Shirtless Man of the Week: Andy Whitfield of 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand'

Curt Wagner on 11.24.09 at 9:12 PM | 5 comments

Andy Whitfield plays the title role in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Starz photo

Nothing gets my blood pumping like a good sword-and-sandals story--except maybe the shirtless dudes wearing the sandals and wielding the, um, swords. That's why Andy Whitfield of the upcoming "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" is my latest Shirtless Man of the Week. The Aussie plays the title character in Starz network's new original drama, which premieres on Jan. 22. (UPDATE: Starz renews "Spartacus" for second season.)

So why is Andy getting the title now? Look at him! Actually, Starz sent me the first two hours of the series on Monday, and I watched the minute I got home. I'll do a proper review in January, but I can tell you this: As I reported during Comic-Con, "Spartacus" is bold, ambitious and completely different than anything else on TV. Andy is outstanding in the lead role. And so is his chest.

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Andy Whitfield

The Aussie actors plays the title role in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."

For those not familiar with the story, Spartacus was a Thracian soldier who fought for the Romans back in the day. Forced into slavery by Rome, he eventually becomes a gladiator--and bad-ass rebel and rabble rouser. The first two episodes of the series set up his epic story nicely, and while I had a few issues with the pacing, I'm excited to see where it all goes.

"Spartacus," from producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi and writer/producer Steven S. DeKnight, is a heady mixture of "300," "Rome" and "Gladiator." There is plenty of gore, sex and intrigue provided by the strong cast consisting of Lucy Lawless ("Xena"), John Hannah ("Four Weddings and a Funeral"), Craig Parker ("Legend of the Seeker"), Peter Mensah ("300"), Erin Cummings and Manu Bennett.

ABOUT ANDY WHITFIELD

According to Starz, Whitfield has appeared in several Australian drama series, including "McLeod's Daughters," "Packed to the Rafters," "The Strip" and "Out of the Blue." He was born in Britain, "grew up in Wales and studied at Sheffield University in England. "He then spent five years working in the construction industry in London. He moved to Australia 10 years ago, attended drama school in Sydney and gained work as an actor, while also working as a diagnostic engineer, a job that required him to rappel down tall buildings. He has also worked as a freelance photographer."

Published in Shirtless, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Starz and tagged Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, Show Patrol, Spartacus, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Starz