▁they ▁believe ▁other ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁the ▁week ▁are ▁set . ▁They ▁did ▁this ▁by ▁expand ing ▁the ▁roles ▁of ▁Ca ia phas ▁and ▁Pil ate ▁beyond ▁mere ▁" p anto ▁villa ins ", ▁and ▁exam ining ▁the ▁politics ▁of ▁J ude a ▁at ▁the ▁time ; ▁De asy ▁explained ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" m uch ▁more ▁rich ▁to ▁see ▁Ca ia phas ▁as ▁a ▁fla wed ▁human ▁being ". ▁Joseph ▁M aw le ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁actor ▁aud ition ed ▁for ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁Jesus . ▁He ▁was ▁cast ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁prepared ▁for ▁the ▁role ▁by ▁reading ▁" the ▁G osp els , ▁research ▁papers , ▁medical ▁documents , ▁end less ▁books ▁and ▁pray ers ". ▁M aw le ▁wanted ▁to ▁meet ▁actor ▁Robert ▁Pow ell ▁to ▁discuss ▁his ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Jesus ▁in ▁Jesus ▁of ▁Naz are th , ▁but ▁the ▁two ▁could ▁not ▁ar range ▁a ▁convenient ▁time . ▁By ▁chance , ▁the ▁two ▁met ▁in ▁the ▁to ile ts ▁at ▁G at wick ▁Airport ▁when ▁Pow ell ▁was ▁going ▁on ▁hol iday ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁and ▁M aw le ▁was ▁leaving ▁for ▁Mor oc co ▁to ▁film ▁The ▁Pass ion . ▁James ▁N es b itt ▁was ▁film ing ▁in ▁B elf ast ▁when ▁his ▁agent ▁sent ▁him ▁the ▁script . ▁He ▁initially ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁the ▁part , ▁but ▁took ▁it ▁when ▁his ▁agent ▁told ▁him ▁that ▁Staff ord - Cl ark ▁was ▁the ▁producer ; ▁N es b itt