Actor Jim Caviezel speaks at The Inn

Before he became involved with Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ, UW alumnus Jim Caviezel recalled a foreigner who came up to him and told him he was going to play Jesus.

It was an encounter Caviezel now takes as a sign, he said to hundreds of students who packed into the University Presbytarian Church's auditorium Tuesday night to hear him speak about the physical and emotional hardships he faced while making the film.

"There are people here I have never seen before," said Danielle Strickland, a regular attendee of what is known as "The Inn," an informal Tuesday night service for young people. "It's cool to see so many people take an interest, even if it is just to see him in person."

The auditorium was packed to capacity with individuals eager to catch a glimpse of the speaker. Whether audience members were there because they think Caviezel is an inspiration, or because they believe he is a talented actor, his main purpose Tuesday was to tell his story and show audience members they are capable of changing their lives for the better.

When Caviezel walked up to the stage, a roaring applause echoed through the room as he stood fumbling with his notes.

"Well, I'm in the nervous business," he said. "But now I'm not before peers in Hollywood, but I'm here tonight to talk to you."

He proceeded to describe his experience playing Jesus in full detail. Many scenes portrayed the true pain he felt physically and emotionally during filming, when he was literally being "used as an instrument," he said.

"Mel [Gibson] asked the actors to whip me like they were throwing baseballs. It felt like what you saw in the film," Caviezel told the audience. "It literally ripped the skin off my back and I was left with a 14-inch welt," he explained, illustrating the length of the gash with his hands.

Caviezel also confirmed many of the rumors surrounding the film, saying he was struck by lightning and also contracted hypothermia while hanging on the cross in winter weather.

Despite the hardships he endured to make the movie, Caviezel said he never regretted taking the part, but that he felt blessed to have been given the opportunity.

It was not easy for Caviezel to reach that point. As an actor, he recalled enduring endless rejections and wondered if acting was truly the path he was supposed to follow.

Caviezel scored his first major role in The Thin Red Line because of an experience he interprets as a sign from God. When he first approached director Terrence Malick's home, Caviezel said he felt compelled to bring his rosary with him.

Upon meeting a woman he thought was the maid, Caviezel said he felt a strong sensation to give her the rosary. He said she was shocked and broke down because she had just lost a rosary that originally belonged to Mother Theresa. As it turns out, the "maid" was Malick's wife.

Near the end of his speech, Caviezel did not refer to his notes at all, stressing that he had to make major changes in his life to get to where he is now. With tears streaming, he urged audience members to do the same.

"If you don't pick up your cross, you're going to be crushed by it," he said.