Plenty of actors have stepped into roles previously inhabited by others. But Liam McIntyre found himself in the unenviable task of taking over the lead role in Starzs Spartacus series after former leader Andy Whitfield suffered a recurrence of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that initially sidelined him from the series. Creator Steven DeKnight concocted the prequel series Gods of the Arena in order to give Whitfield time to recover, but it soon became apparent that his health issues would prevent him from ever returning to the show. Whitfield ultimately gave his blessing for the show to continue, succumbing to the illness last fall while production on the upcoming season Vengeance (which premieres Friday at 10 p.m.) was underway.
Stepping into Whitfields shoes would be a daunting task for anyone. But for McIntyre, an actor not known outside of his native Australia, it was both the biggest break of his career but also his most challenging opportunity to date. Many fans, while understanding the nature of the changes behind-the-scenes, nevertheless couldnt imagine anyone but Whitfield inhabiting the role. But DeKnight saw something special in McIntyre, even if his new Spartacus was rail-thin during the audition due to a role he was playing at the time. Im never gonna get the role, he told me, describing his mindset during the audition. So, lets go try some of this acting Ive been learning, and see what happens.
McIntyre sat down with HitFix at this winters Television Critics Association press tour to discuss his approach to the role, what he learned from watching Whitfields performance, and what it was like to be thrust into the role of a leader both on- and off-camera.