Premier Guide Miami » Manu Bennett Plays Tough

Manu Bennett plays Crixus, the future Champion of Capua in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” a Starz original action-adventure drama series. Newly purchased, Crixus is a recruit enlisted into Batiatus’s gladiator school.

Over the past four years Bennett has played action roles involving spectacular fights with the greatest modern-day gladiators from the popular WWE wrestling arena: John Cena in The Marine and Stone Cold Steve Austin in The Condemned. He played Steve Veldez in the award-winning 2001 film Lantana opposite “Without a Trace’s” Anthony La Paglia. He was Deputy Billy Kitka in 30 Days of Night, from “Spartacus” executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures; and earlier had starred as Marc Antony opposite his “Spartacus” co-star Lucy Lawless in Tapert and Raimi’s hit series “Xena: Warrior Princess”

He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, of Maori descent, and grew up in Newcastle, Australia. His acting career began in Australia in series such as “Paradise Beach,” “Water Rats,” “All Saints,” followed by lead roles in New Zealand series including “Street Legal,” “Shortland Street” and “Mataku.”

In a brief conversation, Manu Bennett shared a bit on the rigorous training he underwent for the series.

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