Tom Pelphreycan vividly remember reading his Bible in his childhood home in Howell Township, New Jersey about 15 miles from the coast. Raised Catholic, the actor recently acclaimed for his role of desperate single dad Robbie Prendergrast onHBO's crime drama "Task,"made his sacraments and attended religious classes. The lessons didn't always land, but he loved returning home and poring through his red Study Bible.
"I found a kind of solace in that," the 43-year-old says. "Reading that Bible, as a young boy, was the beginning of how I felt like I was developing a personal relationship with God."
When the opportunity arose to voice Jesus in a podcast about his life,crucifixion and resurrection, the Emmy-nominated Pelphrey felt an unfamiliar kind of pressure.
"I was intimidated in a way that I don't often get with work," Pelphrey admits, with a deep, long laugh that erupts throughout the interview. "I was like, 'Wow, I would love to do that!' And then the next thought was, 'Oh no. I can't do that.'"
Pelphrey says he prayed about taking on the role for "The Christ" podcast, premiering March 30 (and releasing episodes daily): "Just want to be of service."
Over four episodes, "The Christ" explores the teachings, works and events leading up to Easter with a powerhouse cast that includes David Oyelowo as Pontius Pilate,Paul Walter Hauseras John the Baptist and Patricia Heaton as host. The series will be available on the usual podcast platforms andTheChristPodcast.com.
Pelphrey references his faith in Instagram posts,thanking God for his familywithfiancée Kaley Cuoco, celebratingthe December 2025 baptismof their daughter Matilda,who turns 3 this month, and marking12 years of sobrietyin October by "the grace of God."
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"I think it's a miracle," Pelphrey says of his sobriety. "And I know that in my own personal experience, the sense of that obsession being lifted was a gift. And I didn't necessarily deserve it. I didn't do anything to earn it. It wasn't because of how clever I was or how hard I worked or anything else. I experienced it as a grace."
The concept of a grace has become a driving principle in the actor's life, he says. 'Give as you were given.' What were you given? Mercy, grace, forgiveness for no reason other than you're a human being, which is really beautiful and really powerful and worth focusing on."
When recording "The Christ," Pelphrey looked for occasions "to add warmth, to add a smile, to add a sense of humor, to add a certain amount of joy," to the role of Jesus. Conveying the crucifixion and subsequent anguish using only voice provided an opportunity for Pelphrey to hone a new set of skills.
"That's one of the things that was a great challenge and kind of intimidating about doing this," he says. "I'm sitting here, right now, in a chair talking to you. That's how I recorded most of this, and that was blowing my mind. I'm like, 'How am I supposed to do that with my voice?'"
Pelphrey hopes that audiences "find something valuable" in "The Christ," "that in some small way, if it can deepen their faith or maybe pique their curiosity about a part of their faith that they want to look into more.
"I think there's so many ways it can affect people, and I hope it just finds everybody where they are and adds a little something."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tom Pelphrey rises to 'intimidating' role of Jesus for Christ podcast