Eric Roberts thinks Martin Scorsese still holds a grudge against him for turning down the role of Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ.
After publishing a page-turning memoir – Runaway Train: The Story of My Life So Far – actor Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables, Runaway Train) is letting skeletons out of closets with stories and reveals related to his lengthy and storied career. Roberts’ book covers a lot of ground. Still, one story about a missed opportunity with Martin Scorsese is making the rounds online. Luckily, our Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, is quite the bookworm for reading about Hollywood’s inner workings and secret stories and is currently thumbing through Roberts’ memoir.
In the book, Roberts talks about rejecting a primary role in Scorsese’s 1988 drama The Last Temptation of Christ, in which the filmmaker offered him the role of Jesus.
“So when I was asked by Marty Scorsese to audition for the role of Jesus in The Last Temptations of Christ, I thought, Here’s my chance to break out of the straightjacket of typecasting and work with a master,” Roberts recalls about the opportunity. “We had about five auditions and the coolest screen test I’ve ever had with Harvey Keitel. Harvey’s an especially good actor for other actors to audition or work with. Scorsese offered me the part but, Reader, on the advice of my manager, I turned it down.”
Why? Treusch said to me, “I gotta tell you, nobody gets away with playing Jesus.”
It’s hard to believe now, but that comment made sense to me at the time. Treusch pointed out that Max von Sydow didn’t get away with it (though he continued to have a distinguished if somewhat smaller, career). Jeffrey Hunter didn’t get away with it. Treusch explained that playing Jesus was a kind of curse. I don’t know if he was onto something or not, but my turning down the part destroyed the relationship I might have had with Scorsese. Last Temptation was his baby from the time he was a film student! He thought he’d found his Jesus in me, so when I turned it down, he got pissed off, and I don’t blame him,” Roberts laments in his novel.
“Why’d you fucking audition?” he asked.
I said, “I wanted to come to your attention.”
“You came to my attention,” Scorsese replied.
Roberts says he could have worked with Scorsese on other projects had he played Jesus when offered the part. He knows he f**ked up by passing on the opportunity. “The movies we could have made together!” Roberts groans in his book. “I think he holds a grudge against me to this day.”
Roberts opines about grudges as the story continues, saying people in Hollywood take filmmaking personally. Filmmakers often dream of making the perfect film with the perfect cast, and if you throw a wrench into the works by being difficult, you could sour the experience in ways you can’t understand at the time.
“But I’ve discovered that in the movie business, you can’t hold too many grudges. It’s a business where your livelihood really does depend upon the kindness of strangers. Grudges, like a Louis Vuitton trunk, is one luxury I can’t afford.”
Was it wise for Eric Roberts to listen to his manager regarding the role of Jesus in Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ? If he could go back in time and change his decision, would he? Have you ever made a choice that could have radically changed your life? I’ve got a few, but life is what you make it, and Roberts is doing just fine with a whopping 90 upcoming credits on his IMDB page. That’s not too shabby for a guy who passed on playing Jesus Christ, right?
