When television personality Bear Grylls wanted to know more about the actors and creator behind the groundbreaking historical drama “The Chosen,” he did what he does best.
Best known for hosting survival skills reality shows such as “Man vs. Wild,” the British adventurer led them out into the wilderness to test their physical and mental limits. It is there, out in the extreme environments, that “Chosen” fan Grylls was confident conversation would flow.
“Mother nature is beautiful, it heals all of us, and it restores us. It connects us,” he told The Epoch Times in a recent interview. “I’m introducing people who maybe don’t get enough of that. I’m introducing the power of the outdoors to them and seeing where it takes them. There’s always a light in their eye, in the end—they’re kind of fired up. It’s beautiful to see.”
Grylls said the new series, “The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls,” will always have “a special place” in his heart because he knows “so many people around the world are so invested emotionally in [‘The Chosen’].”
The six-episode adventure debuts Aug. 9 on Prime Video, featuring five cast members and the producer of the popular series based on the life of Jesus.
Actors Jonathan Roumie (Jesus), Paras Patel (Matthew), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), Noah James (Andrew), Luke Dimyan (Judas), and series creator and executive producer Dallas Jenkins are led by Grylls on challenges in the wild. Together, they contend with Utah’s treacherous Castle Valley and Canyonlands, New York’s Adirondack Forest and Ausable River, and the mighty Colorado River and the Great Basin Desert.
Born Edward Michael Bear Grylls, Grylls has led many high-profile figures out of their comfort zones in his NBC and National Geographic series “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” and his current Fox/Hulu series “Bear Grylls Is Running Wild.” A few of the bold-faced names he has led on extreme adventures include actors Matthew McConaughey, Kate Winslet, Bradley Cooper, and Julia Roberts; and sports stars NFL great Deion Sanders, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal.
His own experiences with the power of nature motivate the former British SAS (Special Air Service) trooper to introduce the wilderness to others.
“It’s where I feel most alive and empowered,” he said. “I struggle much more in everyday life.”
What always grounds him is a journey back outdoors, he said.
“It doesn’t need to be extreme,” Grylls said. “It could be the simplest thing like messing around with the dogs on the lawn or feet in the river or on the sea. We’re designed like this. It’s why ‘Running Wild’ or ‘The Chosen in the Wild’ is so special to me.”
The latest series, which acts as a spin-off of Grylls’s traditional wilderness survival programming, focuses heavily on the spiritual and the behind-the-scenes journey of the actors portraying historically revered figures. The wilderness, Grylls said, inspires deeper and personal exchanges that you just can’t reproduce in-studio.
“With ‘Running Wild,’ people have an idea of what my guests are going to be like beforehand. But with ‘The Chosen,’ these actors were really unknown before they got the part, and yet they are so loved,” Grylls told The Epoch Times.
“So many people want to know what their journey has been like playing this role. You ask Jonathan, ‘What is it really like to carry that weight and to try and play this? And how does that cross over in your personal life?’
“To be able to walk beside him, and climb a mountain and cross a river, and sit around a campfire and talk about the real things in life and go a little deeper with things—it was a real privilege.
“For each of these actors—and bear in mind they weren’t all people of faith before this—[being cast in ‘The Chosen’] has really been transformative for their lives and their hearts. They weren’t ready to experience that much positive [but] also struggle impact. Sometimes, it’s been a real battle. The [‘Chosen in the] Wild’ did its job of opening them up. And I try to do my job, which is keeping them safe and giving them an adventure and listening. I really admire their spirit and openness.”
Beyond his television career, Grylls served as the youngest-ever chief scout of the United Kingdom, holds several world records, and is a prolific author who has written more than 100 books, including the faith-based “Soul Fuel” and the recent “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” a retelling of the life of Jesus reflecting his own deep faith and Christian beliefs.
The “Running Wild” series remains an ongoing presence.
“We’re still casting that for next season,” Grylls said.
“We only did a few of [‘The Chosen in the Wild’]. You kind of want to keep it special, and I’m just excited to see the impact of these shows and fans’ reaction.
“There’s more anticipation for this than any show I’ve done in a long time. It’s the power of so many loving this show so much and wanting to go deeper. If we can help them do that, and see a side of these characters they’ve never seen before, that makes me happy.”
Off screen as well, Grylls, 52, has no plans to stop seeking out new quests.
“Every year, my bucket list grows, it doesn’t get shorter,” he said. “More and more, I try to do things with my family.”
Grylls and his wife, Shara, are parents to three sons: Jesse, 23; Marmaduke, 20; and Huckleberry, 17.
“We’ve got a final week of stuff. Then, we’re outdoors together as a family for a while, which is going to be wonderful and I’m excited for,” he said. “It’s a constant in my life, and I try not to stray too far from it.”
