Michael Iskander won a lifelong role when he was cast to play David in Prime’s new series, House of David.
Before the show’s February 27 premiere, Iskander reflected his “life-changing” ability to participate in the cast in such a critical role.
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“I think David is one of the most interesting people, because… he has so many dualities,” he said. “He is a microcosm of the meaning of being human, making mistakes, but he is truly a heart for God and a heart that seeks God’s heart.”
Iskander said he felt “blessed” to be able to tell the story, but he explained how his experience portraying David changed the way he viewed the Bible and the people presented therein.
“Now I see it as just a person,” he said. “So I put that time and the context of these people into the story… It just places a completely different perspective on the Bible, and I think reading and discovering it would make it even more interesting.”
Iskander said it was exciting to be able to put such an attractive lens in the Bible. He spoke about the importance of trusting God and allowing the Lord to lead His way. Ultimately, he knows that “The House of David” is entertainment for many, but he believes that the project is truly about the Lord.
“You’re making TV shows. It’s really fun, and your makeup and hair – it’s all fun and cool, but the reason is to praise him, honor him and put him first,” he said. “I think that’s one way of changing me. It allowed me to put my perspective on all this and coming back to life and understand why we are alive.”
These insights are also injected into his performances as he took the lessons he learned and applied them to bring the characters to life. The infamous battle between David and Goliath was especially the moment when Iskander needed to think more deeply about what David must have felt.
“I always thought David was very brave… so brave, but not afraid to do that,” he said. “And you can find all the stakes that mean that you choose to stand up to the most frightening man your people have ever faced.
Iskander said the context surrounds the way the scene is filmed.
“It’s beautiful…just look at it and live there,” he said. “And I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Ultimately, Iskander wants the audience to see the characters in the Bible through the lens of truth and reality.
“As long as you see man before you – the Bible comes to life – my work is finished,” he said. “It’s not my job to tell them how I feel. It’s my job to be honest.”
Iskander also shared the fact that his foray into acting was essentially a coincidence.
“It was like sophomore for the first two weeks of school. That day we switched seats. I happened to be sitting next to a friend who looked like a choir,” he said. “At the time, the director said to all the students, ‘Hey, if a boy auditioned for the choir, I’ll give him $10 because there aren’t many boys.”
His friend asked if he was trying out simple so he could grab cash, asking for $10. Iskander said, “certainly,” and did an amazing job. Before he knew it, he was in the choir and appeared in musicals.
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