Mexico, or on the plains of Illinois,” he continued.
“Why does the story work? Because it is a great story, because it offers an insight into a way of life that offers people touchstones of conduct and behavior.”
An Emmy-nominated actor, Rhys-Davies is best known for his role as Gimli in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and for his performances in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and other “Indiana Jones” films, as well as “The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement” and “Beyond the Mask.”
The 81-year-old actor has previously gravitated toward faith-based projects, including the podcast “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol,” “I Am Patrick: A Patron Saint of Ireland” and the 22-hour audiobook “Truth and Life Dramatized Audio: New Testament.”
Still, Rhys-Davies says his ventures into faith projects are not a reflection of his personal beliefs, admitting that he does not perfectly follow the Bible’s teachings.
“I would be a better person if I actually listened to those precepts and acted on them,” he said. “But since I singularly fail to do so, I am very happy to try and persuade other people that they should.”
Immersing himself in the project allowed Rhys-Davies time to “reflect on the most important story that has shaped the history and the communities of the last 2,000 years,” he said.
He added that listeners won’t find typical Christianity in the podcast. Instead, it delivers a clear, straightforward outline of the events recorded in scripture.
“If you really want to get into it then you really have to go back to the source itself, which is of course the New Testament and the Old Testament,” he said.
The four-episode audio epic brings the story of Jesus to life through a talented cast — which includes Tom Pelphrey as Jesus, Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist and Patricia Heaton as the host — as well as cinematic sound design and immersive sound effects.
Rhys-Davies likened the podcast to the experience of hearing a story around a campfire, where stories were shared and brought to life before film or television.
“It’s a rattling good tale,” he said. “Listen and you will be delighted, impressed, moved, inspired to go back to the original and think about it all again.”
‘I love going back to Salt Lake’
In addition to his work on the podcast, Rhys-Davies reflected on his affection for Salt Lake City and his admiration for President Russell M. Nelson, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2018 until his death in 2025.
Rhys-Davies was a guest performer during the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s Christmas concert in 2013, reading the Nativity story and soaring above the audience during “A Dickens Christmas.”
“I love going back to Salt Lake,” the actor said. “(The people in Salt Lake City) always make me feel welcome and at home. I’ve made so many friends there and people that I like, trust and admire.”
The actor recalled meeting the late President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints several years ago and said he thought of him as a friend, calling it a “great privilege” to attend the president’s 95th birthday celebration in 2019.
Rhys-Davies added that he admired President Nelson’s faith, saying that he had “such a distinguished life in the care of bodies, let alone souls.”
He then recalled an experience when President Nelson stood up and expressed his testimony of Jesus Christ.
“It was a testament, personal, without boast, just simply a statement of fact: ‘That’s what I believe, that’s what I’ve tried to do, that’s what I’ve tried to believe in,’” he said.
“You could detect the sense of a palpable goodness in the man. And he’s a good man, I liked him.”