Zachary Levi on ‘Powerful Story of ‘Hope, Redemption’ in ‘The Star’

Last updated on: November 14, 2017 at 12:02 pm by DeWayne Hamby

Zachary Levi on ‘Powerful Story of ‘Hope, Redemption’ in ‘The Star’ 2017-11-14T12:02:21-04:00 DeWayne Hamby

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Zachary Levi is getting pretty adept at playing reluctant heroes. Following turns as an ordinary man-turned secret agent in Chuck and a criminal who falls in love with a princess in Tangled, the Louisiana-born actor steps into the sandals of Joseph, a young Jewish man engaged to marry Mary, the mother of Jesus, when his world gets turned upside down. While sometimes a quiet member of the holy family, The Star, releasing this week from Sony Animation/AFFIRM Films, gives the biblical father an opportunity to shine.

Zachary Levi plays Joseph in the animated film 'The Star,' releasing Nov. 17 from Sony Animation/AFFIRM Films.

Zachary Levi plays Joseph in the animated film ‘The Star,’ releasing Nov. 17 from Sony Animation/AFFIRM Films.

Levi, who was recently cast as the central character in DC Films’ upcoming superhero epic Shazam, recently spoke to Reel Faith’s Leanna Feliz about the new film as well as the significance of the Nativity story.

At what point did you get involved with this project and what were your first thoughts?

I think it was pretty early on in casting. I don’t want to say I was the first person cast, but I might have been. My agent said, “Hey you got an offer to play Joseph for this movie ‘The Star’,” and I read the log line for it and I realized, “Oh, its the star of Bethlehem, the Nativity story.” I’m a person of faith and I thought, “That’s kind of cool, Sony is doing this. Wow, that’s pretty big!” And I read the script, loved it, and said, “Yeah I want to do this!” Then I asked, who all else was involved, in the cast and they said at that point they were talking to Gina Rodriguez, hoping to get her and I said, “Yes, please get Gina. She’s a friend of mine,” I thought that was perfect casting, Jane the Virgin aside—typecasting. And then Stephen Yeun, who I know in passing and think he is a super cool dude. Also, Patricia Heaton. So yeah, it was early on, early on in the casting but I think they had already been writing it for a long time.

Why is the story of The Star so significant?

As far as world religions go, this is the most powerful origin story of all of them, to the extent that it actually split time in half. So I’d say that’s a pretty powerful story to tell and one that even people outside of Judeo-Christianity (know). Everyone kind of knows it on some level—Jesus born of a virgin, and the star of Bethlehem, and the three wise men. So I think that’s pretty massive, whether you ascribe to Christianity or not. I think the message behind it, one of hope, one of redemption, and love from a creator to His creation, is just amazing. It’s huge. So I think it’s always a story worth telling. Telling it in a new way is difficult, but these guys did it. You, know, to go through the perspective of the animals is just really clever, really fun. And you know Gina and I get to be the token humans in an animal story, which is really fun.

We have a more human-like portrayal of Joseph – that was my favorite part- what was that like for you?

Oh it was great. I loved it. I think that it was there in the script. Our writer gave us really great words to bring these characters to life. And then it’s just a matter of us to try to find that and bring that truth through our voice, and the vulnerability, the humanity of him and her of Mary. A lot of times biblical characters and people are put on these pedestals, like there’s nothing wrong with them, they’re all saints. But it’s like, ‘No, they were schmucks like everybody else.” We are all broken. And Joseph was struggling. I can’t even imagine what that’s like, having your wife come up to you and say “I’m pregnant, not your kid, not even another dude’s kid, God’s kid.” Like, that doesn’t make any sense at all. So I love that I got to get an opportunity to make a biblical character a human character.

Special thanks to Leanna Feliz for additional reporting for this article.

Movies

AFFIRM Films

Sony Pictures Animation

The Star

Zachary Levi

Previous Post

November 13, 2017

REVIEW: ‘The Star,’ a Fresh, Fun, Heartfelt Take on Nativity Story

Next Post

November 15, 2017 Timothy Reckart, Director of 'The Star': Great Things Come In Humble Appearances

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Comics Movies Music Plays and Musicals Podcasts Television Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 September 2015 July 2015 March 2015 November 2014 September 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 May 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 February 2012 December 2011 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 March 2011 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 April 2006 February 2006 December 2005 October 2005 September 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 February 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the name of the tree whose fruit Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Tree of Life Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Olive Tree Fig Tree