Caviezel, Jim (1968– )

US actor. He is best known for his starring role in Mel Gibson's successful, controversial film The Passion of the Christ (2004), a retelling of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus. He has often played stoic, heroic, tragic characters, his performance enhanced by his classic good looks and striking blue eyes. Other films include the western Wyatt Earp (1994), the World War II film The Thin Red Line (1998), and the civil war epic Ride with the Devil (1999).

He grew up in Mount Vernon in rural Washington state, in a devout Catholic family. He played basketball at the University of Washington, but discovered acting after suffering a foot injury. He appeared in several plays in Seattle before achieving his first film role, in Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho (1991). After moving to Los Angeles, California, he achieved small roles in television series such as The Wonder Years and Murder She Wrote. He was subsequently accepted to the Juilliard School in New York City, but declined in order to appear in a supporting role in Wyatt Earp. Other films include Diggstown (1992), The Rock (1996), G I Jane (1997), Any Given Sunday (1999), Frequency (2000), Pay it Forward (2000), Angel Eyes (2001), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), and Highwaymen (2003).