When we are fully invested in television shows and movies, it's easy to forget that these productions are put together by passionate and hard-working people. It takes a large collection of directors, writers, producers, actors, and many more to make the creative process work. And sometimes that means hard, physically demanding challenges.
The cast of Spartacus: House of Ashur recently gave Entertainment Tonight an inside look at the intense training that goes into bringing the gladiator show to life. This so-called "house of pain" is where all the actors come to build up their bodies and practice fighting moves to make the action scenes feel more kinetic and flashy.
Spartacus: House of Ashur "specializes in violence and combat"
The video goes on to show interviews of the cast going over their experiences at the bootcamp, and giving insight into the struggles of shaping their minds and bodies into warriors. "It's been quite hard work," Evander Brown (Ephesius) said during his interview. "It takes a lot to go through this boot camp. We're almost on the other side."
The workout regimen that these guys go through is very strenuous. Almost every muscle in the body is being exercised to give these gladiators a lean and mean build. Not only that, but a big portion of the boot camp is also focused on weapon handling. The stunt coordinator, Allan Poppleton, is shown displaying the proper ways to use and move weapons for the best visual flair. Daniel Bos, who plays Balbus, had the best description of it being like "violent dancing".
"Everyone gets to see each other suffer, which is all part of the process," joked veteran actor Graham McTavish, who plays Korris in the series.
Despite the amount of pain that they go through, it does seem like the cast enjoyed the results that came from their hard work. Most of these interviews show how excited everyone is to try their new moves for the show. It is a struggle that they are all a part of, which probably makes the experience a great way for actors to bond.
The first two episodes of Spartacus: House of Ashur are set to air on Starz on December 5th. Based on what the inside looks has shown us, this series is bound to have plenty of the thrilling moments that the original Spartacus series was known for!