Let’s just say it now: “Spartacus: Blood & Sand” isn’t for the squeamish. Or the prude. There is so much blood and sex in the first hour, you might think you’ve stumbled into the world’s oldest porn. Or the first horror movie ever made. But the combination of flesh — both gored and bared — is just a small part of what makes “Spartacus” the most dynamic new series of 2010.
There are also enough dazzling effects to make George Lucas, James Cameron and Peter Jackson green with envy. Quite simply put: There has never been a show like this on television before — so don’t be the fool who misses this ground-breaking debut.
And while it may be the gladiators who draw in the dudes, it’s Lucy Lawless (and the other Roman women) who will keep them coming back since the colosseum clashes pale in comparison to the fights that unfold in “civilized” society. Lucy recently chatted with PopWrap about why signing on was the easiest decision she’s ever made and what it’s like filming such graphic sex scenes!
PopWrap: What was your first thought when you read the “Spartacus” script?
Lucy Lawless: I thought, my goodness that’s a lot of swearing! You know, I knew what the show would look like because of the way Rob [Tapert, her husband and the show’s producer] talked about it. When he talks about a project in a certain way, you know it’s a train you want to be on. Plus, I worked with a lot of the crew on “Xena.” Since then they’ve all gone on to work on “Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” so it wasn’t a lot of guess work for me.
PW: Although the show is very effects heavy, you are spared the bulk of it — was that exciting considering how often you’ve worked against with greenscreen in the past?
Lucy: I was thrilled! I always hated acting off a ball on a stick. It’s dangerous and courts bad acting because instead of reacting to something real, you’re manufacturing an experience in your head, so it can look very funny. Very few people are great at it.
PW: It seems as if you’ve traded special effects for sex scenes — particularly a very graphic one in the second episode!
Lucy: Yes, that scene really lets you know, you’re not in Kansas anymore! You realize these people live by completely different rules. They’re so relatable I think because human beings haven’t evolved one iota, society has, but we haven’t — that’s what makes this so interesting. They’re us, but living in a world with alien rules.
PW: As an actor, how was it for you performing those very intimate scenes not only in front of a crew, but 20-odd extras who play your character’s slaves?
Lucy: I was really creeped out! It’s interesting getting used to having these “slaves” in your personal space all the time. It’s one thing to do a sex scene in front of a crew that you have a professional understanding with, but when it’s extras that are fresh off the boat, I was must admit to having a terrible cringe on the inside thinking about what all those slaves must think of me! [laughs]
PW: Lucretia is a fascinating character — what will we learn about her as the series wears on?
Lucy: That she’s really the ultimate survivor. Lucretia and her husband truly have a partnership and without one another, they’re in danger of failing because ancient Rome really was a dog eat dog world.
PW: But she’s not entirely loyal, right?
Lucy: She really does love her husband, but she wants to have baby and is on the wrong side of 35. Which is quite old in Roman times. So she’s taken one of the gladiators as a lover because she’s determined to produce an heir and her husband isn’t doing the trick.
PW: Lucretia even has her sights set on some of the women.
Lucy: She is a bit of a single white female — as her relationship with the Roman noblewoman Ilithyia develops, you’ll Lucretia her becoming blonder like her. They become the ultimate frenemies. You’ll see that the women are far more vicious than the men, we have our own arena going on and that’s where the real blood is shed!
PW: How exciting was it to have Starz order a second season before the first even aired?
Lucy: For Starz to have the guts to not only greenlight this project, but follow it up with a second season just shows the kinda of cajones not many other companies have at this time. But we also knew this was something special while we were making it. And that’s not lost on the crew — they’ve shot some of the biggest budget movies in the world but are such a significant part of this equation, it’s not like they’re just holding the camera. So I’m really excited for them.
PW: But you guys shot the season finale before finding out there would be a second season — does that mean the ending wraps everything up or are there some cliffhangers for next year?
Lucy: They wrote it to tie up everything because they didn’t know what would happen. So I guess in season two they’ll start untying those knots!
“Spartacus: Blood and Sand” premieres Friday, Jan. 22 at 10 p.m. on Starz
Photo: Starz