December 14, 2006 @ 10:57 am

Ananda Lewis Plays Jesus’s Sister in Religious Biopic

Rajul Punjabi

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The California native accepted the small role of Jesus’s sister, an assumed character created by director Jean Claude La Marre, because she felt the plot was historically relevant and provocative to African Americans. “It’s not just a black movie - it’s honest," says Lewis during an exclusive Vibe.com interview. "It’s not trying to say everybody in the area at the time was black because that’s not the truth. But it’s also not true that everybody in that area at the time was white. They were as diverse at that time as we are now.” Though La Marre, who wrote and stars in the biopic, has raised controversy for the portrayal of Jesus as a black Nazarene, and because of his radical interpretation of the Torah, Lewis believes Color of the Cross is important because of its cultural relevance. “I hope [the movie] will change our minds not just about Jesus, but about ourselves," says Lewis. "As African Americans who predominantly worship and believe in Him, but it does something to your psyche when the idol you worship doesn’t look anything like you. "I think the image of Jesus historically…it’s time to redefine that for us, and this movie is a good step towards that goal.” The film, who also stars actress Debbi Morgan as Mary, the mother of Jesus, hit select theatres in major cities across the country last month.

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