Omar Sy gets deep about his role in Jeymes Samuel‘s latest film, The Book of Clarence, in an exclusive soundbite behind the scenes of the movie.

In the exclusive clip below, Sy reveals that he almost didn’t star in the project.

The actor admitted that he would have passed on the film if he hadn’t talked to Samuel first. He said that having a conversation with Samuel before signing on helped him understand the depths of the film.

“If I would have red the script before talking to Jeymes, I’d probably pass,” he said. “It’s really difficult to understand how deep the movie is before talking to Jeymes. Then, I understood. We all know about the Bible; having a side-eye of it with Jeymes’ angle, I’m really happy and proud of it.”

The Book of Clarence also stars LaKeith Stanfield, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, Teyana Taylor, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, with McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Babs Olusanmokun, Nicholas Pinnock, Chase Dillon, Tom Glynn-Carney, Micheal Ward and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. The film is set for a Jan. 12 release.

Here’s more about The Book of Clarence:

From visionary filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, The Book of Clarence is a bold new take on the timeless Hollywood era Biblical epic. Streetwise but struggling, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is trying to find a better life for himself and his family, make himself worthy to the woman he loves, and prove that he’s not a nobody. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, a journey through which he finds redemption and faith, power and knowledge. The Book of Clarence Official Soundtrack features new music by Jeymes Samuel, JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi and more.