You know that feeling when a character walks onto the screen and your blood pressure just... spikes? That’s the Quintus effect. Since the very first episode of The Chosen, the Roman Praetor of Capernaum has been a constant, looming shadow over the story of Jesus and his disciples. He’s arrogant, he’s witty in a terrifying way, and he’s played with such precise, oily charisma that you almost forget he’s a fictionalized version of a historical archetype.
So, who is the man behind the Roman armor?
The actor who played Quintus in The Chosen is Brandon Potter. If his face didn't immediately ring a bell before the show, his voice might have. Potter isn’t just some guy they found to look mean in a cape; he’s a veteran performer with a massive career in voice acting and regional theater that stretches back decades.
The Man Behind the Armor: Brandon Potter Explained
Honestly, Brandon Potter is kind of a chameleon. Before he was threatening Matthew the tax collector or trying to figure out why some Nazarene was drawing massive crowds, he was making a name for himself in the world of anime.
Potter has voiced literally hundreds of characters. If you’re a fan of One Piece, you’ve heard him as the legendary Shanks. In School Rumble, he was the tough-guy lead Kenji Harima. His range is actually pretty wild. He’s gone from voicing Nicolas Brown in Gangsta to playing Godot in Ace Attorney.
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But The Chosen changed the game for him. Transitioning from a recording booth to a massive outdoor set in Texas and Utah is a huge leap. Potter has often talked about how different the experience is. In voice acting, you have your voice and maybe a few gestures. As Quintus, he has to use every inch of his 5'11" frame to project Roman authority. He’s got that bald, sharp look that screams "I have the power to ruin your life," and he uses it to perfection.
Why Quintus Isn't Just a "Bad Guy"
It would be easy to play a Roman official as a one-dimensional jerk. But Potter doesn't do that. He plays Quintus as a man who is incredibly stressed out. Think about it: he’s a mid-level manager in the Roman Empire. He’s got bosses to impress (like Pontius Pilate), a city to keep quiet, and a "squatter city" of religious pilgrims growing outside his gates.
Potter has mentioned in interviews—specifically on The Chosen’s aftershows—that he views Quintus as a guy just trying to do a job in an impossible situation. He doesn't see himself as a villain. He sees himself as the only adult in the room keeping Capernaum from falling into total chaos.
That scene in Season 2 where Quintus and Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) finally sit down and talk? That was a masterclass. It felt more like a stage play than a TV show. It was just two men, one representing the ultimate worldly power and the other representing something else entirely, sitting in a room. Potter’s ability to play Quintus as someone who is genuinely curious—but also deeply threatened—is why he’s one of the best parts of the series.
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A Career Built on the Stage
Before the cameras started rolling on The Chosen, Brandon Potter was honing his craft at the Dallas Theater Center. This is a big deal in the acting world. Being a company member at a Tony Award-winning theater means you have to be able to handle everything from Shakespeare to modern dramas.
He’s played some massive roles on stage, including:
- LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson) in All the Way
- Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol
That theatrical background is why Quintus feels so "big." Roman officials in that era were performers in their own right. They had to project power through their posture, their voice, and their fashion. Potter brings that "stage presence" to every scene, making Quintus feel like a guy who is always aware that people are watching him.
Fun Facts About Brandon Potter
- Texas Roots: He’s a Texas native, which probably made filming The Chosen (much of which happened in Midlothian, TX) feel like home.
- The Inside Man: If you work in a corporate office, you might recognize him from a cybersecurity training series called The Inside Man, where he plays a character named Maurice.
- Producer Credits: He’s not just an actor; he’s also moved into producing and writing, including working on a teen slasher film called Final Dress.
What's Next for Quintus?
As The Chosen moves into its later seasons, the stakes for Quintus are getting higher. We’ve seen him go from a guy who was mildly annoyed by Jesus to a man who is clearly losing control of the situation. Without spoiling too much for those catching up, Season 4 pushed the character to a breaking point that many fans didn't see coming.
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Brandon Potter has managed to make us empathize with a guy who is, by all accounts, an oppressor. It’s a weird feeling to want to see more of the "bad guy," but that’s the testament to a great performance.
If you want to keep up with Brandon Potter, you can follow him on Instagram or check out his voice work on platforms like Crunchyroll. He’s also involved in ActorKlass, where he helps mentor aspiring actors. It’s pretty cool to see a guy who plays such a terrifying character on screen spending his off-time helping others get into the industry.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Aftershows: If you want to see the "real" Brandon Potter (who is actually incredibly nice and funny), watch the The Chosen Episode Aftershows on the app.
- Listen for the Voice: Go back and watch One Piece or Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. It is jarring—in a good way—to hear the voice of Quintus coming out of a cartoon character.
- Support Regional Theater: Potter’s career is proof that some of the best talent in the world isn't in Hollywood—it's in regional theaters like the Dallas Theater Center.
The character of Quintus serves as a reminder that the world Jesus stepped into wasn't a vacuum; it was a place of intense political pressure and very real human egos. Brandon Potter didn't just play a Roman; he gave us a window into the "other side" of the story, making the world of The Chosen feel lived-in, dangerous, and remarkably human.