Shahar Isaac

Isaac was born in Haifa, Israel, in February 1993, He is of Yemenite Jewish heritage.^[2] He later moved to the United States, where he attended Rutgers University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting, studying under Barbara Marchant and David Esbjornson.^[3]

Isaac made his television debut in 2015, playing Tariq Al Juhani in the series Person of Interest.^[4] In 2017, he appeared in National Theatre Live: Salomé as Simon bar Giora,^[5] and in Price for Freedom. He later guest-starred in Madam Secretary (2018), portraying Salman.^[6]

Isaac gained prominence for his role as Simon Peter in The Chosen,^[7][8] a television drama about the life of Jesus, created by Dallas Jenkins. The show premiered in 2017, with first-billed Isaac playing the role across the series. In 2022, he appeared in The Good Fight as Zev Beker, an Israeli Krav Maga instructor.^{[9][better source needed]}

Outside acting, Isaac is a photographer. He operates a professional photography website, and his work has been exhibited in galleries. He has also published a photo-art book titled The Road Begins in Capernaum.^{[10][better source needed]}

Isaac is also a musician, playing the guitar and bass, and occasionally shares his performances online. He is multilingual, speaking Hebrew, Spanish, and Portuguese, and has helped fellow actors with dialect coaching for The Chosen.^{[11][better source needed]}

Isaac completed his compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).^[12] In line with Israeli regulations requiring citizens under 40 to serve when needed, he was recalled to reserve duty following the events of 2023.^[13]