Following the House of David premiere, viewers are wanting to learn more about the leading man Michael Iskander.
House of David is a historical biblical series on Amazon Prime Video, developed by Jon Erwin, that chronicles the rise of David, the ancient king of Israel and Judah. The first three episodes are now streaming, with the series exploring David's journey from shepherd to ruler amid political and spiritual turmoil.
Iskander stars as David, leading a cast that includes Ali Suliman (King Saul), Ayelet Zurer (Queen Ahinoam), Stephen Lang (Samuel), and Martyn Ford (Goliath).
Wiki Biography Details on Michael Iskander from House of David
Michael Was Born in Egypt
Michael Iskander was born in Egypt and moved to the United States at the age of nine. Upon arriving in the U.S., he began learning English to adapt to his new environment. His early experiences in both cultures clearly helped shape his journey into acting and landing the House of David lead.
Creator Jon Erwin said (via Deadline) that working with Michael "has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of [his] life:"
"'House of David' is our telling of a 3,000-year-old hero's journey, and it all starts with our David, Michael Iskander. Finding Michael and getting to work with him has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life."
Michael Was On Broadway
Michael made his Broadway debut in Kimberly Akimbo in 2022, playing the role of Aaron. Kimberly Akimbo won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2023.
Before Broadway, he earned recognition for his performance as Usnavi in In The Heights, winning the Spirit of the M.A.C.Y. Awards in Orange County. He also received a Special Recognition Award at the Jimmy Awards.
Michael explained to CBN News that he started acting "accidentally" during his sophomore year of high school. He said that his friend asked him to try out for the choir because the director was giving out $10 to students who would bring boys to audition:
"I got into the acting world accidentally. I was in high school and it was history class and just living my life, and it was like the first two weeks of school, sophomore year. And then we had switched seats that day, and I happened to sit next to my friend who was in like the choir. And at that time, it happened to be the director told all the students, 'Hey, if you guys get some boys to audition for the choir, because we're low on boys, then I'll give you $10.' And so she came to me, she said, 'Hey, can I ask you a favor? Could you audition for the choir to help me get $10? It's just a small favor.' I was like, 'Sure, yeah, no worries.'"
Clearly, the audition went well, as after Michael completed "all the tests" the director told him, "Your schedule is going to change:"
"So I go during lunch and go do the audition, and director gives me all the tests, and he looks at me and he goes, 'Where did you come from?' 'Math class.' 'Well, your schedule is going to change, and we're going to put you here and here and here, and you're going do this and that.' That's how I got into choir and acting and musicals."
Michael Plays The Guitar and Piano
Aside from being an actor, Michael spends a lot of his free time singing and playing instruments like the piano or guitar.
On July 4, 2024, Michael posted his rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" to Instagram, singing and strumming the acoustic guitar. Michael's pinned post on Instagram is of him performing Billy Joel's "Vienna" on the piano in front of an audience at 54 Below in New York City, showcasing his growing musical gifts.
Michael Was Initially Not Cast As David
He explained that around three years before his House of David audition, he told his family he wanted to be in a series like The Chosen (which recently got an Amazon streaming update), jokingly telling them he'd like to play a biblical figure like King David:
"It did not come easy, it was a long and grueling process and for me it was deeply spiritual. I remember like three years before I got the audition, I was watching a show called 'The Chosen' and I really loved it and I got all my family to watch it and I told them if, you know, if I'm going to be an actor I want to do something like this. And they said to me, 'Well, who would you play if you did a show like that?,' and I said, 'I don't know, maybe King David.' [Laughs]"
Michael then jumped to his House of David audition, where he was consistently checked in with his representatives but he eventually got a "no:"
"Fast forward three years later, I had this audition, I had this opportunity and I submitted the audition. And week after week I would check with my reps and they were like, 'We'll get back to you, we'll get back to you,' eventually I got a 'no' and, I was kind of bummed out."
Just when Michael thought his chances were over, he received a call that changed everything: "Hey, you have another shot at this, you're going to re-audition."
What followed was a whirlwind of opportunities, including a lunch with Jon Erwin, multiple screen tests, and countless meetings, culminating in the life-changing call that he was "going to be spending four months in Greece filming" House of David:
"Then a few weeks later I get a call, 'Hey, you have another shot at this, you're going to re-audition,' and I did, and, all of a sudden I was having lunch with the executive producer Jon Erwin and then all of a sudden I'm doing a screen test and then I'm doing another screen test and I'm doing meetings and this and this and that and it was a nail-biting process and eventually I got the call that I'm going to be spending four months in Greece filming this. So it's truly a dream come true for me."
The first three episodes of House of David are streaming on Prime Video.
For more on Amazon Prime Video, discover more about Moiraine's powerful The Wheel of Time Season 3 journey.
