Aidan Quinn Blasts Religious Groups for Picking on The Book of Daniel  1/21/06

Actor Aidan Quinn has fired off at conservative organizations who are attacking his new US TV drama series because his priest character chats with Jesus.

Some TV networks have pulled the plug on the show, The Book of Daniel, after receiving letters from religious groups like the American Family Association, but Quinn is defiant and insists the program is nothing more than a great drama.

The Legends of the Fall star, who plays a painkiller-popping clergyman on the show, feels people are taking his character's visions of Christ just a little too seriously.

He says, "I think it's time to grow up, America. I mean, come on. This is just a dramatic device for the internal dialogue that my character is having and it's just what he imagines Jesus might be saying to him back and forth.

"This is not the second coming, this is not the historical Jesus. The historical Jesus, for all the people that are really upset, would be a Sephardic, dark-skinned Jew - remember that."

And the actor urges those making a fuss about the show to actually watch it.

He adds, "It's an organized group that haven't seen the show... The faith in this is really sincere. It's an adult, witty, well-written, well-cast show.

Give it a chance."