Youngstown native Joshua Triplett now is starring in the biblical stories he grew up hearing.

Triplett, a 2005 The Rayen School graduate, plays the disciple Peter in the film “Forty-Seven Days with Jesus.”

Triplett is no stranger to being on camera. He’s appeared in more than 150 commercials, including national campaigns and spots that aired during the Super Bowl. He had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood,” and he appeared last year in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.”

A lead role in a film that’s opening on more than 900 screens, including Cinemark Tinseltown in Boardman, with a limited release through Fathom Events takes him one step closer on the journey he started in Youngstown.

“This is a blessing, a dream come true,” Triplett said. “I’ve had a lot of success in commercials … But I studied theater, I studied acting. In commercials a lot of times you’re yourself and it’s about selling the product, not about passion and the scene and the story. There’s always something fulfilling to an actor about getting TV or film. Specifically with film, it’s such a milestone in my career because it’s my first lead role in a theatrical release.”

Triplett said it’s been fun hearing from friends around the country and being able to tell them they can see “Forty-Seven Days” in their cities.

The movie, directed by David M. Gutel and Emilio Palame, tells two stories. The outer story, set in the present, focuses on the Burdon family, which is facing different crises, including the failing health of its patriarch, Poppa. During a visit to Poppa’s and Nonna’s ranch, the family decides to share Poppa’s “Forty-Seven Days” story with the children, which covers the final 47 days of the life of Jesus on Earth.

The inner story transports audiences back to biblical times and often uses music to tell that story.

Triplett said he was asked to submit an audition on video for the role of Peter and instructed to lip sync along with one of the songs in the movie.

“I’m a real singer, I do sing,” Triplett said, and he has an album he plans to release later this year.

He submitted the tape, but he also included his live vocals on the song. He didn’t hear anything for a couple of months, but the production team told his agent they wanted to put him on hold for the role. Triplett said he wanted to sing the part himself, and the director agreed.

“It kind of went fast from that point on,” he said. “A couple weeks later I was in rehearsals, fittings, we were traveling down to Texas to film. It was really quick.”

The movie shot for two weeks in Los Angeles and two weeks in Texas on the sets used for the biblical series “The Chosen.” The outer story features Yoshi Barrigas and Catherine Lidstone, two stars of “The Chosen,” and those who attended the Fathom Events screenings of the season four episodes of that series saw the trailer for “Forty-Seven Days of Jesus” beforehand.

“It was really cool just going through all those moments that we’ve all heard and read about in Sunday school,” Triplett said. “I got a chance to walk on water with Jesus.”

Triplett grew up going to Nevels Church of God in Christ in Youngstown. His grandfather was a bishop there, and his mother still is a missionary for the church. There he learned many of the stories in the movie, but having to portray them wasn’t the same.

“Just living it as the character Peter was a whole different experience,” he said. “From an actor’s perspective, it’s really digging deep into the character and the relationship between Peter and Jesus. Being a person in church and reading the Bible — Hey, this is the story about these people and what happened. But being the person it’s happening to and having to understand the weight of everything, it was very different as an actor.”

The movie will be in theaters for three days with screenings at 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and March 14 at Cinemark Tinseltown. While Triplett will be with the cast for the premiere in Burbank, Calif., on Monday, he’s coming home for the March 14 screening in Boardman.

“I’ve invited tons of people out — teachers, family, friends, my church. It’s going to be a big community event. I’ll do a meet-and-greet and sign autographs. I did get word (Youngstown) Mayor Tito Brown will be presenting me with a key to the city. It’s one of those things — I’m a visionary, I always saw my career and what I wanted – but it never dawned on me that a key to the city would be so important to me.

“I have my roots there, I was raised there, my beginnings are there. All of my foundations — faith, education, who I am to the core — is Youngstown. To be able to come back and celebrate with the community is a joy.”

If you go …

WHAT: The movie “Forty-Seven Days with Jesus”

WHEN: 7: p.m. Monday, Wednesday and March 14 with Youngstown native Joshua Triplett in attendance for March 14 screening.

WHERE: Cinemark Tinseltown, 7401 Market St., Boardman.

HOW MUCH: $12.50 with tickets available through Fandango.