LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Cast members Michael Iskander, Martyn Ford, Ayelet Zurer and more say their series House of David, premiering Thursday on Prime Video, shows the relatable side of biblical legends.
Iskander and Ford play David and Goliath, respectively, in the eight episode series about how David became king of Israel after slaying the giant. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, the cast emphasized the human side of their characters.
"We really get to take our time and dive into the everyday mundane tasks of what it meant to be a warrior, what it meant to be a shepherd, what it meant to be anybody living during that time," Iskander said. "It allows us to truly explore what it means to be a human and to find the humanity in everything."
Ford, who stands 6-foot-6 before wearing heels and employing visual effects to enlarge Goliath, said episodes explore the giant's life before his battles with David and his less successful predecessors.
Ford said the hardships Goliath endures, such as living in a cave, made him appreciate modern life.
"We take a lot for granted in this world we live in today," Ford said. "Although we go through a lot of hardship, when you look back in history at what some other people had to deal with, I think we've got it quite good."
Meanwhile, David is prophesied to succeed King Saul, the first king of Israel. Ali Suliman plays Saul, already in a declining mental state when David emerges to challenge his throne.
"All of a sudden, when he becomes successful, he starts to lose his path and the way of God," Suliman said of Saul's reign. "Each stage is full of surprises and full of twists which is like our life today."
Saul's wife, Queen Ahinoam (Zurer), tries to protect her husband and retain their monarchy. As a devout woman, she also feels abandoned by God.
"The same god that anointed her husband three times is now saying another king is coming, move out of the way," Zurer said. "She's refusing to let that go. Her dream, her life, her mission, her whole identity now shifts."
Alas, inviting David into her home to keep tabs on him may prove to be her own downfall, Zurer said. On top of the prophecy, David also romances Saul and Ahinoam's daughter.
"Very much like every tragic character in the Greek mythology, she actually brings into her own home the thing that will eventually destroy that home," Zurer said.
That prophecy is spoken by Samuel (Stephen Lang), the prophet who first confirmed God chose Saul as king. Samuel is aware that Saul is less receptive to Samuel's new orders from God.
"Samuel is no stranger to the politics of what's going on," Lang said. "He's cognizant of them. He is, to an extent, above them. He does not serve anyone other than thy lord God."
The series leads to the moment in which David proves his worth by slaying Goliath with a slingshot. This required Iskander to train in the ancient weapon.
"I relied on my discus and shot put background in high school to help me out," Iskander said.
Ford also had previous athletic experience that helped him with Goliath's weapons. Goliath uses a spear, which reminded Ford of throwing a javelin.
"The one thing that I realized is that age sure catches up," Ford said. "It was definitely a relearning process of how to make a spear, one, look powerful and two, look accurate."
Iskander also had to learn how to play the lyre, the instrument David uses to woo the royal court. The actor said he was just as committed to getting that right.
"I bought a lyre off of Amazon and I would just play it and make random melodies on it," he said.
Costumes modeled on ancient wardrobes helped the actors get into character, too. Zurer said dressing regally was a group effort.
"Some of my dresses, I need the help of two or three people to get into them because they're so complicated," Zurer said.
Samuel wears robes, which Lang said stuck to him in the heat of the filming locations in Greece, just as they would have in ancient times.
"I found my robes quite comfortable," Lang said. "They just sort of mold themselves to you at some point."
