Actor who played Jesus was struck by lightning during final shot of the movie which had serious consequences

An actor's struggles throughout the filming of The Passion of the Christ were so severe that some consider them to be some sort of divine punishment.

Whether or not it was God’s will that the film's leading man suffered as he played the role of Jesus Christ in the 2004 Mel Gibson movie, the actor certainly had a hellacious time while on the set of the film.

Jim Caviezel (Michael Muller/CBS Broadcasting)

First, while filming the final scene of the movie, Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning in Matera, Italy, with an additional fork of the bolt also striking assistant director, Jan Michelini.

While Michelini actually got struck by lightning twice throughout filming, the lead actor’s suffering was not exclusively induced by such a phenomenon.

Caviezel also had to deal with the physically strenuous reenactment of Jesus Christ’s last 12 hours, including carrying and hanging from a cross for hours on end.

This, unsurprisingly, took its toll on Caviezel’s body. Due to his lack of clothing while shooting these scenes, the devout Catholic suffered several ailments and infections as a result of the movie. Furthermore, an accidental lashing from a fellow actor left a 14-inch gash on Caviezel’s back that added even more pain and suffering to his performance.

The lead actor spoke to the National Catholic Register in 2004 about the immense pain he went through while on the set of the intense film. “It nearly killed me,” Caviezel admitted, “Not many people get struck by lightning; I did. Five and a half months of cold. I had to have two heart surgeries, including open-heart surgery, because of that film.”

Caviezel continued listing his injuries, which were plentiful as a result of the film's grueling nature. “I had dislocated my shoulder,” the Sound of Freedom actor added, “On top of that I had pneumonia. I got really sick."

Jim Caviezel playing Jesus Christ as he walks with the cross in The Passion of the Christ. (Twentieth Century Fox)

While most would endure these severe struggles and call them unbearable working conditions, Caviezel views them, at least in part, as necessary for what was needed from him in the film.

“If we had shot that film in a studio, you wouldn't have seen that performance,” Caviezel reminded, “[So] was it worth it? Absolutely."

It is clear to see that very few actors have been made to withstand such hellacious physical conditions due to a movie, but that hasn’t held Caviezel back from wanting another go at it; Caviezel is set to appear yet again as Jesus Christ in the sequel to The Passion of the Christ in Spring 2025.