Home of David star Stephen Lang spoke to todaysviralmedia about taking part in the Nazirite Samuel within the new Prime Video collection. Lang mentioned his beard within the present, talking the phrase of God, and his nice scenes with Ali Suliman. The present can be obtainable on Prime Video on February 27, 2025, with the primary three episodes premiering.
“Home of David tells the story of the ascent of the biblical determine, David, who ultimately turns into essentially the most famend and celebrated king of Israel. The collection follows the once-mighty King Saul as he falls sufferer to his personal pleasure,” says the synopsis for Home of David starring Stephen Lang. “On the course of God, the prophet Samuel anoints an unlikely, outcast teenager as the brand new king. As Saul loses his energy over his kingdom, David finds himself on a journey to find and fulfill his future, navigating love, loss, and violence within the court docket of the very man he’s destined to exchange. As one chief falls, one other should rise.”
Tyler Treese: You’ve received an ideal one at present, however in Home of David, the beard that you just had happening was fairly the scene-stealer, if I’ll say. How was it working with that extraordinarily lengthy beard? It seems to be prefer it hadn’t been cleaned shortly. How was performing with that on?
Stephen Lang: Properly, that’s an attention-grabbing query. After all, Samuel was a Nazirite and one of many marks of the Nazirite was they by no means, by no means, by no means clipped any of their hair. Any of their physique hair in any respect.
Which isn’t to say they didn’t groom it. I imply, they will groom it. Samuel truly is fairly well-groomed. Truly, the beard was fairly clear more often than not. He does get within the mud and the dust sometimes, however the hair and the beard, it’s all integral to the character, you realize what I imply?
I don’t actually turn into Samuel till I’m in full hair and beard. After which I really feel very a lot the Nazirite. There are solely three Nazirites I feel which are talked about in each Testaments. After all, Samson is understood for his lengthy hair, and he was a Nazirite, Samuel’s a Nazirite, and the opposite Nazirite of notice is John the Baptist was a Nazirite as effectively. However after all, he’s a thousand years down the road [laughs].
Samuel performs such a key function within the Bible. How is it discovering your voice for him? As a result of he’s just about saying the phrase of God, and it must be highly effective. So, how do you channel that as an actor?
How do you channel it? I don’t know. It’s an ideal query I’ve requested myself. Look, ultimately, it’s a reasonably mysterious course of. You do what it is advisable do, which is to say you take up the supply materials — on this case, the great e-book — to the extent which you can. Possibly you have a look at a number of commentaries, you speak to folks, you experiment, you attempt to work it out with the dialect folks. You form of wanna perceive the world that the producers wanna create right here.
So what I’m saying is that it’s a mix of some pretty concrete and mechanical components reminiscent of the way you look, the way you sound, what you put on, after which different extra esoteric form of issues like what’s your relationship with the Lord? How do I actually hear the phrases of God spoken to me? Do I communicate actually to Him, or do I communicate with out talking?
These are selections that one makes as an actor, and you utilize your powers of creativeness and commentary to make these selections in live performance along with your director as a result of it’s the world that they’re creating. You’re a part of that.
One of the crucial spectacular traits I really feel you possess as an actor is simply your depth. You get to have these nice, very tense confrontations with King Saul, particularly within the opening episode. How is it working with Ali Suliman as a scene accomplice? As a result of he can provide and take it too, so you’ll be able to really feel the electrical energy on the display while you two are going backwards and forwards.
I don’t assume they might have solid that function any extra powerfully than they did with Ali to me. I advised him, Ali is each inch a king so far as I’m involved. To be Saul is a really, very troublesome job as a result of Saul was a gnarly, gnarly man. You recognize what I imply? There’s a lot, a lot that’s admirable about Saul, and there’s a lot goodness in Saul.
And but, there’s the flaw. Sadly, it’s an unforgivable flaw. Samuel can’t erase that. Samuel can’t look previous that. It’s not Samuel’s place to look previous that. So performing with Ali is at all times, it’s a pleasure and a problem as a result of he’s stunning. He’s large, he’s regal. He might be loud, he might be mushy, he might be nuanced, he might be blatant. He is an efficient bundle.
Because of Home of David’s Stephen Lang for speaking concerning the present.