Joseph Fiennes Talks Embodying Religious Skepticism in 'Risen' and Controversy of Playing Michael Jackson

'Risen'

Courtesy of CTMG

The actor discusses playing the fictional Clavius and, to some dissent, the King of Pop "in his last days when, I have to say, he did look quite frankly rather differently than when we grew up with him."

Joseph Fiennes is in a tricky position in Risen.The Biblical epic — also starring Tom Felton, Peter Firth and Cliff Curtis, and following the events after Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of a non-believer — sees him playing Clavius, the film's leading, yet fictional, character.

Though nervous about how Christian moviegoers might criticize the Kevin Reynolds film's textual inaccuracies, Fiennes asserts that its creative liberties bring a fresh eye to a well-known story and, even more, help to illustrate a universal concept.

"Even if the resurrection had been served on a plate and he witnessed it firsthand, he still carries doubt," he tells The Hollywood Reporter of Clavius, a powerful Roman military tribune. "I think that's important because we're all on this search, in some way, shape or form. Whether you're a high-ranking priest or just a guy on the street, we all share that beautiful, infallible condition of doubt."