Right now, actor Jim Caviezel is having a moment in the sun. Right-wing audiences are flocking to his latest film titled Sound of Freedom, and due to how it was made, he can still talk about it amid the current acting strike. As fans continue to discover it, many have begun wondering about his brush with lightning.
For those who may not be familiar, a feature of the 54-year-old entertainer’s story other than his very conservative political leanings, a previous lead role on a CBS procedural, and the awkward way he has shot love scenes with actresses’ on past projects is his faith. Since he was young, Caviezel has been a devout Catholic, and this religious background led to him playing Jesus in The Passion of the Christ in 2004.
The Mel Gibson-helmed biblical epic experienced some strange incidents while shooting, like other movies that have touched on the religiously supernatural, like The Exorcist. Like the acclaimed horror film, Gibson’s project had religious figures on set to provide advice to the cast, and, similar to how a bird flew into a circuit breaker on the horror masterpiece, electricity also played a role here.
During filming in 2003, outlets like the BBC reported that bolts struck Caviezel and assistant director Jan Michelini in a remote location hours outside of Rome. This was Michelini’s second time being hit while it appears it was Caviezel’s first, and the question of a second strike is disputed.
Did lightning strike Caviezel two times?
Several pop-culture sites and aggregate outlets say he was hit twice, and in the second instance, his hair caught on fire. That said, there is no independent news report of the second strike as of this story’s filing. Snopes hasn’t even confirmed it, and with this in mind, people might have confused the assistant director’s incident with Caviezel’s and merged the two within their minds.
Also, reports from earlier this month with Caviezel talking about the experience making The Passion of the Christ only have him speaking about one incident. So, take that as you will. Here’s hoping the forces of nature will avoid hitting him a second (or third?) time, considering that some of the effects include respiratory arrest, burns, and ongoing health problems such as cataracts and hearing loss, we don’t believe this trauma should be seen twice.
If you want to see the trauma in Sound of Freedom, the film, which cost around $14 million, is playing now.
