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'Spartacus' to Recast Lead Role
by Maureen Ryan, posted Oct 4th 2010 4:55PM
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Starz is going to recast the title role of its hit gladiator drama, 'Spartacus.' A representative for the Starz network had no comment on the EW report. It was heartbreaking to learn that 'Spartacus' star Andy Whitfield's cancer, which he'd battled earlier in the year, had recently returned, forcing him to drop out of production on the second season of the show.
According to Ausiello's story, producers are searching for an actor to play the "smart, intense, passionate" lead role on the drama. Given a choice between shutting down the show permanently and recasting the lead role, the powers that be apparently went with the latter option.
Whitfield will still appear in two episodes of 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,' a prequel series that will air on Starz in early 2011.
Whitfield brought a quiet and effective intensity to the role of the slave turned gladiator. I join Whitfield's fans in devoutly hoping that he recovers fully and can display his skills in many future roles. And there's no doubt that the actor stepping into Whitfield's role will have big shoes (or rather, sandals) to fill.
As you can probably tell, I'm a huge fan of season 1 of 'Spartacus,' which started out wobbly but soon unleashed the kind of coiled intensity, savvy character development and jaw-dropping surprises that made the show must-see viewing. There's part of me that absolutely wishes the producers could wait for Whitfield to get healthy again. That would have been the ideal option, but the realities of the television industry just make this whole situation a series of unfortunate options.
Though I'll miss Whitfield in the lead role, and the producers will be lucky to find someone as quietly charismatic and skilled as Whitfield, on balance I'm glad these storytellers, who are led by executive producer Steven S. DeKnight, will get a chance to keep pursuing their vision for Spartacus' story. Again, the best scenario would be a healthy Whitfield returning to the role, but given that that's not an option at this point, I'm glad Starz chose not to shut down the show entirely.
What do you think, 'Spartacus' fans? Should the show have gone away, or was recasting a good idea? Leave your thoughts in the comment area.
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