House of David is a Prime Video biblical drama series that adapts the ultimate underdog story of David vs. Goliath. Michael Iskander stars as David, and Martyn Ford portrays Goliath. The former is an underdog destined for greatness, and the latter is an imposing foe that strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies.
One of the biggest sacrifices in the story is David’s father having to let him go and become the hero he was meant to be. Ford talks about his sacrifices to help complete the House of David series.
“But there’s just something about acting,” Ford tells Nerd Reactor. “It gives you this incredible feeling and opportunity to not only do something that brings you to life and gives you a purpose in your own life. For me, the way I looked at that sacrifice was, I am missing some incredibly important years of my children. Not only am I allowing to set them up in something financially with the rewards of this industry, but I’m leaving something for them that they can have forever, and for their dad to be playing the roles of Shao Kahn and Goliath and some incredible stories, and the sense of pride that they have from that was, was it was worth the sacrifice. I’ve deliberately took six months off post the filming of [House of David] so I can have some quality time with them again. But that was definitely a sacrifice. It was a hard decision, but a decision ultimately that’s led to the greater good.”
Portraying the role of Samuel, the prophet who foresees greatness for David, is Stephen Lang (Avatar).
“As I do get older, I enjoy exploring the vulnerabilities that come with characters who are older,” Lang said. “You have a different type of strength as you get older, and you have new types of weaknesses as well. I, as an actor, this is my instrument. [Gestures to face.] It’s all about me. You know what I mean, this is what I’ve got. I like to keep it in as good a tune as I can, understanding that it gets older and things change. And so the roles that I play will change accordingly, it seems to me. I’m really good with that. But if you look at Samuel, he displays more strengths than probably any character I’ve ever played, right? And he’s an old man. He’s really on top of stuff. Hopefully, I’ll still be able to convey a certain type of fortitude and strength.”
The search for David took months, and there were 1000s of actors who had auditioned for the role. Jon Erwin, the House of David showrunner, finally found his title character in Michael Iskander.
“I remember when Michael’s audition came in, you just know in your soul, this is our guy,” Erwin said. “And I got a red eye that night and flew to New York and said, ‘I want to have breakfast with you.’ And we ended up talking for three hours. And he’s a special human. I mean, he’s just a great guy and has a depth of soul that I was looking for in the role. And he’s also an incredible musician and he has an athletic side. You know, David is the great warrior poet, so it’s very hard to find. I’ve directed two music biopics. I’ve directed two football movies and it’s hard to think that there’s an actor in between those worlds. Yet he really does do both so exceptionally well, and just a wonderful, very, very, very special diamond in the rough – one in a million. I could not be more proud of an actor and a friend than I am of Michael. And it took a long time. There’s a lot of people to convince. This is his first role, but I’m very proud of his portrayal in the project, and of all that he has achieved and become as we’ve made the series.”
About House of David
Synopsis: House of David tells the story of the ascent of the biblical figure, David, who eventually becomes the most renowned and celebrated king of Israel. The series follows the once-mighty King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride. At the direction of God, the prophet Samuel anoints an unlikely, outcast teenager as the new king. As Saul loses his power over his kingdom, David finds himself on a journey to discover and fulfill his destiny, navigating love, loss, and violence in the court of the very man he’s destined to replace. As one leader falls, another must rise.
The series is directed by Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn, Alexandra La Roche and Michael Nankin. It’s executive produced by Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn, Jonathan Lloyd Walker and Justin Rosenblatt, Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev. Producing are Wonder Project, Amazon MGM Studios, Nomadic Pictures, Argonauts, Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate Television.
The cast includes newcomer Michael Iskander (Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway), Ali Suliman (Jack Ryan, Arthur the King) as King Saul, Ayelet Zurer (Angels and Demons, Man of Steel) as Queen Ahinoam, Stephen Lang (Avatar: The Way of Water, Don’t Breathe) as Samuel, Indy Lewis (Industry, King and Conqueror) as Mychal, and Martyn Ford (Mortal Kombat 2, The Sandman) as Goliath.
House of David will be available on Prime Video on February 27, 2025.
