'Jesus Christ Superstar' Viewers Applaud Ben Daniels for Emotional Performance of 'Pilate's Dream'

Stage veteran Ben Daniels impressed viewers during NBC's production of Jesus Christ Superstar, in which he played Pontius Pilate.

Viewers at home rarely get to see the Tony-nominated star, since he usually only takes smaller roles on television and film, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and most recently, FOX's The Exorcist.

Daniels' first song, "Pilate's Dream," left viewers stunned.

Daniels starred alongside John Legend as Jesus Christ, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene and Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas. The production of the 1970 Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical was staged at Brooklyn's Mercy Armory.

Here is a look at how audiences reacted to Daniels' incredible and emotional performance.

@bendanielsss Thank you again for being so amazing in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and so awesome when I talked to you after. :)

— illyrianfields (@illyrianfields) April 2, 2018

@JCSTheMusical @bendanielsss is an amazing talent!

— #I_Am_Music 🎵 (@BrndMaria12) April 2, 2018

I can't. I just. How does he do that? In everything?!

— Jessie 😈 (@andherewe_go) April 2, 2018

Some were really impressed with Daniels' outfit.

Can someone tell me where I can buy Pontius Pilate’s jacket? Nordstrom maybe? #JesusChristSuperstar

— Clare Myers (@clare_amanda) April 2, 2018

need a pair of purple leather pants like Pontius is wearing in #JesusChristSuperstar tbh

— Danielle DW (@DDobies) April 2, 2018

Can we talk about Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate’s outfits? Like YASss! #JesusChristSuperstar

— VICTORIANICKERS (@VICTORIANICKERS) April 2, 2018

@bendanielsss is killing it as Pontius Pilate #jesuschristsuperstar

— Sarah Clemons (@sec_79) April 2, 2018

One person compared Pilate to Erik Killmonger from Black Panther.

Pontius Pilate:#JesusChristSuperStar pic.twitter.com/yjJmJmLBaI

— Madison Marie Gladys Jones (@Maddie_Jones515) April 2, 2018

Daniels is a Tony-nominated actor for his role in the 2008 revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. He also won an Olivier Award, the U.K. version of the Tony Award, for All My Sons in 2001. He has also appeared on TV in Law & Order: U.K., Cutting It, House of Cards and The Exorcist. In 2016, he had a small role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Reeaaallly excited about getting back to Pontius Pilate now and what is wrong with me?#JesusChristSuperstarLive pic.twitter.com/lvDKvGPlRf

— Realkalanz (@realkarenlanza) April 2, 2018

One viewer really wanted to learn more about Daniels after seeing his performance.

But really, I need to know more about the Pontius Pilate in this production.

— jen 2.0 (@omgitsjen) April 2, 2018

"It's a great song to do, and it's thrilling to me, because I'd never done a musical, and so it's a totally kind of…you know, sort of wander out onto that huge stage by yourself, I thought it was going to be really daunting, but it's just a brilliantly crafted song to act," Daniels said of "Pilate's Dream" in an interview with TVLine. "In fact, the whole part is, that it doesn't feel like that. It just feels like I'm doing any straight play rather than a musical."

Photo credit: Eric Liebowitz/NBC