There seems to be something in Australian waters that breeds men with the type of chiseled jaws and oversized torsos ideal for portraying Greco-Roman folk heroes of ancient times. Little known Liam McIntyre (The Pacific) is the latest hulking antipodean male to join the likes of fellow Aussie actors Sam Worthington (Clash Of The Titans), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator) to don mandals in the forthcoming tv series Spartacus: Blood and Sand on American network Starz.
McIntyre will replace Andy Whitfield who was forced to leave the series to receive treatment for cancer after the first season. Starz CEO Chris Albrecht commented on the recasting, “Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should instead find an actor who can truly lead ‘Spartacus’ forward. 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.”
Gladiator credentials? Not exactly sure what that means, but take a look at Liam’s extensive list of ‘Performer Skills’ listed at his IMDB profile. It makes Hugh Jackman look like a one-trick pony.
Performer Skills:
* Performance Skills: Martial Arts, Dancing, Teleprompter, Singing, Host, Voiceover
* Athletic Skills: Boxing, Soccer, Swimming, Cycling, Basketball, Tennis, Martial Arts
* Accents: Southern, Irish, Scottish, British, Australian, French, German
* Spoken Languages: German
* Musical Instruments: Guitar, Drums
* Dance: Tap, Ballroom, Club/Freestyle, Salsa
Via IMDB
