Tue Apr 4, 2023 – 2:19 pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (LifeSiteNews) — Nineteen years after portraying St. John in Mel Gibson’s 2004 hit box office film The Passion of the Christ, Bulgarian-born actor Christo Jivkov passed away April 1 of lung cancer at 48 years old.
Gibson responded to the news in a public statement, calling Jivkov his “dear friend.”
“My dear friend Christo has lost his heroic battle with cancer. Right to the last moment he was filled with hope and his spirit was strong,” said Gibson, who produced, directed, and co-wrote The Passion and reportedly stayed in touch with Jivkov in the years following the release of the film. “I’ll miss him but I know his suffering is over and he has eternal bliss. God keep him.”
Entertainment industry outlet Deadline reported that Jivkov had launched his career in Italian cinema and TV in 2001 after graduating with a degree in film directing from the Bulgarian Film & Theater Academy.
In 2004, he accepted the role of St. John in The Passion of the Christ, performing opposite Jim Caviezel as Jesus.
In 2009 he co-founded an independent production company called Red Carpet Films. Following
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