Brian Cox and the Life of Jesus Cast Are Turning Their Backs on Fox’s Podcast — Here’s Why
Brian Cox grudgingly takes on the role of God in Fox's The Life of Jesus, an Ainsley Earhardt–hosted podcast that corrals more than 100 star voices to bring the Bible to life.
Here is a project that got a lot messier than anyone expected: a Fox podcast about Jesus with more than 100 actors, hosted by Fox & Friends anchor Ainsley Earhardt, and Brian Cox as the voice of God. The twist? Several of those voices say they had no idea they were being used for this new Fox release.
What this podcast is supposed to be
Fox is rolling out a series called The Life of Jesus, hosted by Ainsley Earhardt, built from recordings that were originally made for a completely different project: 2010's The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible: New Testament. That older production featured a huge cast of recognizable names, and Fox says it has licensed that material for this new podcast.
Who is voicing whom
Per Fox's lineup, Brian Cox is God, with a stacked cast covering the major biblical roles. A few of the notable voices:
- Kristen Bell as Mary Magdalene
- Sean Astin as Matthew
- Neal McDonough as Jesus
- Malcolm McDowell as Caiaphas
- Julius Ormond as Mary, Mother of God (yes, that is how it is listed)
- John Rhys-Davies as the Narrator
- Blair Underwood as Mark
- Stacy Keach as John
- Hill Harper as the Angel of the Lord
- Michael York as Luke
The consent problem
Here is where it gets awkward. Brian Cox's team told Deadline the Succession star did record the role of God — back in 2010 for The Truth & Life Audio Bible — but he was not aware of Fox being involved with this new podcast. So, no, he did not sign on to do a Fox project in 2025. It is not that he re-recorded anything for Fox; it is that material from 2010 is being reused here.
Fox, for its part, says the series was produced by Gulf Stream Studio from that earlier Truth & Life Audio Bible and that Fox News Audio licensed it properly. Their statement is pretty definitive:
"[It was] licensed by Fox News Audio, with full cooperation and participation by all the actors involved."
That last part is exactly what some actors are pushing back on. Kristen Bell's rep told Rolling Stone she did not know about this Fox deal and did not approve the repurposing of her performance. John Rhys-Davies — who is also listed as the podcast's narrator — likewise said he was not aware of Fox's involvement. So you have Fox saying everyone cooperated, and multiple big names saying they did not know this was happening. That is a pretty stark disconnect.
How we got here
The simplest version: actors recorded roles for a 2010 dramatized Bible project; Gulf Stream Studio used that material to build The Life of Jesus; Fox News Audio licensed it; now the podcast is launching under the Fox banner, and at least a few of those original performers are publicly distancing themselves from it.
Release timing
The Life of Jesus is slated to debut November 30, 2025 in the U.S. via Fox Faith.
My take
This is one of those situations where the paperwork and the PR do not seem to match the talent's expectations. The cast list is undeniably impressive, but the backlash undermines the rollout before it even starts. If more actors chime in like Bell and Rhys-Davies, Fox could be promoting a starry podcast that the stars themselves are actively disowning. Not ideal.
Curious where you land on this: if your old performance gets legally licensed for a new project you never signed up to promote, is that fair game or a bad look?