Do you think you have to be Christian to enjoy the movie?

"I'm not Christian, so I can tell you as someone who is inspired by the story, that forgiveness and unconditional love are universal messages. Anybody with a heart should be able to connect with the message of this film or hopefully be inspired by the message of this film, to be and do better. Whatever kind of vehicle is being used to tell this story, and in this case, it is the story of Jesus inspiring this person, Judah, Ben-Hur, to be and do better. I think if you're inspired by that, then, that's a beautiful thing. It shouldn't be confined to one faith. I love that it should appeal to people of any faith or even the faithless. If it can inspire hope, that's a beautiful thing."

Had you ever been to Italy? Did you have a chance to explore while you were filming at the Roman studios?

"I had been to a film festival in Ischia and was in Capri in 2011. Beautiful, but I didn't really get a taste of Italy. And of course, there's all this gelato and wine everywhere. I was actually on a pretty strict diet for most of the film because authenticity mattered to me. As a slave and then a follower of Jesus who helped the poor, she wouldn’t have looked like she never skipped a meal. She would have only eaten what she absolutely needed. It was very important for me not to feel overindulgent with food. To stay in that mindset, I didn't binge on gelato or pasta or wine and cappuccinos until I wrapped. And then, bring it. Which restaurants haven't I been to and what non-gluten-free pasta I can eat? And then always yes to gelato."