Liam McIntyre: HE is 'Spartacus'

While death is dished out regularly on "Spartacus" -- often by way of cartoonish violence and slow-motion-effects shots -- it hit home for the cast and crew in a very real way in September with the passing of original star Andy Whitfield.

Production was nearly complete on season 2 -- dubbed "Spartacus: Vengeance" (which kicks off Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. on Starz) -- with Liam McIntyre assuming the lead role, a development that had Whitfield's blessing. Executive producer Steven S. DeKnight says he and the "Spartacus" crew knew how gravely ill their friend was as he fought his second battle against lymphoma, but that didn't make the tragic news any less difficult to take.

"It was definitely one of the hardest moments of my personal life and my career," he says. "Andy was just such a lovely human being and embodied everything we wanted for Spartacus and a lot of stuff we didn't even know we needed for Spartacus. It was quite a blow. We knew it was coming for a while, but still nothing prepares you for the reality of it happening. It was very, very difficult for everyone."

In addition to overcoming their grief, the writers and producers also faced a hefty creative challenge in having to come up with essentially a brand-new kind of show. Both the first season, "Blood and Sand," and the prequel, "Gods of the Arena," took place mostly in the ludus, or gladiator school. But "Vengeance" picks up with Spartacus leading his band of escaped gladiators and other refugees across the Roman Empire in what will become a full-fledged slave rebellion.

Yet even with the change, "Vengeance" retains the signature feel and style of "Spartacus," and that may be the best tribute the show can muster for its fallen star. McIntyre is a more mercurial presence, more rooted in action than in thoughtful deliberation. He's convincing as Spartacus emerges as the leader, enduring a truce with former rival Crixus (Manu Bennett) as they balance their agendas against the greater good of the group. Spartacus is gunning for Glaber (Craig Parker), the Roman commander who ripped him from his Thracian home, while Crixus searches for his lost love, Naevia (now played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson).

McIntyre was quick to heap praise on the cast, who he says made him feel welcome. "I can only imagine what it would have been like to have that situation happen around you," he says. "But from my very first test, they were really kind and warm and working through a tough situation. They helped me do my best work."

That work included mastering the show's unique "300"-meets-Shakespeare dialogue, which combines a formal, highbrow structure with graphic profanity and sexuality. "To me, it's how Shakespeare would have felt back [in his time]," says McIntyre, who has experience doing the Bard onstage. "Shakespeare had the swearing and the bawdy talk and the innuendo. I guess our show doesn't have quite the innuendo as much as direct sexuality, but it's funny, because it feels [to us] like how Shakespeare would have felt to those people then."

Returning cast members include Peter Mensah as Oenomaus, the disgraced Doctore trying to find a new purpose in life; Dustin Clare as Gannicus, the champion we met in "Gods of the Arena"; Nick E. Tarabay as the cunning Ashur; and -- in a move that surprised and delighted fans -- Lucy Lawless as Lucretia, Batiatus' wife, who appeared to have been fatally wounded by Crixus in the "Blood and Sand" finale. "She's somewhat worse for wear," Lawless says. "It's a moment-to-moment struggle for survival, but she's got a master plan."

DeKnight has a plan as well, and that is to tell the whole story of Spartacus, presumably ending in the character's death. And he's confident he will get the time he wants to do it -- around five seasons, he estimates -- thanks to Starz's continuing support. The network renewed "Spartacus" for a third season in November. "It's very different from network television, let me tell you, where you don't know if you're going to finish a season, let alone get another one," he says. "It's great on the creative side, because we know we can tell a complete story. We can plan for it. We don't have to suddenly wrap everything up, which I've had to do on some TV shows."