Starz has cast Australian film and TV actor Liam McIntyre to play the title role in the second season of Spartacus.
McIntyre, who has appeared in such Australian series as Neighbours and Rush, was also part HBO miniseries The Pacific. Having recently completed his first feature starring role in the independent film Frozen Moments,
McIntyre is currently in New Zealand, getting himself into gladiator
shape in order to take on that role previously held by Andy Whitfield in
the first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
Whitfield had a recurrence of cancer last fall. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in March, while preparing for the show's second season. Production on the new campaign is scheduled to start this spring in New Zealand.
"Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should
instead find an actor who can truly lead ‘Spartacus' forward," said
Starz, LLC president and CEO Chris Albrecht in announcing the casting
decision. "It was important to us to have Andy endorse the idea of
recasting this part, which he did in the same heroic manner that he's
dealt with his whole ordeal. And that, coupled with our fortune in
finding a young actor with the gladiator credentials and the acting
ability of Liam, makes it easier for us to keep this hit franchise
going."
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