House of David, Prime Video’s series about the life of the biblical King David, debuts Thursday with three episodes. It depicts how shepherd boy David is anointed king of Israel while another king, Saul, is on the throne. In that way, show creator Jon Erwin says it’s similar to another epic series about the struggle for power.
“I think it is a bit like Game of Thrones,” Erwin says. “The drama of a boy chosen to be king by this prophet, in a nation that had a king. … That is instant dramatic tension. And it is a battle over this throne, and who is man’s choice? Who is God’s choice? So it does have some of those same story drivers.”
Erwin also feels that House of David tells a story that’s a blueprint for all those that followed.
“Whether it’s Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter, Frodo … the classic hero’s journey, in many ways … has its roots, at least somewhat, in the life of David 3,000 years ago,” he notes.
Newcomer Michael Iskander, who plays David, says he went straight to the source to prepare to portray such a historical figure.
“I always found myself going to … the Bible, and just really delving into who David was as a person,” he says. “What is his character? What is he ultimately seeking in life? And what are the things that got him to where he was?”
Iskander’s background in Broadway musicals, and his family background, also helped prepare him to play David, who’s also a musician.
“I knew that whoever would play David would have to sing the Psalms in Hebrew because it has to be in the original language. It has to be on a lyre. It has to be with that Eastern ornamentation,” he says. “I had a bit of experience in that. I grew up in Egypt. I know what that music sounds like.”
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