Luke Dimyan’s undertaking of Judas on The Chosen has set him apart. His portrayal has been applauded by viewers and has given audiences a new perspective on the infamous man. He approaches life with humor, amusement, and open arms. With a passion for writing and complete love for the craft of storytelling, you can expect to see his name many times over.

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Shirt by Talent’s Own

Judas is, quite possibly, the most famous villain. Was there an expectation already in place on how to play him when cast, or were you free to create and play?
I think the energy and feelings I brought to the audition were kinda what landed me the role, at least, I hope. But other than that, there weren’t any expectations or previous ideas about Judas that I needed to abide by. Dallas, as a creator, has been very open to collaborations which have been very fun, getting to have a say in this role, but honestly, I think the tone of the scripts do a pretty good job already at laying down the groundwork for an emotional and complex character. Don’t need to fix what ain’t broke.

How do you approach the role of such an infamous name? Did you study anything other than the source material to prepare?
I was lucky enough to already have a relationship with character off screen so it’s almost like I did all my homework on him years in advance. I did some more research to further develop my understanding, but nothing changed my core belief that this is a sad and tragic individual that I was excited to portray. Just like this show depicts the human sides of Jesus, it depicts the more human sides of Judas, too. That’s how I approach him, as a human being.

Is Judas really a villain?
I never felt that word appropriately defined Judas' actions. He’s not taking joy out of hurting people or monologuing manically in the moonlight. Heck, his plan technically succeeds and he’s miserable about it. I’ve never seen a villain win and then immediately feel so bad about it that they took their own life. That just doesn’t add up to me. I think villains are super cool and they’re so much fun to play, I know, I’ve played them! But this role isn’t that kind of fun. I know what villainy is supposed to feel like when I put on those shoes. This guy is a tragedy, a man littered with mistakes trying desperately to do the right thing because he can’t deal with the fact that he doesn’t understand. And in the end, he loses everything he cared about. If that’s a villain, I’d be concerned what people would call a hero.

People might be apprehensive to watch the show due to their own beliefs and preconceived notions. Is there anything you’d want people to know about the show that they would not have thought about before?
This is a TV Show first. Our creator has said as much before. There’s no prerequisite of belief to either work on or watch this show. Our cast and crew is made up of a collection of people from different backgrounds and belief systems so our audience should be no different. Yes, we have a huge following that is predominantly Christian but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the show in your own right. Or you might not enjoy it! But that’s the best part of having an unbiased viewpoint, you can decide for yourself. This could be your new favorite show, or it doesn’t have to be, but you get to decide that separate from its current fan base. You think I watch Star Wars because my beliefs line up with the fandom? NO! Star Wars fans suck! But I enjoy the stories being told and love to watch them. So maybe give our show a chance, and you enjoy a story that took place a long time ago in a country not too far far away.

The fifth season of The Chosen covers the events of The Last Supper. Was there an electricity on set while filming knowing how high the stakes are?
Oh man, I don’t know if I remember. I think we were just excited to work in more indoor settings! The AC was a lifesaver! No more sun! Jokes aside, I think there was an awareness that the bar had been raised for this season. From the practical sets that were built, to the new camera we used, it felt like our biggest season yet. It genuinely felt unreal to be a part of. But at the same time, it felt like just going back to work with the people you know for so long and trust, knowing it was going to be a fun time. It was like another year of summer camp. The breaks in between felt like they never existed, and I just get to spend a few months with some of my favorite people, doing what I had been dreaming my whole life I’d get to do. I’m really going to miss those summers.

You also have interests in multiple writing mediums. How did you find your way to them, and do you have a favorite creative outlet outside of acting?
I do. I think I found my way naturally to them. When I was 7, I hand wrote a superhero movie that was heavily “inspired” (plagiarized) from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man about a guy who got powers when he was scratched by an alley cat and became Alley-Man. I didn’t get as far as 3 pages when I realized I had no idea what I was doing, and my handwriting was beyond illegible for any exec to green light the project. That being said, that initial desire to tell exciting stories hasn’t left me. My dad was a huge proponent in my early years to convince me to do my own stuff. So, I would ask for a DSLR for Christmas and film and edit silly sketches I would write. Starting out small has now led me to point where, if sold, my first pilot, and am currently working on various other projects for both my friends, and professionally, until hopefully one of those comes through. And if I run out of ideas, I can always come back to Alley-Man.

Swizzle Suit by Ethan Lewy
Shirt by Vince
Shoes by MAGNANNI

You study improv at Second City. How does improv help you with this role, specifically, as well as with honing in your craft, overall?
I’m always and constantly grateful for my improv training. One, it helped me learn how to talk and be more perceptive of the people around me. But second, and most importantly, it helped me to not take everything so seriously. That it’s ok to mess up and that mistakes are part of the process. I feel like when people make a mistake, they just give up but in improv you don’t have time to give up! You just gotta move on and keep on going. And when you strike gold and get that amazing belly laugh from the audience, that’s an accident, too! There’s no planning, there's just doing, and it both humbles you and gives you the confidence to appreciate yourself for what you’ve got and what you can offer. I just use it, especially with this role, to just trust my instincts when I come to make decisions about the character and to take confidence in knowing that I deserve to be here.

The Chosen had a theatrical release for season 5. Can audiences expect the same for the following seasons?
I believe so, but I think they may not be exactly the same. To borrow a tag line from my own show, “Get used to different”. Whatever changes happen will probably be for the best!

Has the depiction of this show helped people visualize what Jesus and his life may have actually looked like instead of a romanticized, “American” version?
Well, It’s hard for me to say it isn’t an “American” romanticized version as well. Our show feels very American in many aspects and romanticizing history is almost necessary in our line of work. But I think what it does that helps it stand out past a stereotypical format is the time and care it takes with these characters and stories. They’re not doing a one for one retelling of the Bible, the Bible already exits. Our show takes a deeper dive into who these characters could’ve been, as well as respective embrasure of first century Jewish culture. By making these characters people first instead of icons or divine individuals, you’ve allowed them room to relate and empathize with them. Share a room and invest in their struggles. And in many instances, it has helped people who are on a faith journey to more easily visualize what a human Jesus could be like, his kindness, demeanor, and how he’d interact in situations. Giving you a standard you can see, to show you how to walk a path of good when you don’t know the way. And if there’s any Jesus that people need a visual representation to base their beliefs on, I’m glad it’s Jonathan Roumie’s depiction.

It has been stated that The Chosen is a Christian show. Could it also be seen as a historical series about Christ?
If anything, it’s more of a Jewish show. I’ve learned so much about Jewish culture, not just from the show itself but also from my cast mates and the research we have to do to portray everything authentically. But I bring this up to reiterate that this show isn’t owned by any one religious belief or group. Our perspective is to represent this story without bias and with as much historical accuracy as possible. It’s what gives our show integrity. Dallas and his team have consulted with so many individuals from so many historical and religious factions to depict the most honest and personal story of Jesus they can. There’s no favoritism and no ulterior motive. Just good storytelling.

**Left:**
Suit by Banana Republic
Shirt by Talent’s Own
**Right:**
Jacket + Shorts by Pence 1979
Sunny Dress Shirt by by Ethan Lewy

Are you aware of the Judas memes?
Are you kidding? I have an entire folder on my phone dedicated to them. If I ever get disheartened by comments online about my character, I just go to that folder and it makes me smile all the time. Now if only someone would make a funny Judas meme with me in it. That would be the dream.

Do you have any theories about what happened to The Library of Alexandria?
You have no idea what you’re asking me. I’m not a conspiracy theorist… Buuuuuut! I think the original, the great Library of Alexandria still exists. It was burned down not once, but twice! And speculation of why it was burned still remains a mystery! Some say it was an accident, some say it was a threat to political power to hold so much knowledge in one place. But I think it was specifically attacked to be hidden and it now exits as the greatest collection of knowledge in human history and only the most daring, clever individuals can find its location and partake of its knowledge. The war strategies of Alexander the Great, the lost philosophies of Socrates, the medicine books of DaVinci and the redacted genetic notations of Darwin. Perhaps they all secretly reside in the resting place of all of mankind’s written and collected history. To partake of all this sacred knowledge would make an individual more powerful than time itself. Only the most daring could hope to find it, and only the luckiest would hope to survive the journey…

At least that’s what I think. I’m writing an adventure script about it right now with my friend!

CREW CREDITS:
Talent: Luke Dimyan
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Photographer: Eric Hason
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Exclusive Artists
Grooming by Luis Guillermo using Oribe and Charlotte Tilbury
Fashion Stylist Intern: Aisling Forbes
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Seana Watson, Associate Fashion Editor, PhotoBook Magazine

You Can Trust Luke Dimyan