Liam McIntyre grew to prominence in Australian TV for his work in “Rush” and “Neighbors.” US audiences may remember him as Lew in the Iwo Jima episode of the award-nominated HBO mini-series “The Pacific.” Taking over the role of Spartacus when Andy Whitfield tragically passed away from cancer last year, McIntyre found his footing in season two, “Spartacus: Vengeance.” In this roundtable interview, McIntyre reveals what viewers can expect in the series’ final season, “Spartacus: War of the Damned.”
So how do feel about this upcoming season?
Liam McIntyre: It’s different. Last season, I was untested, I was new. This season, I’m a bit more settled. It’s a different feeling, a cool feeling. It’s such a big show now. They’ve skipped ahead to the meat of the story and chopped out all the fat. I don’t know how they’re going to shoot it all. They built a whole city. We’re gonna wrap it up in an exciting way. It’s one of those lucky histories where all the details are a bit vague, so we can fill it with all the interesting plot points we want. People will die in different times and all sorts of exciting adventures. Every script that I’ve read has included something to surprise me.
Will your character go through some changes in this next season?
LM: Yeah. He’s very much business now. He’s sort of closed the chapter on his personal journey and now he’s really trying to embrace his search for freedom. And it’s been a challenge because everything in acting is about relationships, so you can’t just play some general who is just out to win the war. But that’s kind of the story he’s got now. So that personal battle he’s been fighting is now in the past. He’s no longer facing combatants in front of thousands of people in the arena. His new role actually weighs heavier on him. He’s got to be there as a warrior general to win this thing for his followers. For all intents and purposes, it’s a seemingly impossible undertaking. Every episode is very heavy.
How do you feel about being a general this season?
LM: It’s nice for a change. One of the interesting things about being Spartacus this season is that he’s a general, but every chick he’s with dies. They’ve really upped the stakes this time. It’s very fresh. I don’t know how they’ve taken a basically “upstairs-downstairs” story and turned it into a battle royale story.
Historically, we know what happens to Spartacus. Will there be an upbeat ending of sorts in this final season?
LM: I haven’t read the ending but I have a feeling that they’re going to put a nice spin on the ending. It’s gonna be a heart breaker. It’s gonna have a nice message. By definition, it’s going to be a heavy ending.
Is there still a bit of friendly competition among the male cast?
LM: I didn’t stop training. Last season, I was a skinny dude and training my butt off, hoping maybe I’d be up for the role. So this season, I trained really hard. When I came to boot camp, I said, you know what, I’m going to be really good at this. And I’m not doing too bad. I was never able to run very well, but I was competitive. It’s one of the best places to put a cast together. You’re in an environment where you work together and you fight together, and it feels like the war you’re about to go through in the story. It’s pretty cool.
