Channel Guide Magazine has a great interview with Andy which has just been posted:
"An Appropriate Level Of Pain"
"Spartacus" Star Andy Whitfield Talks About Getting Into Gladiator Shape
After testing the waters of original programming with Head Case, Crash and Party Down, Starz makes its biggest splash yet with an extreme action epic that turns an ancient tale into a bacchanal of guts, glory and a generous helping of flesh.
Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Fridays beginning Jan. 22) -- in addition to taking full advantage of the freedom that comes with airing on a premium channel -- marries the graphic-novel visuals of 300 to the dramatics of Gladiator, and in the process promises to make a star out of Aussie newcomer Andy Whitfield.
Writer/executive producer Steven S. DeKnight says Whitfield fit the bill both as a new face and as an example of rugged masculinity.
"When Andy came in, he looked like everything I imagined [Spartacus] should look like," DeKnight says. "I remember the first day on the set, when he showed up with the hair and the Thracian uniform, it was like, 'My God, this guy is just perfect.' His acting is fantastic, and there's a warmth to him that really comes out, but there's also a hardness that he can play. ... We needed a man to play this part."
Whitfield says he hasn't had much time to ponder his sudden rise from TV roles Down Under to the lead in a major Hollywood series. Much like his character, he's just been trying to survive. He took some time to talk with us about his sudden rise in profile, as well as the mental adjustment that needed to accompany learning how to fight like a gladiator.
News submitted by Barbara Davies