If you've read anything about the new Starz series Spartacus: House of Ashur, you'll know it's an absolute gorefest. However, if you watched the original Spartacus, which aired between 2010-2013, you'll know that already.
Even though we thought he was dead, Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) has been resurrected for a sequel series 12 years later. He's essentially been given a second chance at life, and has become the franchise's most unlikely antihero.
We've only got the one episode as of today (December 5), but the entire season is as full-on as it gets. Surely it must have been an intense experience to film, sweating buckets while sparring for scenes on end.
But according to Tarabay, House of Ashur had nothing on the rough set of Spartacus behind the scenes.
Spartacus: House of Ashur didn’t have actors ‘getting in each others’ faces’ like Starz prequel did, says star
"There is a different generation coming into this," Tarbay says of House of Ashur. "When we originally started in 2009, Things were a little rougher, a little harder. Now we come to a new generation and new and younger gladiators and there's a different feeling. People are a little bit nicer with each other, which is nice, but I'm not used to it.
"When we started the original Spartacus, there were a lot of testosterone. Fights were happening behind scenes. We were getting each other's faces, but that transitioned really well on screen. So working with new actors was a little too nicey-nicey. I'm not used to that!
"I'm like, 'okay, as long as it works.' There was a part of me that wanted to tell them to get their sh*t together, but it ended up looking really good. The generational gap was definitely an education."
If Spartacus: House of Ashur was the product of peace on set, I would have hated to see what would have happened if the gladiators really were at each others' throats. Still, I guess I only need to rewatch the original seasons to see for myself – something Tarabay instructs me to do as the interview continues.
I mean... who am I to disobey the Dominus? You can watch the original seasons of Spartacus on Starz in the US, or buy/rent episodes on Apple TV in the UK and Australia.
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