(Editor’s note: The following article may contain spoilers)
Season 4 of the hit series The Chosen was released exclusively on the App of the same name, and Paras Patel, actor who plays Mateo in the series, recently spoke with him about his role on the show and how it has impacted him personally.
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The actor told CNA —EWTN News English agency—that playing Mateo, specifically as someone who has autism, and receiving so much feedback from people who have been touched by his portrayal, “has really given me my purpose as an artist.”
The Chosen is the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus and became the most successful television project funded by crowdfunding in the history.
Season 4 focuses on the time before Jesus enters Jerusalem, and includes important biblical moments such as the raising of Lazarus and the healing of the Roman centurion’s servant.
After several episodes of tension between Matthew and Simon Peter, a heartfelt scene of forgiveness between the two serves as a reminder of Jesus’ message to forgive “not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22).
Patel explained that his character began his “apology journey” in season 3 when Mateo reconciled with his parents.
“Mateo, knowing who he is and becoming the person he is, always wants to correct his mistakes, he feels guilt and shame. So that is carried over to season 4,” he said.
He added, “That’s something I love when I play Mateo, because it really teaches us as an audience what that can look like and helps us want to do the right thing in our lives with the obstacles that come our way.”
Fans of the show highlight the growth Mateo has experienced since season 1. Patel likes to describe this growth as Mateo “turning on.”
“I like to say that Mateo, when he was in the tax booth, was not activated, which means that no one saw anything on him. Nobody valued him, people simply ignored him. They spat at him. They didn’t value him. And he took a person who directly illuminated his heart and gave him the confidence he needed to become one of the most famous scribes in history,” he explained.
Patel stated that he has “learned a lot” playing Mateo and noted that “it is so rare that a character really impacts you.”
“Matthew teaches me a lot about just… listening. Listen to others, listen to other people’s thoughts, give them space to feel comfortable, give them a safe space to open up,” he detailed.
The actor added: “I learn not to judge others so easily. “I learn to respect each other and really try to listen to someone else and listen to their heart and not judge a book by its cover.”
Patel has shared that fans around the world send him messages thanking him for his portrayal of someone with autism, because it gives them or their children someone they can relate to. Because of this, Patel has become a proud advocate for the autism community.
“It means a lot. Being an ambassador for the autistic community has been very special to me because I never thought I would be the face of this through our program, and it is something I am very passionate about,” she commented.
The highly anticipated release of season 4 comes after a delay due to legal issues between The Chosen and Angel Studios.
After episode 1 was released on June 2, the show’s app climbed to #1 on the Apple TV app store and #2 on the iOS mobile app store for free.
The season premiere had an impressive 3.5 million streams after the release of Episode 1. Within the first 72 hours, streaming on YouTube and the app alone generated over 2.5 million total viewers.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Francesca Pollio Fenton
Francesca Pollio Fenton is the Social Media Manager at Catholic News Agency. She received her bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media from the University of Colorado, Denver (United States).
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