Paras Patel talks about starring in the TV series ‘The Chosen’

Paras Patel as Matthew in ‘The Chosen.’ Photo Courtesy of ‘The Chosen.’

Actor Paras Patel chatted starring in the TV series “The Chosen,” and being a part of the digital age.

‘The Chosen’

On being a part of “The Chosen,” he said, “It is great. It is wonderful, amazing, and a growing experience.

“Season 4 shows us the theme of light coming from darkness,” he noted. “In a time of uncertainty, this is something that people can really relate to, and it is giving them something that they might not know that they need.”

Portraying Matthew in ‘The Chosen’

Patel is drawn to playing Matthew due to his strength. “You don’t see it immediately, but once it is activated, you see him continue to push through. I love his endurance and wanting to be a better person,” he said.

“Matthew is consistently trying to self-improve and that is something that we all apply to our daily lives. He is all in when it comes to the people he cares about and his faith. Matthew is very exemplary for me,” he explained.

The digital age

On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “It’s interesting. It is new territory, and it is breaking new grounds. It is kind of what ‘The Chosen’ is since it has been breaking new grounds consistently and it has become a global phenomenon, and it even has its own app. It is kind of revolutionary and it is pretty awesome. I am evolving as it keeps evolving in itself.”

Future plans

On his future plans, he responded, “Right now, I am living in the present. The show is wrapping up. We have two seasons left. We are in a pretty high moment in this season so I am taking things one day at a time.”

“I am enjoying my time with my cast and crew family, and I am living in the present. Right now, I am enjoying what ‘The Chosen’ is and what it has been giving me,” he acknowledged.

Lessons learned from ‘The Chosen’

Regarding the lessons that he learned from “The Chosen,” he shared, “It has taught me a lot. It is interesting. In order to portray Matthew, I had to bring a little bit of Paras into the role. It is very interesting when you find that the role is impacting you.”

“Through Matthew, I am learning how to be more patient, and I learned how to be a great listener and writer. It is inspiring for me to know to just treat people better with compassion, and not to judge so easily,” he said.

“Those are life lessons that are easier said than done in many ways. In portraying Matthew, I have really taken a step back into all around becoming a better person,” he added.

Advice for young and aspiring actors

For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Never give up. Keep going. It’s interesting. I studied finance in school, but I always wanted to be an actor.”

“After I graduated with a degree, I took a chance on myself, and I never looked back. It interesting to think that I am portraying a famous historical scribe who has got a background in finance and knows numbers. It is nice to see that life has something pre-planned for you and divine in a way,” he elaborated.

“Aspiring actors should not give up. It will get hard, but they need to really love it and want to do acting. It will align in its own way,” he noted.

Stage of his life

On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Paras Patel… Under Construction.”

“I feel that life is a work in progress, and it is good to leave it open-ended,” he said. “Your experiences will fulfill you, and right now, this journey of playing Matthew in ‘The Chosen’ is open-ended for me.”

“The best thing about being my age is that nobody can tell how old I am, so I am ageless,” he jokingly laughed. “Age is beautiful because you live life, and you are gaining new experiences, and you are finding yourself.”

“As you age, you are learning more about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. You are learning how to overcome any challenges that come your way,” he acknowledged.

“Again, this parallels to Matthew’s journey, which is very fulfilling for me,” he added.

Superpowers of choice

If he were to have any superpowers, it would be flight and teleportation. “My inner child always loved to fly and to teleport, so that would be it,” he said.

“If I were to get a little bit deeper, it would be to bring back some loved ones, if I had the power to do that,” he added.

Favorite motto to live by

On his favorite motto to live by, he said, “What is for you will not pass you.”

“That also goes back to how I became Matthew because I wasn’t the first choice for the role,” he revealed. “It was our showrunner and creator’s wife that felt like I was the right choice, and that’s how it changed for it. This is a true testament of this quote.”

Success

Regarding his definition of success, Patel said, “Success is as simple as doing something you love and just being happy. At the end of the day, I believe if you are happy and fulfilled in your own life, then that in itself is success.”

“When people see that you are leading with love and happiness, they can’t help but be attracted to that, and it is like you are living free in a way,” he added.

Message for fans and viewers of ‘The Chosen’

For fans and viewers, he remarked, “I hope they watch it from ‘The Chosen’ app because it is great, and it is full of information. We have after shows on there and people can hear our own ideas.”

“The show is so relatable to so many people across the board, and sometimes, it has lessons that you never knew you needed,” he said.

“This show has been inspiring and impacting people… you never know what you can gain from it unless you watch it. We are where we are globally because of all the fans, and we are working hard on Season 5,” he concluded.

To learn more about Paras Patel, follow him on Instagram.