CHICAGO, IL (January 14, 2015) — On Easter NBC will launch a new mini-series, A.D., which picks up where the popular series The Bible left off. It’s part of a long Hollywood tradition of depicting biblical stories on screen—amid much fanfare and discussion around their casting choices.
Juan Pablo Di Pace plays Jesus in this adaptation, which led us to consider the range of actors to play God in various films—from John Huston in The Bible (1966), to George Burns in Oh, God! (1977), to Alanis Morissette in Dogma (1999)—and of course Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty (2003).
So for the Covenant Companion’s next Big Q, we’d like to know this: If you were directing a film version of the Bible, who would you cast to play God? (And why?)
Provide your response in the comment section below or by emailing Cathy Norman Peterson. We’ll publish a selection of your answers in the March/April issue of the Companion. Please include your name, your church, and the town where you live.
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Ok, I’ll try.
Because God is spirit, I would use the voice of Ian McKellen.
I think John Weborg would be about as close as you could get to God.
I’d cast Cate Blanchett as God (if she can play Dylan she can play the Divine). And I’d definitely cast Samuel L Jackson in the role of John the Baptist.
I don’t see that this is legitimate to even discuss on a denomination’s web-site. If it is a subject for Christians to discuss, they should use existing pop culture sites or social religious sites.
Since God, except for His incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ, has no physical form, the film makers should dream up a way to characterize Him without a physical body. Hollywood is very clever about using effects to show something that cannot be seen in a physical form.
Paul Hanson
Since God is a spirit and he created man in His image, a rugged man with seagoing baritone voice would be fine. Too bad the late Thurl Ravenscroft isn’t available.
Whoopi Goldberg
John Weborg!
I would not use a person but only a voice to portray the invisible God.