Stephen Lang’s Acting Career Covers Many Historical Eras

The star of the new mini-series, ‘House of David,’ discusses some of his most memorable characters, including the villain in the Avatar franchise.

Actor Stephen Lang stars as Samuel, in "House of David." Amazon Studios

He might not be a household name for everyone, but it’s likely you’ve seen actor Stephen Lang practicing his craft. Over the last four decades, Lang has played Civil War generals, a blind war veteran, a villain in the highest grossing franchise ever (“Avatar”), the man who killed John Dillinger, and baseball legend Babe Ruth.

This week sees the release of “House of David,” an eight-part miniseries where he plays the biblical Prophet Samuel, one of the very few individuals venerated in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I was fortunate enough to speak with Lang to discuss this new role and several other previous roles.

Poster for "House of David." Amazon Studios

Michael Clark: If you could, please give our readers an overview of “House of David.” Stephen Lang: It’s about the ascension of the shepherd boy from the House of Jesse through his anointment by the prophet Samuel, portrayed by myself, to become the King of Israel. In so doing, he displaces the first King of Israel, King Saul, also anointed by the prophet Samuel. It’s about the fall of Saul and the rise of David and the unification of the 12 tribes of Israel under a monarchy.

Clark: So, Samuel was the original “king maker?” Lang: I think Samuel might take issue with that. He would say God is the only one who makes kings and, in fact, God is the only one who makes kings. However, Samuel is the vessel through which God makes his allowances known, which is to say he becomes the man who anoints. Prior to the anointing, Samuel really is the authority figure throughout the tribes of Israel. He’s the last judge.

Clark: How did you prepare for portraying such a towering Biblical figure? Lang: I prayed [laughs]. You examine the source material. In this case it happens to be a book, a very good book—THE good book. The story is well told. I researched Book of Samuel one and two and absorbed that material and also looked at the commentary, and there’s a vast amount of commentary for it.

Take as much as you need and then use your imagination and try to understand what it would be like to have a one-on-one relationship with the Lord God of the Old Testament.

Clark: There’s been a relatively recent uptick in the production of faith-based movies and TV shows. Why do think this is happening now? Lang: We’re living in difficult, sometimes dark times and people look for sources of light, which can come in various ways: places of worship, yoga studios, and sources of entertainment.

It’s no secret to say that there is an aspect of Christianity that is asserting itself now in a way that it hasn’t been done in the past. One of the things that I find attractive about this particular story and this character is that it really is for everyone. This may be a faith-based production, but faith goes beyond any one particular religion.

It’s worth noting that Samuel was a revered and beloved figure in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. He’s a very central figure. That was the most attractive aspect for me when playing the character.

Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), in "Avatar: The Way of Water." 20th Century Fox

Clark: Regarding “Avatar,” and this might sound naïve, but is there any downside to starring in a franchise this big? Lang: Downside? [laughs] Perhaps there is but I haven’t experienced it yet. It’s come to be such a big part of my life. I love it.

Clark: Apart from “Avatar,” for what role are you most recognized in public? Lang:  Ike Clanton (“Tombstone”) would be one. The Blind Man from “Don’t Breathe” would be another. There’s really not just one. I’ve done so many movies, and you never know what might strike a chord with different audiences.

The Blind Man (Stephen Lang), in "Don't Breathe 2." Sony Pictures Releasing

Clark: How difficult was it playing a blind character? Lang:  Very difficult. You’ve got a huge responsibility playing a character like that because we live in a time now when people are insisting that in order to play something you have be it. It’s completely absurd.

It was incumbent on me to do everything I possibly could to be persuasive as a sightless person. I went to the Albany School for the Blind for a number of weeks, and when I was on the set I wore lenses that took away probably 60 percent of my vision.

The movie was shot in relatively low light which made it even harder. The secret was in relaxing my eyes. With all of those factors I could only see about 20 percent.

Clark: Looking at your resume, there are a great many parts you’ve played that are associated with the military and law-enforcement. Is that on purpose or by coincidence? Lang:  [laughs] No, it just happened. When you’re successful at playing a role, you’re probably going to be offered a similar part in another project. What I’ve always tried to do is to find different facets of what it is to be a military leader, and to always illuminate different parts of their personalities.

Baseball card featuring Babe Ruth (Stephen Lang), in "Babe Ruth." Warner bros Television

Clark: You played the title character in the 1991 movie “Babe Ruth.” As a native New Yorker, was that in any way intimidating? Lang: It was possibly the most challenging role of my career because, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln, there is no more of an iconic figure in American lore.

The responsibility to try and get that role as accurate as I possibly could was huge. It was a tough shoot; it weighed on me. The Ruth family was very supportive and when we were done his daughter told me “you got daddy.”

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