I was on another interview call this time with some of the stars of the hit STARZ show Spartacus: Vengeance. Viva Bianca (Ilithyia), Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Liam McIntyrie (Spartacus), and Peter Mensah (Doctore/Oenomaus) were all participants on this interview.
The interview seemed to last forever but was so much fun. There were no new information to come out of the interview but it is always good to hear the actors comment on their own characters and the show itself.
A question was asked for Viva Bianca pondering whether we would see more scheming from her character, Ilithyia. Viva Bianca responds with:
I think, you know, obviously what we all saw in season one was that Ilithyia developed into a more and more of a complex woman. So, you know, in turning into season two Spartacus Vengeance. Ilithyia has that whole recent history of really a guilty past. And a suitcase of treachery lies in deceit. So, firstly she has a lot to fight for and she's had a lot to fight against. And, you know, as people become aware in season – in episode one, Ilithyia lands right back at the place she so much wants to escape. So it kind of just, you know, ends of playing out as a fight for her life really. What’s so interesting in season two is that, because of the circumstances in which they both landed, they are forced into a situation of becoming a lot closer than they even were in season one. Which means a potential for drama and the unraveling of relationship revelation is so much more interesting. Really there’s a lot in store in too for this female relationship.
Someone asked Liam McIntyre how he felt about replacing Andy Whitfield as Spartacus. Liam responded with:
Well, I mean I'm very lucky in that I – the writing team is absolutely sensational, and that Starz is really supportive. So Starz early on said, you know, make the character your own, treat it as your own character. You know, that they didn't expect me to copy anything. I did watch all of Andy's amazing work. And so I don't know if any parts was osmosis or kind of like a kind of influenced me in any way. I can't be sure, but I mean hopefully because he was sensational. But I mean realistically I just tried to be true to the character which, you know, essentially stays the same. Because the writing is the same and all of that lovely humanity and those difficult choices and all that. Then that struggle that Spartacus goes through, it's still there this season. So I didn't get the honor of being able to treat that with respect and truth. And hopefully you have a character that feels the same as the great character that Andy portrayed.
