The Daily Standard
Story Archive
Amy Kentner, left, and her mother Karen Reichard, pose for a picture in front of a motion picture studio sign while they were filmed in Utah for season 6 of "The Chosen."
WAPAKONETA - For a local woman, stepping back into the final days before Jesus was crucified on the cross was a life-changing experience.
Earlier this month, Wapakoneta resident Amy Kentner returned from filming scenes as an extra for "The Chosen," a popular historical drama based on the life of Jesus.
"I learned more what Jesus did for humanity and how much he loves us," she said. "More than we can ever know in this lifetime. There's definitely more after this."
Kentner, who is a nurse navigator at St. Rita's Medical Center, leaped at the chance to deepen her faith and meet people from all over the world.
"Everyone has a story," she said. "How did you get to this point? Where are you at with your life and your faith? Pretty much my life changed a little over a year ago when my dad passed away on July 4. He was an amazing man. He had such a strong faith in the Lord. A few days before he passed, his priest came to visit him and he asked him a question. He said, 'If God could grant you anything right now, what would you want?' He looked at him, and without hesitation said, 'I want what Jesus wants.'"
Kentner said her father's deep faith inspired and motivated her to strengthen her own. She joined a faith group and started reading the Bible, discussing the excerpts with her mom, a former nun. Her mother introduced her to "The Chosen," which led her to respond to a casting call for extras.
She responded to the call in January and received an email back in March. Before tickets sold out, she and her mother were both among the 600 extras the series would use per day per location as it filmed season 6. In May, she spent three days on set in Utah, and earlier this month she spent two days in Texas.
They filmed in Utah County, Utah, at a replica Jerusalem movie set built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Assistant director Mitch Hudson gives directions to some 600 extras while they were filming at a replica Jerusalem movie set built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The show, now filming its sixth season, is set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel. Season 5 centered around Holy Week and the Last Supper, setting the stage for Jesus' prosecution, death and resurrection. Season 6 picks up with his crucifixion.
"It really puts a human face to Jesus, (including) the human component of what he was, what his struggles were and what he went through," Kentner said.
"It's the week leading up to the crucifixion, so it's him going through all the five trials," she said of Jesus' journey. "One of the things that was filmed was after he had had his trial with Herod (a king of Judea) who sent him back to Pontius Pilate (a Roman official). (The scenes) were him going through the marketplace on the way to (Calvary.) There were some scenes with Judas. I think the biggest scene that we were filming was the earthquake," she said.
The Gospel of Matthew describes an earthquake erupting at the same time of the crucifixion.
Kentner couldn't reveal how much of the show is filmed, but she said the massive manpower and mission behind the series is breathtaking.
As of 2024, the show had more than 250 million viewers, according to a media sheet. The series is consistently a top performer across streaming platforms Amazon Prime,
Peacock and Netflix. According to a 2024 report by the BBC, viewer support had raised $100 million in production expenses, and the actor who plays Jesus, Jonathan Roumie, has met the Pope, twice, to talk about the series and his portrayal of Jesus.
The series is an independent production written, directed and executive produced by Dallas Jenkins and distributed globally by Lionsgate.
Though a run on Netflix ended in November 2024, the first four seasons of "The Chosen" are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and watch.thechosen.tv. Season 5 was also released on Prime Video in June. Viewers can also watch via The Chosen app.
Amy Kentner enjoys reading her Bible in a quiet moment surrounded by nature.
Earlier this month, Kentner and her mother then traveled to Texas where they were extras as Jesus faced Pontius Pilate.
"In Texas, that was the most challenging because when you're there, you're stepping back in time," she said. "You're in Jerusalem. The actors just portray everything so well. We were in the group scenes where Pontius Pilate was on his throne and they bring Jesus out. We had to say, 'Crucify him. You're not our God. You're not our leader. We want Barabbas.' They bring Barabbas (another prisoner the crowd chose to set free over Jesus) out and then we had to cheer when they uncuff him."
Saying those things she doesn't believe was difficult to process.
"It was very emotional," she said. "It was hard. It was hard on all of us, but we know that this had to happen for us to be saved because he died for our sins. That's what he came to do, … to show us the way and how to live for him and for God."
Because the ministry believes Jesus' story should be accessible to all, the episodes are available to watch for free on the The Chosen app. As a donation, each extra on set had to pay $250 per day. They also were in charge of their own travel and lodging.
"Sometimes people think if you're an extra, you're going to get pay of $50 or $100 a day," Kentner said. "This is not what this is about. This is helping preserve a legacy."
The extras were in charge of their own costumes. Some rented garments, which were historically accurate, while many made their own.
In Utah, Kentner dressed as a Jewish woman and a Roman woman. In Texas, she dressed as a poor Jewish woman.
As a Roman woman, she wore a necklace that paid homage to her father.
"This was very special to me, for the final touch on my robe was a special necklace," she wrote on Facebook. "My father purchased this necklace for my mother in Jerusalem when they were there for three months at the International School of Jerusalem, where they taught bible school to children from all over the world representing 49 countries. Although my father is in heaven, it was nice to have him with me yesterday."
Amy Kentner made about 800 beaded bracelets for crew members of "The Chosen."
To further memorialize her experience, she made about 800 bracelets for the crews at both locations. She had the Rev. Sean Wilson from her home parish bless the jewelry before she left.
Although the thought of being on-screen is appealing, Kentner said she is more grateful for the experience.
"People always say, 'Are you excited to be on screen? Are you going to find yourself?' Honestly, that doesn't matter to me," she said. "Just being part of this journey that they're doing, that's the important part of it."
"I definitely think it's shaped my life and shaped who I am as a person," she said of the experience. "You don't sweat the little things. When you face challenges, you know that he's right with you even in the hardest times. There's a reason why we're going through whatever we're going through. We may not know what it is, but when we get through it, he'll be with us."
Amy Kentner made about 800 beaded bracelets for crew members of "The Chosen."
