Whitfield was every inch the action hero and the show's slow-motion fight scenes (where you can't use doubles) required him to do many of his own stunts. Though, when the time came to throw down, he could handle that too. Spartacus is loyal to his friends, can have his heart broken and there is no trace of savagery in him. Whitfield brought a crucial sensitivity to Spartacus, with a vulnerability around women and a civility around men that seemed to come very easily to him. Not money, glory of combat, even freedom, come close to that. He is, of course, every bit the beast in the arena, but nothing motivates him more than being reunited with his wife. You couldn't just drop some chisel-jawed lunk in the role because fundamentally DeKnight's Spartacus is more of a lover than a fighter. Whitfield was perfect for this particular Spartacus. It was a show you started out watching just to laugh at and stayed with because you couldn't stop watching. DeKnight, Spartacus: Blood and Sand took its cues from modern retellings of antiquity such as 300 and Rome, as much as Stanley Kubrick's 1960s Spartacus, yet still managed to create a storytelling ethic and feel all of its own. Handled with terrific flair by showrunner Steven S. It's a hell of a role to leave behind as your final calling card. When cast in the leading role of the Starz drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Whitfield was largely unknown to US and UK audiences, and he dies associated most with that character. The death of Welsh actor Andy Whitfield aged 39 is terrifically sad.

Spartacus all seasons cast