Alongside her for this recent interview is Liam McIntyre, who is taking over the role of Spartacus as the new season begins (Friday at 10 p.m. EST). His personality is far removed from the raging Thracian out to forge an army and topple the Roman Empire. Instead, McIntyre is chipper, affable and ready with wisecracks delivered, at times, in a comic squeal.
“More than all my dreams come true, in one fell swoop,’’ he declares, though now he’s not joking as he describes the thrill of landing this show’s title role. “It’s almost impossible to fathom.’’
The first season concluded two years ago in a brutal rebellion led by Spartacus at the ludus. Roman blood flowed and his masters’ bodies dropped. Among the many victims were seemingly Lucretia.
Now the saga picks up just a few weeks later with the gladiators having made their escape and Spartacus plotting widespread payback to their oppressors. And during the hour, Lucretia makes her shocking return.
“She’s lost everything,’’ says Lawless. “She’s lost her husband, her baby, her lover, the house, her status — and her marbles.’’
“Spartacus: Vengeance’’ retains a potent mix of hyper-realism and epic fantasy, with generous helpings of graphic violence, orgiastic nudity, racy sex and other visual pizazz. It remains a hard-body romp on a CGI sprawl.
But real-life tragedy, too, is a part of the story.
Andy Whitfield, who originated the role of Spartacus, announced in March 2010 that he was stricken with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. That May, a six-episode prequel concentrating on characters other than Spartacus was set for the following year, to give Whitfield time off for treatment. But a few months later when the cancer returned, he announced his departure from the show. Last September, he died at age 39.
“Being a fan of the show, I loved Andy’s Spartacus so much,’’ says McIntyre, now 29. “He wasn’t just an action hero. In my auditions I tried to capture the heart that I felt in Spartacus due to Andy’s great performance.’’
“The show needed someone who could not only carry the role that Andy had created,’’ Lawless adds, “but also bring something of his own that was authentic. We didn’t want a knockoff.’’
