Aahana Swrup
‘The Chosen’ is a biblical drama that follows the story of Jesus of Nazareth, particularly through the eyes of his closest companions. In season 5, the Messiah and his followers reach the gates of Jerusalem, looking to fulfill the prophecy about the Son of David. Naturally, this creates tense sentiments across King Herod and his subjects, especially the Pharisees. Thus, the High Priest of Israel, Caiaphas, enters the narrative, embodying a darkened space within the story. Since he’s concerned about Rome’s overbearing presence in the city, he fears Jesus and his disciples could be seen as a threat to the Empire, leading to the collapse of their nation. As a result, since his first appearance in episode 1 of season 4 to his more prominent role in season 5, the High Priest remains an adversary to look out for.
Richard Fancy Embodies the Role of Caiaphas in The Chosen
‘The Chosen’ sports a large cast of talented actors who bring a range of epic characters to life on the screen. In season 4, Richard Fancy joins the show as Caiaphas, the High Priest of Israel. The actor brings a certain gravity and control to this role. Even so, viewers will recognize him most easily from perhaps entirely contradictory performances. Two of Fancy’s most recognizable roles come from two different shows, a comedy and a medical soap opera. In the beloved 90s sitcom, ‘Seinfeld,’ he steps into the role of Mr. Lippman, the owner of Pendant Publishing. His performance as the boss of Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) remains a fond bookmark in his extensive career that has spanned more than four decades.
Likewise, Fancy also plays the dual role of twin brothers Bernie and Benny Abrams in the ongoing medical drama show ‘General Hospital.’ Furthermore, the actor has a number of other notable roles under his belt, his discography touching upon almost every other genre in the industry. From the 2004 teen comedy ‘The Girl Next Door’ and the buddy cop action film from 1989 ‘Tango & Cash,’ to the intense drama film ‘Nixon,’ starring Anthony Hopkins, Fancy has a number of credits to his name. In fact, viewers might even recognize him for his brief appearances in well-known and well-loved shows like ‘The West Wing, ‘Grace and Frankie,’ ‘NCIS,’ and ‘Gilmore Girls.’ As such, Caiaphas’ momentous part only continues to add to the actor’s impressive and varied career.
Richard Fancy Brings Caiaphas to the Screen Under a Nuanced Lens
Richard Fancy’s portrayal of Caiaphas remains incredibly fleshed out, casting the historical political background of ‘The Chosen’ in a profound light. The character’s morally muddied perspective over the politics between the Roman powers, the city of Jerusalem, and its people adds an enlightening layer to the narrative that informs the intense build-up toward the destined crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. As it turns out, a part of this authentic and moving performance comes from the actor’s active decisions to dive deep into his character’s identity and motivations.
There’s no doubt that the writing team behind ‘The Chosen’ deserves their flowers for the nuanced and mostly canonically faithful adaptation of these biblical figures. However, in depicting the instrumental role of Caiaphas, Fancy chose to do his own due research to get a good handle on his character. Reportedly, the actor delved into historical and biblical research, even reading Helen K. Bond’s book ‘Caiaphas: Friend of Rome and Judge of Jesus?’ which studies the titular character’s complicated role as the High Priest.
Furthermore, the actor remained mindful about approaching his antagonistic role in such a layered and authentic way that nothing about his performance resorts to problematic antisemitic tropes. In a conversation with showrunner Dallas Jenkins, Fancy spoke about his understanding of Caiaphas’ character as a protector. “His (Joseph Caiaphas) job is to protect, and his attitude toward God is: Don’t hit us, I’ll give you this. It’s very, what they call now, transactional.” Consequently, the actor remains a crucial new addition to the show, perfectly embodying the infamous biblical character of Caiaphas.
