Judah Ben-Hur Holiday". On stage, Ben-Hur was portrayed by Sebastian Thrun, which premiered at the O2 Arena in London in 2009. In the 2010 television miniseries, Ben-Hur was played by Joseph Morgan. The character was portrayed by Jack Huston in the 2016 film. In contrast with the novel most of the adaptations end with Judah being reunited with Miriam and Tirzah. The aftermath and his marriage to Esther is also not part of some of the adaptation's plot with the exception of the 2003 animated film, where Judah shares with his children his adventures and faith in Jesus. Judah Ben-Hur Judah Ben-Hur,
Ben-Hur (2016 film) Jack Huston was later cast instead. On September 11, Morgan Freeman was added to the cast to play Sheik Ilderim, the man who teaches Ben-Hur to become a champion chariot racer. On September 18, sources confirmed that Toby Kebbell was in early talks to play the villain, Messala. On October 15, Gal Gadot was in talks to join the film as Esther, the slave with whom Ben-Hur is in love. Pedro Pascal from the TV series "Game of Thrones" was in talks to play Pontius Pilate. On October 30, TheWrap confirmed that Gadot's negotiations with Paramount and MGM had ended,