Jim Caviezel took his craft to a whole new level this week in Kansas City.
Royals manager Ned Yost revealed on Wednesday that the veteran actor stood in for bench coach Dale Sveum in a team photo. Caviezel, who is best known for playing Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ,” was called into action with Sveum unable to make the shoot due to an appointment for a stiff neck.
“That way we can Photoshop the head with Dale in there,” said Yost, according to ESPN. “And [executive assistant to the general manager] Emily [Penning] was going, ‘Jesus, you need to move back a little bit. Jesus, we’re glad you’re here.’ [Caviezel replied], ‘Yeah, you’re really going to need me this year.'”
The ESPN report adds that Caviezel is at Royals camp on the invitation of his friend, former Royals player and current front office employee Mike Sweeney. The team also had a private prescreening of Caviezel’s new movie, “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” which opens later this month.
Caviezel himself seemed pretty happy at the opportunity to be of service.
“I think it’s more humbling for me to pop into a picture and impersonate some guy,” he was quoted as saying. “I enjoyed it, just getting into a team photo. How many times would you ever be on a MLB field?”
Hey, perhaps Caviezel’s next stand-in role for Kansas City can be to portray this high-profile offseason departure of theirs.
