The Man People Take as Jesus — The Story of Robert Powell
In countless homes, churches, and even roadside stalls around the world, one familiar face stares back in solemn grace: the piercing blue eyes, shoulder-length brown hair, and a quiet, sorrowful majesty that millions instantly recognize as Jesus Christ. But what many don’t realize is that the man in these countless portraits is not a divine figure from antiquity, he is Robert Powell, a British actor who, over 45 years ago, played a role that would forever shape his life in unexpected ways.
Robert Powell was born on June 1, 1944, in Salford, England. A classically trained actor, Powell had already built a solid reputation in British television and theatre by the time he was cast in what would become the most iconic role of his career.
In 1977, director Franco Zeffirelli chose Powell to portray Jesus of Nazareth in the epic mini-series of the same name. The production, released in 1977 and aired globally, was a massive success, watched by millions and still replayed during Easter and Christmas on TV stations around the world.
Robert Powell did not audition for Jesus of Nazareth expecting to make history. At the time, he had played a variety of roles in British dramas and films, including the 1975 thriller Mahler and the political drama Jude the Obscure. What set him apart was not just his acting talent, but a serene presence that caught the attention of famed director Franco Zeffirelli.
Zeffirelli was searching for a man who could portray Jesus not as a caricature of divinity, but as a deeply human figure, a teacher, a leader, a man who carried the weight of destiny with tenderness and strength. Powell was not an obvious choice, but Zeffirelli saw something rare: a balance of intensity and vulnerability.
Powell nearly turned the role down. He feared, prophetically, that such a part might define his career forever. And it did. But the performance he delivered was unforgettable. His Jesus was dignified, gentle, and resolute, with an almost supernatural calm. To achieve this aura, Powell made an unusual artistic choice: he never blinked during his scenes, giving his character an otherworldly stillness. The effect was mesmerizing.
Though the role brought him international fame, it came with limitations. Many casting directors struggled to see him as anyone but Jesus. “How do you cast Christ in a villain’s role?” Powell once quipped, half in jest, half in frustration.
Still, he managed to carve a diverse career post-Nazareth. He starred in the popular British TV series The Detectives, often leaning into comedy to deliberately contrast the solemnity of his most famous role. He lent his voice to numerous narrations and documentaries, including religious and historical productions — ironically, often being asked to narrate the life of Christ or Bible stories.
Yet despite these successes, his image as the face of Jesus persisted, not just in filmography, but in global visual culture. Religious artists in the decades following the mini-series used his likeness as a base for new depictions of Christ. Powell became the Jesus millions see in children’s Bibles, murals, stained glass, even roadside billboards.
This unintended iconography haunted him.
While most actors are lucky if their work is remembered a few years after the credits roll, Robert Powell found himself remembered in a way few could imagine. For decades after his performance, his image as Jesus became the standard. Countless posters, calendars, prayer cards, and stained-glass inspirations have featured his face.
In many homes, especially in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia, his image is venerated, unknowingly, as the actual face of Christ.
This unintended fame became both a blessing and a burden.
Over the years, Powell has spoken publicly about the strange reality of being mistaken for Jesus. He has been stopped on streets, stared at, approached with awe, and even worshipped in some cases. What began as admiration gradually turned into an uncomfortable reality.
In interviews, Powell has recounted moments where people would cry, fall at his feet, or speak to him as if he were the Messiah.
“I’m just an actor,” he has said more than once, sometimes with frustration, sometimes with quiet resignation. “I am not Jesus.”
For Powell, the misidentification hasn’t always been flattering. It has at times been deeply embarrassing. Imagine walking through an airport, only to see people nudging each other, whispering, and pointing, convinced they’ve just seen the Son of God in casual wear.
He once revealed how uncomfortable it is to see his performance, meant to be artistic and respectful, being turned into religious iconography without his consent.
Despite having aged and moved on with his life and career, his 1977 face is frozen in time, immortalized on countless walls and shrines.
“I played Jesus, I am not Jesus,” Powell has reiterated in interviews. “It was a role, an honourable o
“I played Jesus, I am not Jesus,” Powell has reiterated in interviews. “It was a role, an honourable one, but only a role.”
Yet, for all the confusion and discomfort, Powell’s performance has also touched lives in deeply meaningful ways. His portrayal helped humanize Jesus for many, offering a tender, compassionate, and accessible version of Christ. His reverent performance influenced not just cinema but modern Christian art, shaping the mental image of Jesus for generations.
It is worth examining why this happened. Part of the reason Powell’s image stuck is timing: in the 1970s and 1980s, television was becoming a global unifier, and Jesus of Nazareth was one of the first cinematic representations of Christ that was accessible, visual, and deeply emotional.
Before Powell, the depictions of Jesus were either European Renaissance art or distant, regal portrayals. Powell’s performance gave Jesus humanity, and because it was so widespread and powerful, it filled the imaginations of millions. For many Christians, especially those without access to broader media, his face became Jesus.
Ironically, despite not being religious himself at the time, Powell studied scriptures, theological writings, and the teachings of Christ deeply to understand the man he was portraying. In some interviews, he has suggested the role changed him, not into a believer necessarily, but into someone who understood the weight of faith and symbolism more profoundly.
Today, Robert Powell is in his 80s. He lives a quiet life with his wife, Barbara Lord, and has two children. He rarely gives interviews anymore, but when he does, the questions inevitably circle back to Jesus.
Despite the emotional strain and the confusion it has brought into his life, he remains proud of his work. He has never disowned the role, only the way it has overtaken his identity.
“I played a man,” he once said, “a man who believed he was carrying the truth. That’s a powerful story, whether you believe it spiritually or not. I tried to do it justice.”
And he did.
To millions, Robert Powell is more than a face. He is a living portrait of faith, albeit unwillingly so. He walks among us not as a prophet, but as a man who bore the image of the divine, and has spent his life reminding us that he is only human.
Even now, decades later, many who see his image don’t know his name, but they know his face.
Robert Powell continued his acting career after Jesus of Nazareth, with roles in films, television, and theatre. But nothing ever rivaled the sheer global impact of his portrayal of Jesus. In many ways, he became a visual representation of divinity, not by choice, but by accident of art and culture.
He remains gracious, though weary, of the strange fame that followed him. His story is a reminder of how powerful imagery can be, and how a single role can define, and sometimes overshadow, an entire life.
And so, while Robert Powell walks the earth as a man, millions continue to take him as Jesus.
