Paras Patel joined us in the LifeMinute Studios this month. The star plays Matthew, a man on the spectrum, in the hit streaming show The Chosen , a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus, seen through the eyes of those who knew him. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, he joined forces with Autism Speaks, the organization that helps people with autism reach their full potential. Paras says, "showcasing inclusion, as well as feeling seen and accepted and showing the community that they have a place" is what the show has communicated through his character. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the seven-season show shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings. Season 4 premiered exclusively in theaters in February and will be available to stream later this year at TheChosen.tv or on The Chosen app. You can go there now to stream the first three seasons.
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00:00Hey, I'm Paras Patel and you're watching Life Minute TV.
00:06Actor Paras Patel joined us in the Life Minute studios this month.
00:09The star plays Matthew, a man on the spectrum in the hit streaming show, The Chosen, a groundbreaking
00:15historical drama based on the life of Jesus, seen through the eyes of those who knew him.
00:20In honor of Autism Awareness Month this month, he joined forces with Autism Speaks, the organization
00:27that helps people with autism reach their full potential.
00:30This is a Life Minute with Paras Patel.
00:33I just got back from Brazil, embarking on this global Chosen tour.
00:38We are premiering globally now, our newest season, season four.
00:43And now I'm in New York, you know, spreading awareness, being an ambassador for Autism
00:48Awareness Month, you know, showcasing inclusion as well as feeling seen and accepted and showing
00:55a community that they have a place, which is what The Chosen's done through my character
00:59as Matthew.
01:00When you realize that nobody else in the world cares what happens to you, you think only
01:04about yourself.
01:06So on The Chosen, Matthew, through creative artistic licensing from our showrunner and
01:11creator Dallas Jenkins, Matthew's seen as someone who's on the autism spectrum.
01:16But I feel like there's a piece of Matthew in all of us.
01:19I think we can all relate to him in terms of how his journey has on our show.
01:22He's seen as someone that's kind of outright rejected from society, ostracized, not included.
01:28And he doesn't know his own worth.
01:31And our show is kind of showing what it means when you find someone that believes in you,
01:37sees something in you.
01:38I like to call it an activation.
01:40From that, it was like one seed was planted in him, and he's grown leaps and bounds as
01:45the seasons progress in confidence, finding his own self and leadership in many ways.
01:51So he's a character that a lot of people are resonating with and relating to around the world.
01:56How can you not have a relationship with your own father?
01:58I didn't choose this district.
01:59You chose this job.
02:00The Romans never forced you into it.
02:03He says he has no son.
02:06I was just grateful to have someone like our showrunner Dallas Jenkins, who through creative
02:11conversations and just kind of listening to him and discussing story and seeing where
02:16we want to take Matthew and show his true self, his authentic voice.
02:21That was very instrumental for me to get into the voice and body of the character,
02:25but also on my own.
02:26I researched.
02:27I tried to kind of consume myself in as much information as I can, because I wanted to
02:33portray the autism community with the utmost respect and honor and just be my most authentic
02:39self because I see myself as an ambassador and just wanting to show the world the light
02:44of these individuals and that they deserve to be seen and respected and understood.
02:49And just to kind of just simply show that they have a place in this world.
02:53And through Matthew's journey, you can see that.
02:56You can see how he kind of implements himself into the disciples and, you know, the society
03:01in a way and really find his strength.
03:03I may yet have need of your keen powers of observation, Matthew.
03:09It's interesting, you know, because I don't think a lot of us have thought about how his
03:12book is so detailed and he's so, he comes from a financial background.
03:16So, you know, all those things are very plausible to help kind of elevate who he was, but also
03:22show that it's very likely he could have been high-functioning.
03:24Why did you wake me up and not the others?
03:29I've been forming fragments of teaching in my mind for some months now and I'm ready
03:33to organize them.
03:34You know, when we first started the show, we only had funding to finish the first four
03:39episodes.
03:40So we were not sure if we were going to finish the entire season.
03:43So from the beginnings, the show has been kind of this humbles beginnings type, you
03:48know, however you want to phrase it, but just to be where we are now, releasing globally,
03:54you know, I just got back from Brazil and in other countries and seeing the impact that,
03:59you know, not only my character, but the rest of my castmates' work has done and really
04:03changed lives and given people a voice, but also hope, has been life-changing for me because
04:11As an actor, sometimes you don't know, you don't know the impact you're having until
04:16you see it.
04:17And for me, it's just been a little more personal on a level that I've kind of found my purpose
04:23in that I love to act, but also I am inspiring people.
04:27I'm giving people a voice and validation and it's just really important to me to have people
04:32feel like they're included and seen.
04:35The lighthearted moments are the ones that are more memorable.
04:38You know, we just finished releasing season four.
04:41I'm about to start season five next week.
04:43So we're toward the end of the journey.
04:44So a lot of moments that I'm remembering are getting sadder because I know this time will
04:50end, but the moments that always make me laugh are when we're together as a cast because
04:54we're so close.
04:55We're like a family.
04:56And it's usually when we are filming late at night at 3 a.m., delirium hits and we just,
05:02someone loses a line and we just all giggle and just, it's infectious laughter and it's
05:08just, those are memories that I love to have because I like to have fun because you really
05:13see our heart in it, but also you kind of see the camaraderie between us and that's
05:17kind of our little magic sauce because we're so close.
05:20In season one, the first seed of change that kind of got into Matthew was when he was witnessing
05:26the miracle of the fish and he is just, you can see him calculating in his brain of how
05:31did all these fish appear?
05:33And all he says is, it's impossible.
05:36But you can see that his heart knows it's possible.
05:40So I just, that's a line I always remember.
05:42It's like one of my first moments that really kind of unlocked Matthew's heart and kind
05:47of started the journey that's to come with him.
05:50Because we've seen the low lows and the high highs, I think, you know, this was just all
05:54part of the plan.
05:56And for me, I'm just really humbled and grateful to be a part of it.
06:01As someone that's grown up not really seeing representation of myself on mainstream media,
06:07to be on a cast that's so diverse and just really resonating with so many around the
06:12world but also impacting people and changing their lives, it's just been, you know, it's
06:18one of those things where I hope lightning strikes twice because I don't know if I'll
06:21ever get a chance like this, so I'm just trying to enjoy it while I can.
06:25And I just feel like I'm just honored to be a part of it, truly.
06:29Since Five, I was in a play in kindergarten and I was the host of the play.
06:35And all I had to say was, so let's get on with the show.
06:38And I was a clown, by the way, so I'm in a clown.
06:41And I think from that moment, I just fell in love with being on the stage and just hearing
06:44laughter and just hearing energy.
06:47And I know Five is such a young age, but I just, ever since then, I just had this, I
06:53was drawn to the stage.
06:54But, you know, there were certain things in life where I kind of deflected from truly
07:00going into becoming an actor.
07:02And I think it was a feeling that I just couldn't let go of.
07:06So once I graduated college with a finance background, I was like, you know what, maybe
07:12this isn't for me.
07:13I'm going to try acting and kind of just put my heart and soul into it.
07:16I love to spend time with my friends and family, especially now when I'm so busy.
07:19I value those times.
07:21And just connecting with my loved ones really refuels me when I go back into filming and
07:27things like that.
07:28And I'm just so close to my family and they mean the world to me.
07:31And I know they're so proud of what's happened with The Chosen and the impact it's been having.
07:36And I'm just grateful to have that support.
07:39But I also like to cook.
07:41I also love, you know, I grew up by the beach, so I love being near water or, you know, hiking
07:46and things like that.
07:47So just kind of regular stuff.
07:49Whenever I have time, I like to allocate it to doing something that kind of refuels me
07:53so I can kind of pay it back in my work.
07:55I'm very goal-oriented, like my character Matthew.
07:58So I try to get the 10,000 steps a day.
08:01I've got a dog, so I like to take her on walks and kind of spend time with her as much as
08:06I can and things like that.
08:08But it's so important to have me time.
08:10I think a lot of us are on the go all the time and don't realize that.
08:13And I think burnout is such a, it's a thing, in my opinion.
08:17So just any time you can take to really just center yourself helps you kind of be present
08:22for others.
08:23You know, I'm so lucky we have an amazing hair and makeup team that makes me look like
08:27this because I don't wake up like this.
08:30But I do hydrate.
08:32Drink your water, people.
08:33Get those jugs that tell you how much you're drinking.
08:36Hydrating is very important.
08:38And I also wear a lot of sunscreen because, you know, we film like 12 to 14 hours in the
08:43day sometimes in harsh heat.
08:45And you know, even when you're not in that kind of schedule, sunblock, even when it's
08:49raining wear your sunblock, SPF.
08:51I like to go to the gym and that kind of helps me like kind of free up my mental space and
08:55relax and it's kind of like, like I said, me time.
08:58So I like to try to work out at least four to five times a week.
09:01My best life advice.
09:03Wow, I automatically think of Matthew because I think of his journey because it parallels
09:08so much to mine.
09:09I think in life it can get hard.
09:12I think you, we get challenges and we can either let it shut us down or let it grow
09:17us.
09:18And with Matthew you see that.
09:20And I think find your tribe because with Matthew you see what happens when someone says follow
09:26me and you see this confidence that comes in him.
09:29And I think it's so important to surround yourself with community and people that support
09:34you, especially now in the social media times and the day and age where we're living.
09:39It's really important to have a solid community of people that can kind of lift you up when
09:42you need it, but also gas you up when, you know, it's time to get hype.
09:47But it's just really important because a lot of times we think we can handle things on
09:52our own.
09:53We think we can take all the burdens of, of whatever's going on, but you can't sometimes
09:58and it's okay.
09:59So I want people to know it's okay if you're struggling.
10:02It's okay if you need help because you're not alone.
10:05You know, I've seen that through Matthew's journey, through all our supporters who really
10:09find like they can relate to him and what he's gone through.
10:12And I think the outcome through his journey has been really rewarding.
10:18I'm actually heading to Utah to begin season five, so I'm just really excited.
10:22Of course I was saying we are now heading towards the end of the series, but I'm just
10:26going to live it to the fullest.
10:27I love what's happening with Matthew in this season, season four, but also in season five,
10:33you know, I can't really discuss that.
10:34But, you know, I'm just really excited for people to really see his journey and see how
10:38to apply it to their own lives and really just motivate themselves through it.