In June 2021, a block of text that has been floating around the internet for years went viral again. It said, in part, "During the filming of The Passion of the Christ — [Jim] Caviezel lost 45 pounds, was struck by lightning, accidentally scourged with a whip twice, leaving a 14-inch scar, had his shoulder dislocated, and suffered from pneumonia and hypothermia from hanging mostly naked on a cross for hours ..." The post goes on to claim Caviezel had to have two open-heart surgeries after filming wrapped. Much of what the post claims can be found in the (not always accurate) trivia section of the film's IMDb page. The rest of it comes from statements Jim Caviezel has made, per Snopes.
Is any of it real? In 2003, Entertainment Weekly reported that Caviezel was struck by lightning while filming. In 2004, Today reported that "Caviezel dangled nearly naked on a cross in bone-chilling winds through weeks of filming. He was struck by lightning during a recreation of the Sermon on the Mount..." and then pretty much echoed the social media post above. The actor was certainly committed to the role!
Caviezel is a devout Roman Catholic. Despite everything he's gone through, he plans to reprise his role as Jesus in Mel Gibson's sequel, according to Movie Web.
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