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.
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