Kerri Browitt Caviezel 'Impersonates Beauty and Kindness' Facts about Jim Caviezel's Wife

While he has made a name for himself as an actor, Jim Caviezel's wife, Kerri Browitt Caviezel, has devoted her life as a Catholic to helping others. The actor's wife is a longtime teacher and a well-known pro-life speaker.

Kerri Browitt Caviezel is of Croatian and Italian origin and has lived her whole life according to her religious beliefs. A devout Catholic, Jim Caviezel's wife has spent many years teaching and coaching and is a renowned speaker known for her passionate stance as a pro-lifer and advocate of adoption.

Kerri Browitt Caviezel and her husband have celebrated years of marriage, and their religious beliefs were at the center of their hearts when they welcomed three special needs children into their lives.

Jim and Kerri Browitt Caviezel at the premiere of "Deja Vu" on November 20, 2006, in New York City, New York. | Source: Getty Images

Kerri Browitt Caviezel Made History as a Basketball Player

In 2015, Kerri was inducted into the Western Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame for her achievements as a player and co-captain of the Vikings Women's basketball team in the 1980s and '90s.

During her college basketball career, Kerri was one of two women to rank among WWU's top 10 leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots, and she still has the university's second-highest assists over twenty years since she graduated. WWU coach Lynda Goodrich of Browitt-Caviezel said:

"She had a really consistent career. She did everything a coach wants done. She was our best defensive player, she got an incredible amount of rebounds for her height, and she scored when you needed it."

Jim and Kerri Browitt Caviezel at the 2004 ESPY Awards on July 14, 2004, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images

Jim Caviezel's Wife Has Been a Devout Catholic Her Whole Life

Kerri, a devout Catholic, worked at the Pregnancy Counseling Center in Mission Hills, California, for 17 years, where she shared her pro-life views and became a well-known speaker on the sanctity of life.

Kerri's husband shared that she had tried to teach him to pray the Rosary and was the one who told him about Medjugorje, a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has been the site of alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jim and Kerri Browitt Caviezel at the premiere of "Super 8" on June 8, 2011, in Westwood, California. | Source: Getty Images

Kerri Browitt Caviezel and Her Husband Adopted Three Children with Cancer

During an interview, Jim revealed that he and Kerri —whose sister is the wife of American football coach Scott Linehan—adopted three sickly children from China. The actor said:

"They were abandoned and unwanted. Two of them had brain cancer. The third one had sarcoma. My wife said it doesn't matter whether children are wanted or not. They are people, just like we (sic). [...] She impersonates beauty and kindness."

Two years after learning about one of their children's cancer diagnosis, Kerri's father was diagnosed with ASL. "It all comes down to how you handle it," Kerri said. Sadly, while her children were able to make a recovery, Kerri's father passed away in 2013.

Jim and Kerri Browitt Caviezel at VH1 Big on December 1, 2004, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Jim Caviezel and His Wife's Beliefs Have Played a Role in His Career

Jim and Kerri met in the early 1990s after her sister set them up on a blind date. At the time, she was already a star basketball player, while he was a struggling actor in Los Angeles.

However, his career soon picked up. In 2001, Jim shared the screen with Jennifer Lopez in "Angel Eyes" and had to film a love scene with the actress. However, out of respect for his wife, Jim revealed that he kept his underwear on.

Jim Caviezel and Kerri Browitt at the "The Thin Red Line" premiere on December 22, 1998, in California. | Source: Getty Images

Around the same time, he starred in "The Count of Monte Cristo" and had to appear topless with his co-star. However, Jim requested that something be placed between their chests. The actor said:

"It's is embarrassing for people on set [...] Well, I'd rather be embarrassed by the whole country than before God."

In 2004, Jim played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," and his wife revealed that the first time she saw him on the cross, Jim looked exactly like Christ. "There will never be a more important thing that he ever does," Kerri said about her husband's leading role.

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