Bulgarian actor Christo Zhivkov has passed away at the age of 48.
The star – best known for his role as Saint John in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ – has died in Los Angeles, after a long battle with lung cancer.
He also played Giovanni Delle Bande Neri in Ermanno Olmi’s 2001 film The Profession of Arms.
Zhivkov is an actor and producer born in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Shortly after graduating from the Bulgarian Academy of Film and Theater where he majored in film directing, he was selected as a major in the “Profession of Arms”.
Sad news: Bulgarian actor Christo Zhivkov passed away at the age of 48 (pictured in 2014)
Illness: The star — best known for his role as Saint John in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ — passed away in Los Angeles, after a long battle with lung cancer.
The film won the 2002 David DiDonatello Awards with nine wins, including Best Picture.
Then he enjoyed a job in Italian cinema and television.
Zhivkov went on to play John opposite Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci in Gibson’s The Passion Of the Christ in 2004.
He was expected to star in the long-rumored sequel which was rumored in January to begin filming soon.
Australian director and actor Mel, 67, has stated on several occasions that a second film, titled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, was in the works — but recent reports have revealed that filming could finally begin in the spring of 2023.
according to newsmaxJim Caviezel is set to return as Jesus while Mel will lead the way as director.
Passion Of The Christ has grossed a whopping $612 million worldwide on a relatively small budget of $30 million, making it the highest-grossing film of all time at the US box office.
While the film was undoubtedly a financial success, Mel and his team have experienced their fair share of negative critical reviews.
Career: He also played Giovanni Delle Bande Neri in Ermanno Olmi’s 2001 film The Profession of Arms.
Life: Shortly after graduating from the Bulgarian Academy of Film and Theater where he majored in film directing, he was chosen as a major in the profession of arms
The role: He was expected to star in the long-rumored sequel to The Passion of the Christ which was rumored in January to begin filming soon (portrayed by Mel Gibson, director)
Some critics criticized the film for its use of excessive violence, while others claimed that the film deviated significantly from the biblical story on which it was based.
Some viewers also criticized the film for depicting anti-Semitic themes.
It’s unclear if the original star of the 2004 film Monica Bellucci, who portrayed Mary Magdalene, will return to her roles.
A film about the resurrection of Christ called Risen was released in February, and grossed $46 million worldwide on a budget of $20 million.
In September 2016, Mel He started working on a sequel to his movie in 2004.
He revealed that work has already begun on the blockbuster and that Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace has already signed on to the project.
“Of course, this is a huge project, and, you know, it’s not Passion 2. It’s called Resurrection,” Mel said during an interview with SoCal Pastor Greg Lowry. Harvest Crusade in ca.
“Of course, this is a very big subject and it needs to be looked at because we don’t want to just have a little exposure of it — you know, read what happened,” he explained.
“But in order to read it and experience it and explore deeper meanings of what it’s about, it’s going to take some work and Randall Wallace is up to the task.”
He’s also a brilliant writer, he’s a great director. He brought out “We Were Soldiers, The Sky Is Real and Other Things”. So, he’s a good writer and director.
Randall Wallace has spoken about his desire to star in a follow-up to Passion Of The Christ, saying Hollywood Reporter: “I always wanted to tell this story. Passion is the beginning and there are so many stories to tell.
The writer said they were interested because of the huge demand among religious devotees who helped the original film become the highest-grossing independent film of all time.
He said, “The evangelical community considers The Passion to be the biggest movie ever made in Hollywood, and they kept telling us they thought the sequel would be even bigger.”
Since the mega-hit in 2004, Mel has gone through several life changes, including a separation from ex-wife Robyn Moore, with whom he spent thirty years married, and with whom he shares seven children.
Mel was previously in a relationship with Russian musician Oksana Grigorieva from 2009 until 2010, with whom he shares daughter Lucia, 13, with.
He then met his longtime partner Rosalind when she was signed to co-write a screenplay for his production company and then they began dating.
His relationship with Rosalind, a writer and former equestrian champion, was first revealed in 2014, and he welcomed his ninth child, Lars, with her in 2016.
Controversial: The Australian director and actor, 67, has stated on several occasions that a second film, titled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, was in the works.
Tips: According to Newsmax, Jim Caviezel is set to return as Jesus while Mel will lead the way as director (Mel is properly cast with Jim as Jesus)
The star’s career has seen a resurgence of late with Hacksaw Ridge, where he earned his first Oscar nod in over two decades.
Mel has previously spoken about his sobriety and in 2016 said that as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, he has 10 years of sobriety under his belt.
He has previously admitted that he spent many years in Alcoholics Anonymous, saying he would not have survived otherwise.
They call it the spiritual path of the psychopath. They say there are only three options: either you go crazy, you die, or you quit. This is the harsh reality. he told Good Weekend at the time.
