Short Biography

James Patrick Caviezel, Jr. (pronounced /kəˈviːzəl/; born September 26, 1968) is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Jim Caviezel. He is perhaps best known for playing the part of Jesus Christ in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ and Private Witt in The Thin Red Line.

Early life
Caviezel was born in Mount Vernon, Washington, the son of Margaret `Maggie`, a housewife and a stage actress, and James Patrick Caviezel, Sr., a chiropractor.He has a younger brother, Timothy, and sisters Ann, Amy, and Erin, and was raised in a tight-knit Roman Catholic family in Conway (Skagit County), Washington. Caviezel`s surname is of Romansh origin; his father is of Slovak (maternal) and Swiss (paternal) descent, while his mother`s ancestry is Irish. He attended Mount Vernon High School for two years and then moved to Seattle and lived with family friends in order to play basketball at the Catholic O`Dea High School. The following spring, he transferred from O`Dea to another Catholic school, Burien`s John F. Kennedy Memorial High. There he starred on the basketball team and graduated in 1987. Following high school, Caviezel enrolled at Bellevue Community College where the 6 ft 3 in athlete also played basketball. A foot injury in his second year, however, put an end to his hopes of a basketball career in the NBA. He later transferred to the University of Washington where he turned his focus to acting and became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Career
After appearances in Wyatt Earp and G.I. Jane, Caviezel scored a breakthrough performance in Terrence Malick`s The Thin Red Line. He was originally cast to play Cyclops/Scott Summers in X-Men (2000) but dropped out due to a scheduling conflict with his other film, Frequency.

Caviezel starred in such mainstream Hollywood films as Angel Eyes, Pay It Forward and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). In 2001, he played the lead in Madison, a film that tells the story of the hydro races in Madison, Indiana. Caviezel`s character pilots Miss Madison to victory, recounting the 1971 event. The film did not appear in theatres until 2005. In addition, his work in High Crimes (2002) was highly praised by critics.

In 2002, he played a pivotal role in the film I Am David from the Danish novel known by both David and North to Freedom, written by Ann Holm.


In 2004, Caviezel portrayed Jesus Christ in the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ. During filming he was struck by lightning, accidentally whipped, dislocated his shoulder and bruised his eye. After its release, Caviezel was offered the role of spokesman for a fashion line called "Heavenly," which he refused, citing that it would be an insult to people who felt the film had something meaningful to offer.

In 2004, he expressed interest in playing the role of Superman/Clark Kent for 2006`s Superman Returns, even mentioning that he would dedicate his performance to Christopher Reeve. Ultimately, he was passed over by director Bryan Singer, who felt that Caviezel was too well known after starring in The Passion of the Christ. The part went to newcomer Brandon Routh instead.

Caviezel plays a lead role in Unknown, an IFC project distributed by the Weinstein Company. Caviezel also has a role in Tony Scott`s 2006 action film, Déjà Vu opposite Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer. He plays the lead role, Kainin, in the film, Outlander, which began principal photography in O

Miscellaneous Information

Friends and Family

Tim [Brother]

Erin [Sister]

Amy [Sister]

Ann [Sister]

Maggie [Mother]

Jim [Father]

Who's Dated Who content is contributed and edited by our readers. Please report errors or omissions on this page.