By Kayla DeKraker
Michael Iskander’s journey to starring as David in HOUSE OF DAVID is nothing short of miraculous.
His acting career started with him trying out for Broadway roles, which didn’t go as he hoped.
“It was kind of during the time of COVID in 2021, and, you know, I had an agent at the time, and I was auditioning for years, and heard nothing,” he told Movieguide® recently.
He then decided to attend a theater school in New York, hoping to increase his chances of landing a role. But he was rejected from school twice. When he finally got in, something unexpected happened.
“I was about a week away from paying all of the dues, and I found my roommate…and I got the call like, ‘Hey, you’re gonna be on Broadway.’”
While in Broadway, Iskander shared with others what his dream role would be.
Related: Michael Iskander: “We See David Become A Man In Season Two”
“And they said to me, ‘Well, you know, who would you play if you got a shot at any biblical character?’ I said ‘I would love to play King David, a young King David with the sheep and with the harp and out in the fields, you know, maybe a scene or two. And then three years later, God kind of responded with…‘Buddy, I’m giving you a whole season today, giving you an entire series about the life of this beautiful man.’”
But landing Iskander’s dream role didn’t come without resistance.
“Even with David, it was a rejection at first, and then I sent in the second tape, and Jon Erwin was flying out the next week to have a meeting with me… so from, like a from a second audition to a meeting with the producer of the show, that doesn’t happen.”
He added, “When God opens the door, no one can close.”
Through his new-found fame, Iskander relies on none other than THE CHOSEN’s Jonathan Roumie as a mentor.
“Obviously for him, he’s navigated all of that with such beauty and grace and wisdom, and he’s very outspoken about his faith,” he told Movieguide®. “I look at the way he has handled his life, and it just it makes it so much easier for someone like me to have a role model like him and to have a mentor like him who sets the standard for what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ, in this industry.”
Movieguide® awarded Iskander the Grace Prize for Television for his role on HOUSE OF DAVID.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about why David is being highlighted so much in today’s culture. David is a guide for us, and he shows us that no matter how far away we may stray from Christ, He is going around and looking for us, and He’s calling us by name. And all we have to do is just say yes. All we have to do is just listen to His voice and say, ‘Yes Lord. I will follow you,’” the actor said while at the Movieguide® Awards this year. “So, I want you to know, God doesn’t see how weak or small you may look or how grand or how strong you may look. He sees into your heart.”
Movieguide®’s review of HOUSE OF DAVID reads, “HOUSE OF DAVID packs a powerful emotional punch, with exquisite cinematography, sets, costume design, directing, acting, and music. It’s the longest episode with several endings, but it holds viewers’ attention.”
“Episode 208 has a strong biblical, moral worldview, with strong Christological allusions,” it continues. “It extols God, faith, prayer, marriage, family, kindness, repentance, and forgiveness. Like other episodes in HOUSE OF DAVID, Episode 208 has some violence, with a little blood. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children, plus younger teenagers.”
Season 2 of HOUSE OF DAVID is now available on Prime Video.
Read Next: What’s it Like Playing Biblical Heroes? Jonathan Roumie and Michael Iskander Say…
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