The new season of Spartacus already got off to a bloody start over on Starz, but one power player’s presence was barely felt in the premiere. Nick Tarabay’s Ashur may have been manipulating more deals behind-the-scenes than what we saw on-screen in the premiere of Spartatcus: Vengeance, but that only promises big moves sure to immediately follow his re-emergence in episode two. LA TV Insider Examiner caught up with Tarabay, who told us we were "in for a treat" with the episodes still yet to unfold on-sreen, to talk about excitement surrounding this season and what twists and tricks from Ashur we should expect.
LA TV Insider Examiner: We've heard this a lot already, even though Spartacus: Vengeance has only aired one episode, but this season seems to be bigger and bloodier than ever before.
Nick Tarabay: It's very, very true. It's taking everything and multiplying it by a hundred-- everything that we've gotten to know about the characters, everything we've gotten to know about the circumstances-- and we'll just blow it up in a way that’s going to be incredible. That's something that's very much so with my character and something I’m very, very happy about…I know a lot of people think they know where he's going, but they really don’t because I didn’t even know!
How much did you know about his arc before you started shooting? Did you get the details in drips and droves as each episode began shooting, or did you know from the beginning so you could seed certain indicators of what’s to come?
N.T.: Well, one of the things we've learned-- that I've personally learned, and that I think a lot of the cast has, as well-- with working with Steven DeKnight, you know, a brilliant writer…He always sets up twists for every character, and part of his writing, the clues are there, you just have to invest in your homework to find them. This is something I've come to expect from Steven, that every time I get a character, I mean, you see Ashur in black and white on paper, it's one way, and then when you see him on screen, it's different. There is a lot that the writers are trying to tell us…so sometimes they do give us notice, like 'Okay, I think you know you're going one way, but don't get too comfortable!' This kind of show, you're always on your toes, and the actor becomes almost like the character; I'm always trying to stay ten steps ahead: 'Why is he doing this; why is he dealing with this particular character this way?'
Ashur has always had kind of shifty motives. What can we expect from him this season?
N.T.: Ashur this season is the dude; he is the man. He does some stuff, that if I tell you…is amazing and grand. You know, what I love about Ashur and what a lot of people expect from him, is he always thinks ahead, and he always has something in the works. He's a very smart man, and this season you'll be surprised by how far he actually thought ahead. [And] there are certain relationships-- certain events that happen that in the beginning it's going to seem like 'Oh, that's kind of messed up,' but you’ll totally understand. This season you're going to [think differently] about Ashur; just when you think you're hating him, you’re going to fall in love with him.
