Fox's religious show uses Brian Cox-Kristen Bell's voices without permission
What's the story
Brian Cox, the acclaimed actor who voiced God in The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible: New Testament, was unaware his voice would be used in Fox News Audio's podcast The Life of Jesus. His representative confirmed to Deadline that Cox did not know about Fox's involvement when he recorded his part for the 2010 project originally released by Ignatius Press.
Statement issued
Fox News Audio clarifies 'Life of Jesus Podcast' production details
A spokesperson for Fox News Audio clarified the situation, stating that "Gulfstream Studios produced the Life of Jesus Podcast from The Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible, which was licensed by Fox News Audio." However, some actors, including Cox, were reportedly unaware of Fox's involvement. The 52-episode podcast is set to premiere on November 30.
Uninformed actors
Other actors also unaware of Fox's involvement
Other notable actors involved in the project were also reportedly unaware of Fox's involvement. Kristen Bell, who voices Mary Magdalene, was not informed that her work would be used for a podcast. According to Rolling Stone, Bell felt cheated as her work was reintroduced years later under a new banner without anyone informing her about it. John Rhys-Davies, the narrator of the podcast, also expressed surprise at learning about Fox's role in the project.
Podcast details
'The Life of Jesus Podcast' features star-studded cast
The Life of Jesus Podcast, hosted by Ainsley Earhardt from Fox & Friends, features over 100 notable actors voicing characters from the Bible. Apart from Cox and Bell, the podcast also stars Sean Astin as Matthew, Neal McDonough as Jesus, Malcolm McDowell as Caiaphas, and Julia Ormond as Mary Mother of God. The original audio Bible remains available on Ignatius's online store.