Catholic Actor Michael Iskander Meets Pope Leo XIV in Rome, Italy, Then Leads Prayer at Eternal City Tip-Off

Catholic actor Michael Iskander, who plays King David in the series “House of David,” met Pope Leo XIV at the Pope’s general audience in Rome on Oct. 31. The audience was held in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall, and roughly 7,000 team members, students and fans from the participating universities attended. During the meeting, Iskander and the Holy Father shared a brief conversation, and Iskander presented the Pope with a sling from the series.

The following day, Nov. 1, the men’s and women’s basketball teams from the University of Notre Dame and Villanova University opened their seasons in Rome in the Eternal City Tip-Off. Before the games began, Iskander led those in attendance in prayer. The pregame prayer was presented by Hallow, a prayer and meditation app that served as an official partner of the 2026 event.

Iskander announced in 2025 that he had converted to Catholicism. The 25-year-old actor was born in Egypt, moved to the United States as a child, and was raised in the Coptic Orthodox Church. He told EWTN News, a sister agency of the source, that he did not see his conversion as a rejection of his roots. Instead, he described it as “answering a calling from God.” He said these moments are especially profound for him and that he sees them as gifts from God (Colossians 3:23).

Iskander is currently in Greece filming season three of “House of David.” The first season of the series has garnered more than 44 million views. Seasons 1 and 2 can be watched on Prime Video.

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