LOGAN, Utah-- Bob Sagers never imagined that stepping in front of a camera as a background extra would lead to a unique role portraying prophets, disciples and other biblical figures in religious paintings and scripture videos.
While working on set as a background actor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Bible videos, Sagers was invited by a friend to model in photographs portraying Jesus Christ and His twelve apostles. That’s when he caught the attention of artist Michael Malm.
“Mike comes to me says, ‘You know, you really have a good look. I'd like to maybe use you in the future,’” Sagers said.
Since then, Sagers has appeared in the backgrounds of “The Chosen” and “Book of Mormon Videos,” along with paintings displayed in temples and homes around the world.
“The first time I saw a finished painting of myself, I just stood there and looked,” he said. “It was a crazy feeling, and the artist says to me, ‘That makes you feel immortal, doesn't it?’ And it does.”
Sagers said the role that inspires him the most is portraying Jesus Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane.
“Thinking about what he was able to accomplish, more oftentimes than not when I model for him, brings me to tears,” Sagers said.
Being part of religious artwork has deepened Sagers’ appreciation for scripture-based artwork. He said he believes it’s more important for people to feel a connection to Jesus Christ than to see Him, but that artwork can influence that connection.
“To see Him, I think brings people hope. It gives them the reassurance that He lives, that He's not just this secret God that's roaming around the universe, but He's real. And He's there for us. He's someone that cares about us,” Sagers said. “To be able to see that, it gives people a deeper meaning and a deeper feeling, especially as they want to express and see that love from their savior Jesus Christ.”
Looking ahead, Sagers will appear in upcoming Easter-themed paintings by a Latter-day Saint artist and plans to audition for more roles for upcoming Christian films.
To learn more about Sagers experience modeling for religious creative projects, listen to the full interview on BYU-Idaho Radio’s podcast on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.