Shahar Isaac's ethnicity and the life of one of The Chosen's biggest breakout stars

Shahar Isaac's ethnicity and the life of one of The Chosen's biggest breakout stars

Shahar Isaac is a globally acclaimed actor, former soldier, and photographer best known for portraying Simon Peter in the hit religious television series The Chosen. He is an Israeli-American actor of Yemenite Jewish ethnicity. Shahar is reportedly single and largely keeps his dating life private.

Shahar Isaac at red carpet events
Shahar Isaac is most recognized for his portrayal of Simon Peter in the popular series, The Chosen. Photo: @shaharisaac on Instagram, @Carlos Tischler on Getty Images (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key Takeaways

  • Shahar Isaac was born and raised in Haifa, Israel.
  • He is fluent in Hebrew, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
  • Some of the popular films he has starred in are The Chosen, Madam Secretary, and Person of Interest.
  • Besides acting, he serves in the Israeli army's reserve unit and is also a photographer.

Shahar Isaac's profile summary

Full name

Shahar Isaac

Birthdate

February 1993

Age

33 years (as of 2026)

Zodiac sign

Sagittarius

Birthplace

Haifa, Israel

Nationality

Israeli-American

Ethnicity

Yemenite Jewish

Religion

Christianity

Sexuality

Straight

Height

5'8" (172 cm)

Weight

143 lbs. (65 kg)

Shoe size

16 (US)

Eye color

Brown

Hair color

Dark Brown

Marital status

Single

Education

Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA

Qualification

Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts

Profession

Actor, soldier, and photographer

Social media

Instagram

X(Twitter)

Facebook

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Shahar Isaac's biography

Shahar Isaac has been interested in acting since childhood. He began acting in 2015, but the world knew little about him until 2017, when he played the role of Simon Peter in The Chosen.

Simon is one of the central characters in the series. The show explores his character, including his background as a fisherman, his relationship with his wife, Eden, and his journey of faith alongside Jesus.

How old is actor Shahar Isaac?

Born in February 1993, Shahar Isaac’s age is 33 years in 2026. He has not disclosed his birthdate.

Five facts about Shahar Isaac
Five facts about Shahar Isaac. Photo: @shaharisaac on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Original

What nationality is Shahar Isaac from The Chosen?

He is an Israeli-American citizen acting in The Chosen as a devout Jewish man called Simon Peter, who later became a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Is Shahar Isaac Latino?

The actor is Israeli but can speak multiple languages, including Spanish and Portuguese, and has spent time in Spain.

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What is Shahar Isaac's ethnicity?

He is of Israeli-Yemenite Jewish heritage, and Hebrew is his first language.

What is Shahar Isaac's accent?

The actor has a natural Hebrew accent and is not as confident in his English as he is in other languages like Hebrew and Spanish.

He does not fake his Aramaic accent in The Chosen because he is Israeli. Shahar even gave Jonathan Roumie (who plays Jesus on the show) some Aramaic accent coaching.

Shahar Isaac playing the guitar and using a camera
Actor Shahar Isaac often travels with his camera and guitar. Photo: @shaharisaac on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Where is Shahar Isaac from?

This globally renowned actor was born in Haifa, Israel, and grew up in Israel. Shahar Isaac's family relocated to the US when he was much older.

Educational background

After completing his high school education, he joined Rutgers University's School of Acting in New Jersey under Barbara Marchant and David Esbjorn. Shahar graduated with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.

Acting career history

Shahar Isaac performed in theatre productions during his school years. He acted in stage plays like The Merchant of Venice, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Shakespeare.

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Isaac's TV role was in Person of Interest. He featured in the show's first episode in 2015 and later appeared in the TV drama National Theatre Live as Salman.

Shahar Isaac in his acting costumes
Shahar Isaac's role as Simon Peter in The Chosen is one of the central characters in the series. Photo: @InsideTheChosen on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Shahar experienced a significant breakthrough in 2017 while acting as Simon Peter in The Chosen. It is an American historical drama series created and directed by Dallas Jenkins.

The public-funded show premiered on December 24, 2017. The Chosen centres on the life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and his disciples. It has 22 episodes and 3 seasons. Isaac appeared in 16 episodes. He has, however, spoken about his awe of the show's reach and the wide array of feelings about its subject matter. Isaac told Premier Christian Radio in January 2024.

"I think what I find very fascinating is how each reaction can be so vastly different," I"How each person finds another angle of the character ... that's the beauty, you don't have control in it."

Shahar Isaac's movies and TV shows

Shahar has six acting credits under his name. According to his IMDb profile, these are the famous movies and TV shows the Israeli-American actor has starred in:

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Year

Film/TV show

Role

2026

Nemesis

Andrei Malakian

2019-present

The Chosen

Simon Peter

2022

The Good Fight

Zev Beker

2018

Madam Secretary

Salman

2017

Prince of Freedom

Sephur

2017

National Theatre Live: Salomé

Bar Giora

2015

Person of Interest

Tariq Al Juhani

Did Shahar Isaac serve in the military?

The actor served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). He was called up for reserve duty after turning 18, and being an Israeli citizen under 40, he was recalled for reserve duty in the IDF following events on 7 October 2024.

Shahar Isaac’s military service did not stop him from acting. He was granted a special permit to return to film The Chosen.

Shahar Isaac's photography career

Shahar does photography as a hobby and an extra source of income. He posts pictures on his Instagram and Facebook accounts. You can purchase his photography work on shaharphoto.com. A print run of selected images is available.

There are beautiful GIFs of Shahar Isaac from The Chosen series on tenor.com. You can use these GIFs on social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Telegram, for entertainment.

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What is Shahar Isaac's net worth?

The actor's exact salary and net worth remains unknown. His primary sources of income are acting and photography.

Is Shahar Isaac married?

Isaac is known to be a private person and does not share much about his personal life, including his relationship status, on social media or with the press. Many sources report he is single.

Is Shahar Isaac a Christian?

Shahar Isaac was born in Israel to a Jewish family but has publicly identified as Catholic. His religion and personal faith are separate from the character he portrays in The Chosen, a Christian multi-season series about Jesus Christ. While many fans are curious about Shahar Isaac's religion, he has maintained a relatively private approach to discussing his beliefs in public.

Shahar Isaac standing straight and leaning on a wall
Isaac is private about his religious practices. Photo: @shaharisaac on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Despite his public identification, Shahar has remained relatively private about his current religious practices. He separates his faith from his portrayal of Simon Peter, focusing on the human experience of the character rather than the historical or religious significance.

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What happened to Shahar Isaac from The Chosen?

Shahar Isaac, who plays Simon Peter in The Chosen, was called to serve in the Israeli Army (IDF) in a reserve unit following the attacks on 7 October 2024. He missed the season four premiere due to his military service.

While he was able to obtain a permit to film season 5, he has been actively involved in advocating for the hostages held by Hamas and speaking out against the horrors they have endured.

Is Shahar Isaac leaving The Chosen?

Actor Shahar Isaac is not leaving The Chosen. While he was absent from the Season 4 premiere due to his service in the IDF, Dallas Jenkins confirmed Shahar will return for the filming of Season 5 and beyond. The actor received a special permit from the Israeli government to allow him to film.

FAQs

  • Who is Shahar Isaac's wife? The actor has no wife.
  • Is Shahar Isaac related to Oscar Isaac? The two are not related. Even though they share the same surname. Oscar, whose full name is Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada, is an American actor known for his roles in Big Gold Brick, Scenes from a Marriage, and The Addams Family.
  • How tall is Shahar Isaac? Shahar Isaac's height is 5 feet and 8 inches (172 cm).
  • Is Shahar Isaac religious? The actor is Jewish but is not religious.
  • Are Shahar Isaac and Lara Silva married in real life? No, Shahar and Lara are not married in real life. They play the on-screen married couple, Simon Peter and Eden, in the hit television series The Chosen.

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Shahar Isaac’s biography demonstrates how he is making a notable impact on the acting sector, particularly through his role as Simon Peter in The Chosen. His performance has garnered international recognition and resonated with audiences, contributing to the show's success.

Legit.ng published Emmanuella's biography. She is a Nigerian comedian widely recognised for her comedy skits with Mark Angel and other characters on the MarkAngelComedy YouTube channel. She is also an actress, having been featured in the film Survive or Die.

Emmanuella was born in Imo State, Nigeria. She began her career at the age of five. She won a Nickelodeon Choice Award in 2021. Emmanuella studies at Brighton Gate Academy School, Port Harcourt. Follow the above link for more about her.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.

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Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi is a writer at Legit.ng. He joined the team in September 2021 and has over five years of experience. Isaac specialises in celebrity biographies, lifestyles, and news reports. He has won the Legit Writer of the Year Award multiple times (2023, 2024, 2025). Isaac earned a BSc in Information Technology from the UoN in 2017. He also holds a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University (2021). Isaac completed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course in 2023 and the Google News Initiative training in March 2024. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com.