After Three Seasons of Playing Philip on 'The Chosen,' Yoshi Barrigas Exited the Show

The effort and world-building that has gone into the Christian historical drama The Chosen cannot be denied. The show wrapped its third season in February 2023, but the journey began six years prior with Season 1. What's more incredible about the series that tackles the life and teachings of Jesus in painstaking detail is how it came to be.

According to The Christian Post, the series "became the No. 1 crowdfunded media project in history, raising over $11 million from more than 16,000 investors who wanted to see season one made." Years later, it's still going strong and can be viewed on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Peacock, and more. Sadly, the show lost actor Yoshi Barrigas, who exited the series ahead of its fourth season. Why did Yoshi Barrigas leave The Chosen?

In an Instagram post dated May 4, 2023, Yoshi announced that he was leaving The Chosen for "personal and professional reasons." He went on to thank the fans for their "showering of love and support," which, he said, "seeded me with a warmth that will forever nourish me." The way the show has changed people's lives is what kept Yoshi connected to the fans, something he was eternally grateful for.

Yoshi also expressed his gratitude for the show's creators, Dallas and Amanda Jenkins, who, by giving him the role of Philip, changed his life. "I physically feel and see the impact Dallas's baby has had on humanity when you all approach me and share your stories," wrote Yoshi. Beyond playing the part of a lifetime, Yoshi discussed what he absorbed simply by being on set. "I learned the infinite depths of my craft and the many ways to approach it," he shared.

In April 2022, Yoshi was a guest on the What's Your Limp? podcast where he opened up about the severe back pain he was dealing with. "A little over five years ago, an MRI showed that I had three herniated discs in my upper spine and my and neck," he revealed. "I'm basically in pain every single day of my life." He added that it's "constant and never forgives." Perhaps this was a contributing factor to Yoshi's decision to leave The Chosen.

In an effort to explain what this feels like, he laid out a pretty horrifying analogy. "Imagine someone grabbing both of your trapezoids, and just squeezing them as tightly as they could. That's basically what that pain feels like," said Yoshi. He did say that the pain fluctuates. Obviously some days are worse than others, but he does exist in a constant state of discomfort. "Basically since we wrapped last season, it's been really really difficult."

Regardless of why he's actually leaving the show, in his Instagram post Yoshi said, "I hope you continue to follow my journey. I have a lot more to share with you."