Inside his soulful portrayal of Thomas on The Chosen—and why doubt may be the most human act of all

When Joey Vahedi first stepped into the robes of Thomas on The Chosen, the series was a modest, crowdfunded leap of faith—an independent experiment telling the life of Jesus through the eyes of his followers. No studio machine. No guarantees. Just a story, a vision, and a community willing to believe in it.

Six seasons later, belief has turned into a global phenomenon.

With more than 280 million viewers worldwide, translations in over 100 languages, and a third of its audience identifying as non-religious, The Chosen has quietly become one of the most far-reaching television series of the decade. Season 5 debuted at #1 on Amazon Prime’s U.S. TV charts, took over Times Square with epic photography by Annie Leibovitz, and rolled out all eight episodes theatrically as The Chosen: The Last Supper—grossing over $140 million worldwide.

For Vahedi, the scale still feels surreal.

“Never,” he says, reflecting on whether he foresaw the show’s impact. “When I came on, we were this independent, crowd-funded project. I was just happy to be working. The scope of its growth has been a wonderful surprise.”

Reclaiming Thomas from the Label

Thomas—forever tethered to the phrase “Doubting Thomas”—is often reduced to skepticism. But The Chosen offers something richer: grief, curiosity, and emotional contradiction. For Vahedi, the key was refusing to play the label.

“He’s not yet a saint. He’s not yet a doubter,” Vahedi explains. “He’s a man trying his best to understand the message of his teacher after having just gone through significant trauma.”

That trauma—most notably the loss of Thomas’s fiancée—has made him one of the show’s most emotionally resonant figures. Fans regularly reach out to Vahedi, sharing how Thomas’s grief mirrored their own losses: spouses, children, friends, moments of faith shaken and rebuilt.

“He’s always questioning and seeking truth,” Vahedi says. “He asks questions because he wants to do the right thing. I think a lot of people can relate to that.”

It’s that modern psychological lens—rooting ancient figures in recognizable human struggle—that has allowed The Chosen to transcend religious categorization.

“The show doesn’t preach at you,” Vahedi notes. “It invites you to see these historical figures as people. That’s what great television does.”

A Global Stage, A Grounded Set

Despite its epic scale, the heartbeat of The Chosen remains its collaborative spirit. Creator Dallas Jenkins fosters an environment of trust—one where actors bring ideas freely and refine them in real time.

“I bring whatever I want to bring to Thomas, and Dallas guides or tweaks things on the day,” Vahedi says. “There’s a lot of respect there.”

Off-camera, the atmosphere is anything but reverent in the traditional sense.

“Hey, you guys want to go play Smash Bros?” he laughs. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Seven years of shared work has turned castmates into family—a bond that translates directly onscreen. It’s perhaps why moments like Season 5’s Last Supper sequence land with such weight. Filmed across all eight episodes, the arc was both technically ambitious and emotionally charged.

“The crew absolutely crushed it,” Vahedi says. “Everyone handled it with so much grace.”

Beyond the Robes

In addition to reprising Thomas in the newly launched animated series The Chosen Adventures, Vahedi’s career extends well beyond the biblical epic. His résumé includes appearances on Lucifer, NCIS: New Orleans, Transparent, and Masters of Sex—but The Chosen marks his first long-term ensemble home.

“As a guest star, you’re invited into someone else’s ecosystem,” he says. “Here, we built it together.”

As an LA-based actor of Middle Eastern descent, portraying a figure rooted in Middle Eastern history carries personal meaning.

“It’s a gift,” Vahedi says simply. “If a younger kid sees me and feels like they matter—that they can do this too—then it’s worth it.”

The End—and What Comes After

The Chosen is set to conclude after Season 7, and the approaching goodbye is bittersweet.

“These people have become some of my best friends,” Vahedi admits. “It’s going to be weird not seeing them all the time.”

As for what he hopes audiences carry with them long after the final episode?

“That it’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to not know,” he says. “To challenge authority. To try anyway.”

Next up, Vahedi is shifting tones—co-creating and developing a comedy pilot alongside Cecily Breaux and Luke Dimyan. It’s a reminder that his career, like Thomas’s journey, isn’t about certainty—it’s about curiosity.

Or, as one of his teachers once told him:

“Leap—and the net will appear.”

Photography Credit: Jackson Davis