ROBY, Mo. – A woman hailing from Roby, Missouri and her sister were handpicked to be part of The Chosen multi-season series, a Christian historical drama that delves into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Dawn Mayberry says her sister Donna Novak, currently residing in Arizona, applied for the show and was chosen to be an extra. Seeing that, Dawn became interested and made the choice to be part of the production too. Following her application submission, she received a confirmation a few days later.

Both sisters were avid fans of the show. When the show started, Mayberry participated in the pay-it-forward campaign to help others around the world see The Chosen for free. 

The sisters were asked to get costumes that matched the time period for the show, and were instructed to travel to Utah for filming, which the siblings had to finance themselves. The pair told The Heartlander that the experience was totally worth the time, money and travel.

‘Everybody was so nice’

“The production company gave out great directions, like how to get there and what to expect,” Mayberry said. “It went so smoothly, which is amazing for 600 people. They kept everything running well-oiled. They fed us breakfast and lunch, then gave us a take-home dinner. Snack people were constantly going around.

“They always made sure we had plenty of water and sunscreen. They treated us well. Everybody was so nice.”

To be on set and prepared for their 12-hour filming day, the pair had to depart their hotel at 6:15 a.m. Mayberry emphasized the need to always be prepared and attentive for the next scene. The extras had to be swift and get their adrenaline pumping again when the camera operators yelled, “Cameras move!”

The scenes were meticulously organized, and the sisters praised Dallas Jenkins, the director, writer, and producer, for his clear vision in each shot.

Mayberry says they could sense God’s presence during the production because everything ran so smoothly. Jenkins’ kind treatment of extras was mentioned prominently by the sisters. He enthusiastically greeted everyone on the set as he walked around. Once shooting wrapped, he remained on set to take pictures with anyone who desired one.

Novak highlighted that the show’s main characters were present during the scenes she and Dawn were in, which was out of the ordinary for filming. In past seasons, the main actors or actresses rarely encountered many of the extras. 

In the sisters’ key scene, Jesus arrives at the temple that has been transformed into a market and proceeds to overturn tables.

The filming occurred at the Picture Studio South Campus, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, near the small town of Goshen, though there is no association between the church and the production. The site features a set that looks like Jerusalem and re-creates several locations.

“There was a lot of action. Animals were everywhere, tables were being flipped, they had explosives going on. It was amazing. We will be in Season 5, Episode 2 or 3. That is what we were a part of,” Mayberry said.

During their involvement in The Chosen, the pair forged new friendships at the airport and car rental company, and also had the incredible opportunity to witness a woman finding faith in Christ.

Mayberry is a U.S. Army veteran of 16 years and recently retired from Fort Wood Hospital as a nuclear technical nurse. She lives in Roby with her husband, who is also a retired Army veteran.

Knowing Jesus

Mayberry says she’s always known Jesus and goes to Palace Union Church in Evening Shade, where she teaches Sunday school and leads a ladies’ Bible study. 

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always known Jesus. Through joining the military at such a young age, I just held Him really, really close. Coming from a small farm town and into the military is quite shocking. I held onto faith to help me get through a lot of stuff. I can’t ever remember Him not being in my life, I’ve never doubted Him.

“There was a year I had a lot of family trauma, and I just take that as I went through those things because God will probably send somebody in my life who needs to hear how he helped me get through those things.”

Novak resides in Gilbert, Arizona, and works as a Medicare contact and operations manager. She says she and Mayberry were brought up in Iowa, going to church, with their mother as a Sunday school teacher, and attending church camp.

“I’ve been going to church forever. When I got to Arizona, I had to find a new church. Central Christian is the church I went to, and I’ve been going there since I’ve been in Arizona. We were baptized when we were little. I got re-baptized when I felt it was time to do it again. It helped me through some really rough times with my ex, having that faith and life group of women who helped support me through that. It’s been great.”

Mayberry says being part of a series feels like it becomes ingrained in your being.

“It almost felt like it became a part of your DNA,” she explained. “You felt like you were so immersed in it. We know Jonathan Roumie is not Jesus, but it made you feel like you were a part of Jesus at that time. To share it with so many people is so cool, too. That makes it a thousand times better.”

The Chosen can be streamed on multiple platforms, and the first four seasons can be streamed for free on the series’ own website. It is also offered for sale on physical media such as DVD and Blu-ray.