All 10 Biblical People In The Book Of Clarence

The Book of Clarence provides an entertaining and highly stylized alternative to the typical story of Jesus and his crucifixion, but there are still many real Biblical figures who help drive the film’s narrative. The Book of Clarence ending directly mirrors the end of Jesus’ life as depicted in the Bible, and in fact features Jesus himself. Buoyed by an excellent soundtrack from Jeymes Samuel, The Book of Clarence manages to balance modern humor and social justice concepts with an ultimately pro-faith message.

Throughout The Book of Clarence‘s runtime, there are plenty of mentions of famous names that hearken back to some of the Bible’s most famous stories. Characters named Jezebel, Samson, Goliath, or Elijah, for example, are not actually intended to be depicting their famous Biblical counterparts, they are there more as Easter eggs than anything. However, the story of The Book of Clarence is directly adjacent to the life and times of Jesus Christ leading up to his crucifixion, and therefore there are a number of real Biblical figures that play significant roles in the movie.

10 Jesus Christ

Played by Nicholas Pinnock

The Book of Clarence centers around a down-on-his-luck man desperate to improve his lifestyle and position in the society in which he lives. His original plan is to become the 13th Apostle to Jesus Christ, but he soon pivots to pretending to be a Messiah himself. Nicholas Pinnock plays Jesus with the proper balance of gravitas and grace that should define one of the most famous people in the history of humanity, and the centerpiece of the Christian faith in the world.

9 Mother Mary

Played by Alfre Woodard

In the course of trying to prop himself up as the Messiah, Clarence theorizes that he can glean information about how Jesus performs his “miracles” from someone who has known him intimately for his entire life, Jesus’ mother Mary. Clarence’s visit to Mary’s house is one of the funnier scenes in the movie, as he subtly implies that the Immaculate Conception may not be quite as miraculous as Mary would have everyone believe, earning him a smack from the Virgin Mother. Alfre Woodard deftly balances the significance of her character with the inherent comedy of the conversation.

8 Joseph

Played by Brian Bovell

In the Bible, Joseph carries significance as the man who raised Jesus, but his importance is far below that of his son and wife in the Christian faith. He is often seen as underappreciated, and The Book of Clarence treats him almost as a joke in that regard. He is tangentially involved in Clarence’s conversation with Mother Mary, but as the butt of Clarence’s implied jokes about the actual virgin status of the so-called Virgin Mother.

7 Mary Magdalene

Played by Teyana Taylor

While recent works like Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code have popularized the idea that Mary Magdalene had a special relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, and may have even been his wife, there is little evidence in the Bible to suggest that she was anything more than a devoted female follower, no different from the other Apostles in Jesus’ eyes. The Book of Clarence opens with a chariot street race, and it is in fact Mary Magdalene who Clarence races. While she plays a role similar to her Biblical counterpart later in the movie, her badass introduction helps set the tone for the movie from the jump.

6 Pontius Pilate

Played by James McAvoy

Pontius Pilate was a Roman governor of the Judaea region of antiquity in which Jerusalem could be found, and he is famous for being the man who oversaw the trial that ended with Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate has that same role in The Book of Clarence, but it is Clarence who he condemns to death in the movie. He is seen as somewhat amiable in the movie, which reflects his Biblical reluctance to actually sentence Jesus to death despite the wishes of the priests and public under his rule.

5 Barabbas

Played by Omar Sy

In the Bible, Barabbas is an infamous prisoner under Pontius Pilate, who, thanks to a Passover tradition, is linked to Jesus. According to tradition, at Passover, the area prefect (Pontius Pilate) could commute the death sentence of one prisoner based essentially on a popular vote. Pilate gave the mob a choice between saving Barabbas or Jesus, and the crowd chose Barabbas. Per the Gospels, Barabbas was a murderer who had killed someone during an insurrection against Rome, and his animosity towards Roman rule is captured in The Book of Clarence.

4 Judas Iscariot

Played by Micheal Ward

Judas Iscariot is one of the most famous figures in the Bible, as he is the disciple responsible for betraying Jesus to those who wished to persecute him. His name has since become synonymous with treachery. In The Book of Clarence, Judas acts as one of the most vocal Apostles who deals with Clarence, and is the one who proposes that Clarence free slaves from Asher the Torturer to earn his place as an Apostle. This is, of course, a fool’s errand, and between that and Judas later being paid to identify Messiahs, he maintains his villainous streak from the Bible.

3 John the Baptist

Played by David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo plays John the Baptist in The Book of Clarence, who is one of the most revered figures in Christianity. He is responsible for baptizing Jesus, and is largely responsible for the significance of baptism within the Christian faith. In The Book of Clarence, Clarence tries to get John the Baptist to baptize him as an early step in his plot to become the 13th Apostle. In one of the movie’s funniest interactions, John slaps Clarence for being a hypocrite before delivering a decidedly aggressive “baptism”, angrily holding his head under the water for an extended period of time.

2 Peter “The Rock” The Apostle

Played by Jacobi Howard

In the Bible, Peter is one of the chief disciples of Jesus Christ, and is regarded as the founder of the Christian Church. He is recognized as the first bishop of Rome (essentially the Pope) and the first bishop of Antioch, or “the rock” on which Jesus built his church. In The Book of Clarence, Peter is little more than a background character, which could be interpreted as a commentary on the importance (or lack thereof) of the organized Christian Church.

1 “Doubting” Thomas the Apostle

Played by Lakeith Stanfield

In The Book of Clarence, the fictional character Clarence is depicted as the twin brother of the real Apostle, Thomas. The term “doubting Thomas” is a reference to an instance from the Bible in which Thomas refused to believe in Jesus’ resurrection until he could see and touch Jesus’ crucifixion wounds. Thomas is just as dismissive of his ne’er-do-well brother as the rest of the Apostles, although he and Clarence do make up to some degree before Clarence is crucified at the end of the movie.