From Louella Parson's newspaper column, of July 31, 1958:
"The very difficult task of casting the role of Jesus in 'Ben-Hur' has been completed in Rome and came about in a most unusual way. 'Henry Hennigson', production manager, went to the concert of a young American singer in Rome and heard
Claude Heater, whose voice is not only magnificent but he has a beautiful spiritual face. Hennigson told
William Wyler and
Sam Zimbalist about young Heater and as a result he was tested and given the role. Now here is the strange part: They had to go to Europe to find this boy, who was born in Oakland, California".