Sailing Into Scandal

Sultry TV actress and soap queen Louise Barnes will bare all in a new international television series - Black Sails, reveals Sunday World's Bongiwe Sithole. But local men will have to hold back their drooling for a while as the series will only hit our shores next year. About going nude in front of the cameras, Barnes says: "When I auditioned for the series I had to be prepared to be totally naked on screen. I remember thinking to myself, 'Louise, take your clothes off' and there I was shooting a naked scene in front of six people."

Barnes goes nude in some of the scenes - currently being shot in Cape Town - of Black Sails, a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island, which tells of the exploits of Captain Flint and his band of pirates in the 18th century. She says her 20 years' experience as an actress helped her handle the challenges of playing "Miranda Barlow", the mysterious character who forms a romantic relationship with Captain Flint. Barnes says the project is a breakthrough for her as an actress. "I have been in international films before but this is a big one for me. The fact that I play a meaty role makes it thrilling. I feel incredibly blessed to be part of it."


Natal-born Barnes landed her first professional role in an SABC mini series, "Where Angels Tread". After graduation she went to on to work in theatre and both local and international television and film. While taking a break from the industry in 2002 she went to the USA to train as an instructor of Bikram yoga and opened a studio in Illovo, Johannesburg on her return. She was lured back to the acting world by a role in a South African/Canadian co-production, "Jozi H", and has continued to land exciting roles most recently in a feature film with Billy Zane, "Surviving Evil", and The Sinking of the Laconia, a BBC miniseries starring, amongst others, Franka Potente and Brian Cox. Now 38, Barnes was last week crowned Best Actress in a TV Soap at the South African Film and Television Awards for her role as Donna Harding in Scandal!, before revealing that she has quit the e.tv drama series. Her last episode will be on April 15. In her five years on Scandal!, Barnes played a ruthless and heartless woman who strove for success by stepping on people's toes. "I took a hard decision, considering I had security there. But I have other things such as voice overs to keep me going," she says. "I will absolutely miss the cast. We made friendships I will never forget."

In addition to Barnes, English models-actresses Hannah New, Clara Paget and Laura Higgins will also feature, as well as Canadian Jessica Parker Kennedy and Belgium-born Axelle Carolyn. As befits the channel that shamelessly mined the natural female resources of Australia and New Zealand for Spartacus, casting ads have also gone out for all-natural models/actresses in the Pretoria and Johannesburg region willing to flesh out the nudity in the show. The racy series is produced by Michael Bay, who directed the movie Transformers, and will be flighted on the US channel Starz who will retain all domestic and international rights to the dramatic series – including television, home video, and digital – similar to their hit series Spartacus and Magic City. It will then probably be shipped to one of South Africa's pay TV channels.

So keen was Starz to become the home of Bay's new project, it by-passed the pilot stage to commission eight episodes of the "gritty" pirate adventure series, due to air in 2014, straight off the bat. Black Sails tells the story of Captain Flint- the most brilliant and feared pirate captain of his day- and his crew twenty years before their appearance in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, back when John Silver was younger, leggier, and presumably, less Long. Flint takes on the fast-talking young addition to his crew, Silver, who has stolen a map to a Spanish Treasure galleon that Flint is after. Threatened with extinction on all sides, they fight against the British Royal Navy for the survival of New Providence Island, the most notorious criminal haven of its day – a place defined by both its enlightened ideals and its stunning brutality.

Luke Arnold (McLeod’s Daughters, Rush, Broken Hill) will star as the classic character, "John Silver", in the years before his well-known feats. Toby Stephens will be featured as the rival pirate captain to "Captain Charles Vane", played by Zach McGowan (Shameless). Hannah New (El Tiempo Entre Costuras, Fuga De Cerebros 2, Maleficent) will be stepping into the role of "Eleanor Guthrie", a beautiful and determined young woman who runs the smuggling operation on New Providence. Jessica Parker Kennedy (Max, The Secret Circle, 50/50, In Time) has been cast in the role of "Max," a tortured young prostitute who sees the dark side of her surroundings. Elsewhere, Hakeem Kae Kazim (Strike Back, Hotel Rwanda) will play "Mr. Scott", Toby Schmitz (Crownies, Three Blind Mice) will play "Rackham" and Clara Paget (One Day, Fast Six) will star as a member of Captain Vane's crew,

Said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht, in a press release: "Starz is excited to be working with a visionary like Michael. Along with the high-octane action that is a hallmark of a Michael Bay production, it has the elements that Starz originals are striving to bring to the premium landscape: epic, larger than life, cinematic storytelling. The series is also a property we believe will appeal to the global content marketplace with broadcasters around the world." Bay added: "I’m excited to branch out into television, especially doing a long-form series for STARZ, a network known for supporting cutting-edge programming."

Black Sails will be executive produced by Michael Bay (Transformers, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor) and his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (producers on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and Nightmare on Elm Street (2009)). The series is created by showrunner and executive producer Jon Steinberg (creator Jericho, Human Target) and co-executive producer Robert Levine (Touch). Neil Marshall (The Descent, Game of Thrones) is on board to direct the first episode. Filming has just commenced in Cape Town, which is standing in for the Bahamas' New Providence Island, described in the show's bumpf as "a debauched paradise teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers." Explosions and nudity come as standard.
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TV Cracks Da Vinci Code

We know that whenever someone says the name Leonardo Da Vinci, rounds of doves and explosions burst forth from the aether, and women everywhere feel an insurmountable urge to drop their tops, but what if we want a deeper exploration of the man behind the action? Leonardo's story was wrapped up in secret societies and sexual intrigue and soon two new TV shows take a contrasting look at the artist, writes The Independent's Sarah Hughes...

He is the most famous artist of all time, an inventor, mathematician, painter and engineer. Now two very different programmes hope to present a different side to Leonardo da Vinci, the man behind the myths. Later this month, Sky Arts' innovative documentary Inside the Mind of Leonardo, featuring Peter Capaldi, will use Leonardo's surviving notebooks to lay bare his thoughts on everything from hair dye to war weaponry. And in April, Da Vinci's Demons, an epic historical fantasy featuring a young and dashing Leonardo and written by David S Goyer, the writer behind the new Superman film, comes to Starz and FOX UK.

After successfully making ancient history come alive then get all greased up and sexxxy with shows like Spartacus and Camelot, the US cable channel hopes to do the same for the Renaissance with the forthcoming series. Like those other shows it will be part history lesson and part smutty-yet-entertaining bullshit, exploring the "untold story" of Leonardo's "raucous youth" as he gallivants around Florence, a 25-year-old artist, dreamer, thinker, and frequent casual sex-haver.


In a press release announcing the eight-episode series, Starz representative Carmi Zlotnik said, "If modern day has Tony Stark, the Renaissance has Da Vinci" — and if that sounds like a dumbed-down analogy that just caused a thousand history professors to spew chamomile all over their tweed, it’s at least apropos, considering the man shepherding the project is Goyer, who also wrote Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, as well as the upcoming Man Of Steel. Goyer even compared da Vinci’s "near-mythic" legend to that of Batman and Superman, and expressed excitement over the opportunity to explore his origin story—and if there’s one thing we know about David Goyer, it’s that he really, really loves origin stories. Goyer also said the show would be about "secret histories, genius, madness, and all things profane," and on that last point he also expressed gratitude for being allowed to do it on Starz, "where the story can be as dark and challenging and irreverent as it deserves to be," and also show boobs sometimes.

Goyer's Leonardo is, he admits, very different from the white-bearded man many of us picture. "Obviously we deal with his art but we also present him as a bit of a prototypical investigator, a little bit Sherlock Holmes, a little bit Indiana Jones, a little bit Iron Man's Tony Stark… He's a man of action and the whole story is wrapped up in a lot of history, secret societies and sexual intrigue," he says, admitting that when he was first approached: "I said if you want a dry, historical biopic I'm not your guy… but if you want something that kind of reinvents history and presents it with a broad canvas and broad strokes filled with dashing characters and darkness I'm that guy. They said, 'Yeah we want that'."

The finished product has been kept tightly under wraps until its April premiere but extended trailers suggest a lavishly detailed take which falls just on the right side of enjoyable hokum, anchored by a sardonic performance from British star Tom Riley, who appears to spend a fair amount of time with his (suitably chiselled) chest on display uttering such glorious lines as "Perhaps you've heard of me… I am an artist, an inventor and an engineer."

Adding to the intrigue, this Leonardo is entangled in different ways with two women, both of whom are equally out of bounds: his patron Lorenzo de Medici's wife Clarice Orsini (Lara Pulver) and Lucrezia Donati (Laura Haddock), who just happens to be Lorenzo's mistress, while Riley admitted in a recent television interview that the show will tackle Leonardo's relationships with and feelings for men. "I can't reveal too much because it's a major plot point but we were never going to ignore that side of his life," he said.

"There are all sorts of controversies regarding his sexuality, most people think he was bisexual," says Goyer. "If people want to come for the history they'll get that but if they're fans of Lost or Spartacus or Game of Thrones then they'll like it as well. We've taken liberties, this is a historical fantasy, we're not saying it's the truth – in fact one of the tag lines for the show is 'history is a lie', which is us being deliberately cheeky."



If Da Vinci's Demons gives us a Leonardo who is all swords and smouldering, Inside the Mind of Leonardo takes a more pared-back approach in the hope of showing the audience the inner workings of an incredible mind. "I think there's an enduring fascination with the beauty of his mind," says James Hunt, Sky Arts' director of programming. "Genius is a laboured and over-used word, but it truly applies here."

Ignoring the traditional documentary approach, the show does away with re-enactments, voiceovers and even expert talking heads. Instead, Capaldi reads from the notebooks while a variety of effects, from animation to 3D, bring those words to life. There are no costumes, no sense that Capaldi is Leonardo no matter how beautifully he reads the words, but rather a stripped-down approach that presents the mind behind the drawings in an intriguingly fresh way. "Every single word is the voice of Leonardo," says Hunt. "It doesn't seek to answer everything just lets his works stand for themselves and allows you to see them a fresh way."

Both shows tap into our ongoing fascination with Leonardo, who continues to inspire almost 500 years after his death in 1519. In The Beginning Was the End, the latest production from the innovative theatre company dreamthinkspeak currently showing at Somerset House, was inspired by the apocalyptic Leonardo sketch A Cloudburst of Material Possessions and uses the artist's ideas about hydraulics as part of a hallucinatory piece about the nature of change in a fast-paced world. In 2011, the National Gallery's Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan was the fastest-selling show in the gallery's history. In part, the frenzy was fuelled by the fact that so few of Leonardo's paintings survive – a notoriously slow worker, only 15 paintings are attributed entirely by him.

One review of the National Gallery exhibition described him as "a visual thinker who painted part time". His appeal lies in the fact he is all things to everybody: to doctors he is an anatomist; to scientists an inventor and engineer; to fans of conspiracy theories and Dan Brown novels, a code creator or breaker and possible spy.

"He is extraordinary, there is no other cultural figure with his reach," says Martin Kemp, emeritus professor of history of art at the University of Oxford, who served as a consultant on the Sky Arts documentary. "That's partially down to the inherent complexity and suggestiveness of his work which offers an enormously complex set of possibilities, the idea that you can find your own image in them as it were. But the major thing is that he crosses all these territories: he is a doctor, an engineer, a geologist, an artist, and a scientist. There's nobody else thinking in this way until the late 18th century. He captures a very wide range of interests and that's what people find fascinating."

Every generation has re-created Leonardo in their own image, refracting his accomplishments through their eyes. "These days we see him as a celebrity," says Kemp. "Once you see the drawings and the paintings it's impossible to remain unaffected," says Kemp. "It doesn't matter how much background knowledge you have, or how little, those works have something else, a sheer living intensity. It's uncanny, I wouldn't like to be in a dark room alone with them, there's a sense of presence that goes beyond mere pigment."

Most interestingly Leonardo always stood apart. "There was an infinite grace in all his actions; and so great was his genius, and such its growth, that to whatever difficulties he turned his mind, he solved them with ease," wrote Giorgio Vasari in his Lives of the Artists first published in 1550. "The fame of his name so increased, that not only in his lifetime was he held in esteem, but his reputation became even greater among posterity after his death".

It helps that Leonardo remains at best half-known. "He led a pretty mysterious life," says Hunt. "It was strange and not altogether straightforward and so much about it is disputed. You can't help but play detective because every painting is almost a detective story and nobody is ever absolutely certain. There's an enigma which adds to the allure."

Goyer agrees: "Intriguingly for someone like me there are a lot of gaps in his history," he says. "There's about a four or five year gap from the time he was 27 or 28 until the time he was 32 where there's almost no record of what he was doing, yet this is a person whose life up to that point and after that point was incredibly well-documented. As a creator those gaps in history are gold…"

It's the same sense of mystery that permeates the artist's most famous painting, the half-smiling Mona Lisa, about whom the 19th-century critic Walter Pater aptly wrote: "She is older than the rocks among which she sits… the embodiment of the old fancy, the symbol of the modern idea." The mysterious Leonardo resists easy characterisation. He too remains both old and new, a symbol of Renaissance glory, of a wideness of vision that, as Kemp says, "provides a counterpart to the manic narrowing of our minds today" and yet also a thoroughly modern figure, a dabbler in many trades, who could create both the helicopter and the automated bobbin winder.

Inside the Mind of Leonardo airs on 24 March at 9pm on Sky Arts 2 HD and Sky 3D; Da Vinci's Demons starts on 12 April on Starz. In the Beginning Was the End, Somerset House, London WC2 (somersethouse.org.uk) to 30 March
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Spartacus: War of the Damned S04E01

"Your woman brings gifts..."

Ellen Hollman’s Saxa survived last season's brutal ending of Spartacus: Vengeance, and now she’s become a true warrior in the upcoming final season of Spartacus: War Of the Damned. Hollman is clearly excited to discuss her Germanic character’s development on the Starz hit show; as she puts it: "Saxa is a woman who will never apologize for her strengths and embracing her weaknesses…which just so happen to be wine, women and her counterpart Gannicus (Dustin Clare)." Fingers crossed she makes it onto one of the possible rumored spin-off series…if she survives since, writes Shanka Cheryl, no one is ever safe on this show...

Have you been happy with the character development of Saxa from last season to this third and final season of Spartacus: War Of the Damned?

Happy barely scrapes the surface as to how amazing it was to bring "The Saxinator" full circle. This season we’ll see a savage, Germanic rebel transform into a true warrior. Saxa is a woman who will never apologize for her strengths and embracing her weaknesses…which just so happen to be wine, women and her counterpart Gannicus.

How was it coming in last season and then having your fellow warriors Katrina Law and Lucy Lawless getting massacred? How has your life changed since appearing on Spartacus: Vengeance last season?

These ladies managed to make it to the final episode of last season but their demise was untimely indeed. It was a giant torch to carry without their presence but a challenge I looked forward to conquering. I can now jump off a cliffside onto a Roman shield into a 12 beat fight sequence and make it home in time for dinner. Could never do that before, lemme tell ya.


What’s been your strangest and/or funniest fan request?

I recently visited the troops in Kuwait with fellow Sparty cast and one of the volunteers who worked for the USO tour asked if she could have the shirt off my back… literally. It was a limited edition War of the Damned shirt and she said they never made them in small for the girls since most the volunteers were larger males. I grabbed her hand, brought her on our tour bus and we stripped down to exchange shirts. Despite her grin from ear to ear I doubt anyone will believe her story, ha!

What was your reaction when you found out that this was the final season of Spartacus?

Honestly? We were all excited that they were ‘throwing the kitchen sink’ into the final season, enabling us to be bigger, badder and bloodier than ever before. There was no such thing as pace or save it for a rainy day. It’s was balls to the wall, every day soaring past expectations.

What can we expect from Saxa this season?

Saxa is no longer a feisty kitty with sharp claws, she’s a full grown lioness kicking some major Roman ass. She’s Xena on steroids with a foul mouth to boot…in English this time!

I know you can’t say much, but what can we expect from this final season of Spartacus besides even more battles and bloodshed?

Everyone may be aware of Spartacus’ denouement, but ‘how’ is a dramatic, twisted and heart wrenching surprise.

There’s been plenty of rumors that there will be two possible spin-offs of Spartacus. What are the odds of you returning to either of them?

No one would love to see a litter of Germanic Celts grace the screen more than Gaxa (Saxa/Gannicus). However, the ability to play a character with such intensity and create such a rich presence on screen has been nothing less than an honor and privilege. Whatever may be in the cards has my thumbs up.


Television Series: Spartacus: Vengeance (S04E01)
Release Date: January 2013
Actress: Ellen Hollman
Video Clip Credit: Deep At Sea

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Licence To Thrill

"I am Our Lord's chosen instrument to whip the devil out of you, and I have to do my duty no matter how much pain it causes me. So be prepared to drink your cocktails standing up for a few days."

Actress Lara Pulver, who had viewers' pulses racing with her nude scene in Sherlock, is to star as a real-life Bond girl. The 32-year-old, whose roles have also included appearances in BBC1's Spooks and Robin Hood, will portray the wife of 007 creator Ian Fleming in Sky Atlantic's upcoming biopic. The drama - which has the working title Fleming - will see Dominic Cooper play the James Bond creator and former naval intelligence officer. Pulver will play Ann O'Neill, an elegant Baroness whose wartime meeting with Fleming alters the course of the rest of their lives. "I am thrilled to be playing Ann, a real life high society siren worthy of Fleming's finest fictional femme fatales," said Pulver. "In extraordinary times Ann had the ear of politicians as powerful as Churchill and counted artists like Lucian Freud among her friends, yet was consumed by a torrid romance with the great Ian Fleming; a twisted and passionate love that would last the rest of their lives."

Fleming had many girlfriends but seems never to have been in love until he met Ann O’Neill, née Charteris, during the war. To give some idea of the complexities involved, he was staying with her when her first husband, Lord O’Neill, was killed, and was asked by her to break the news to the man who was to become her second husband, Esmond Harmsworth, later Rothermere. It was Fleming’s inaction which led to Ann marrying Rothermere, but after the war Ann and Ian slowly and tormentedly realised their mistake, if that is what it was, and married in 1952. It was on honeymoon, ensconced in their Jamaican retreat, that O'Neill proved decisive in making him sit down and get on with his long-contemplated task of writing a book, Casino Royale. They were married for 12 years until Fleming's death in 1964. The part may prove to be another saucy role for Pulver as a key component of their union seemes to have been a shared love of spanking and sexual role-play. "I am Our Lord's chosen instrument to whip the devil out of you, and I have to do my duty no matter how much pain it causes me. So be prepared to drink your cocktails standing up for a few days," he wrote in a letter to her.


The spanking wouldn’t matter to anyone now, notes John Lanchester, if it didn’t show up in the Bond books, but of course it does. Simon Winder, the editor responsible for republishing all the novels has said simply and robustly that Fleming was a sado-masochist. "This is a sensible way of dealing with the profoundly unsensible sexual attitudes in the novels," states Lanchester. "It is not anachronistic to find the erotic climate of the novels strange and distracting, since plenty of people were distracted by it at the time. Christopher Hitchens quotes Fleming’s friend and neighbour Noël Coward on the subject of Honeychile Rider’s world-famous bottom, 'almost as firm and rounded as a boy’s': 'I know we are all becoming progressively more broadminded nowadays but really, old chap, what could you have been thinking of?'" In a way, we are now better placed to see the sexual attitudes of the books for what they are, part of the wish fulfilment in which the Bond novels bask, in which KGB agents disguised as English gents expose themselves as impostors by ordering red wine with fish, and tough dykes called Pussy Galore secretly long to be converted from sapphism by our cruelly handsome hero. "The contrast between the real woman Fleming loved, complicated and demanding and grown-up as she was, and the wank-fantasies of the novels, must have been deeply embarrassing for Ann, and it is no wonder that she disliked Bond as much as she did," says Lanchester.

Of course, sado-masochism permeates the whole atmosphere of the Bond books. It is easy to forget until re-reading them just how often Bond gets beaten up, how long he spends recovering from it, and how a woman is usually involved in the recuperative process. The strongest currents of feeling in the novels always circulate around these sequences. "It would be an exaggeration, but not all that much of an exaggeration, to say that the Bond novels are at heart a series of lavish beatings strung together with thriller elements," reasons Lanchester. "The first of these beatings is the most famous – that’s the one in Casino Royale where Bond sits in a chair with a hole cut out of it and has his testicles thrashed with a carpet beater – but not one of the novels is without its scene of Bond in torment. The tenderest, most yearning word in Fleming’s lexicon is 'cruel'.

Also cast in Fleming is Annabelle Wallis (Pan Am, The Tudors) as Muriel, a young girl who catches Ian's eye, and Lesley Manville (Vera Drake) as the author's mother Eve. Ian's brother - the celebrated travel writer and war hero Peter - will be portrayed by Hellboy's Rupert Evans, while Samuel West (Mr Selfridge) will play director of naval intelligence Admiral John Godfrey - who shaped Fleming's portrayal of Bond's boss M. The final cast addition is Anna Chancellor (The Hour), who will play the Admiral's secretary Lieutenant Monday - one of Fleming's inspirations for Miss Moneypenny. Fleming will be shot on location in the United Kingdom and Budapest in early 2013 and will transmit on Sky Atlantic HD later this year.

Looking further ahead, and perhaps inspired by Ann O'Neill, Pulver has said that she would love to reprise her risque role as whip-smart dominatrix Irene Adler in Sherlock. Pulver's role in series two episode 'A Scandal in Belgravia' saw her dress up in S&M gear, and strip down to nothing, as her character engaged in a sexually charged battle of wits with the famous detective. It concluded with Adler facing an ambiguous future. "The response has been quite enormous to be honest," Lara told AccessHollywood.com, referring to how fans have taken to her Sherlock character, who entranced Benedict Cumberbatch’s Holmes. When asked if she would go back, Pulver teased: "Absolutely… if the potential is there for the character to return. She is alive. He did save her. Then, it would be an absolute pleasure to return."

Pulver was romantically linked to Cumberbatch last year, but swiftly took to Twitter to insist that they are just friends. She famously had some very intimate scenes with Benedict in Sherlock and she said filming those helped them grow closer and create the chemistry between the two actors on the show. "When you’re having to be that intimate with someone, barriers just come down because you’re having to trust that person, you’re having to feel very safe in their presence. And he was such a gentlemen and having just done 'Frankenstein' himself on stage, where he’d been butt naked, with Jonny Lee Miller… he was extremely sympathetic as well to the process," Lara told Access. "So I’d say we have a lovely chemistry and a lovely rapport and a relationship where we might not see each other for a few months and we get back together and it’s just like old friends."

Her character's profession necessitated that nude scene, a first for Pulver. "It was a closed set. I had on just shoes, earrings and lipstick," she says, at first self-conscious of her lack of clothes. "It was no mean feat for me to shoot for eight hours being naked. But then something goes on in your head that changed the whole dynamic," says Pulver, who realized, "'I'm naked, but I have all the power.' It's a device for her to gain control over the most intelligent man she's ever met. It was like a game of chess. Sherlock has never met his match in that way; there have always been other things preoccupying his brain. On the list of one to ten, sex has been at the bottom." Pulver prepared by shopping for corsets and whips and doing research, mostly online. "If anyone had got a hold of my computer the week before we started I would have been in prison," she laughs. "My future lovers will benefit for sure."

In the meantime, Pulver will play Clarice Orisni in Starz’s highly anticipated Da Vinci’s Demons this April. She is the devoted wife of Lorenzo Medici, the patron of Leonardo Da Vinci in the reimagination of the life of the famed artist and inventor. "She is a dutiful wife who is very pro-Florence, a shrewd politician and… she is the woman behind the throne," she said of her newest character, a sort of Renaissance-era Jackie Kennedy. "She is never going to undermine her husband, and yet you get these lovely nuggets in later episodes of just seeing them in their day to day lives and realize these two people care and love each other deeply, and she will do whatever she can to accommodate and allow for him to progress and to allow Florence and the family to flourish." With Leonardo (played by Brit Tom Riley) being driven, sometimes impulsively by his creativity and insatiable quest for knowledge, Lara’s Clarice will have to step in to quiet the wild genius. "We get a couple of moments where she almost trying to keep him in check. She has a mission and she has a vision, which conflicts slightly with his free thinking, ambitious, wayward mind and she just wants to keep him on track and she’ll use her femininity," Pulver said. "I think, actually, to a certain degree, she’s the most challenging character that he meets because he can’t use his natural charm with her because she’s a shrewd business woman."

Da Vinci’s Demons premieres April 12 on Starz
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The Most Progressive Show You’re Not Watching

Spartacus, a retelling of the famous slave rebellion currently airing on Starz, somehow never seems to get mentioned in conversations about "prestige television." While a few critics (and a decently sized audience) champion the show, the premiere of its final season this Friday isn’t being greeted with anything close to the fanfare accompanying, say, Game of Thrones, the show’s most natural peer. That’s a shame, states Zack Beauchamp from Think Progress. Over the course of its past three seasons, he argues, Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight (of Buffy and Angel fame) and his team have developed one of the most insightful progressive social critiques on television, blending a bone-chilling depiction of the effects of structural oppression on individual lives a society with a quietly egalitarian take on gender and sexual orientation...

Spartacus’ basic approach is that gladiators aren’t, aside from their combat skills, all that special: they’re one type of slave in a society constructed around human bondage and class oppression. As one Roman puts it, Spartacus is "admired as a gladiator, yet despised as a slave" — someone whose bloody exploits are to be celebrated but, when push comes to shove, exists to be used and abused in the same way as any other kind of slave. The systematic abuse inflicted on slaves motivates the main plot arc, the gladiator revolt and its growth into a real military challenge to the might of Rome. But the show’s dynamic isn’t as simple as "Romans are evil, hence slaves rebel." Each of the main rebel characters is vividly drawn, fighting despite hopeless odds for their own reasons — reasons that are themselves provided by machiavellian Romans.


In a twisted way, the Roman oppressors are as, if not more, interesting than the gladiators and other slaves. Roman society is depicted as an unending quest for social standing, where those lower on the totem pole are targets of constant abuse by their so-called betters. While not subject to the routine, legally sanctioned murder and rape that marks the lives of the show’s slaves, wealthy Romans experience everything from petty social humiliation to the extra-judicial slaughter of their entire households by a rival for power. In Spartacus‘ Rome, standing is worth everything – up to and including your life.

In that world, cruel abuse of slaves is made brutally rational. Because currying favor and building alliances with Romans who can secure your standing can make-or-break your family’s fortunes, it makes sense (from the point of view of the Romans) to use every tool at your disposal to do so. Slaves are unique in that they are human, and hence can be used to put on glorious, bloody spectacles or to satisfy the most depraved sexual desires without any legal recourse. So when powerful Roman Varis asks that gladiator Oenomaus’ best friend (Gannicus) and wife (Melitta) have sex, the Roman who owns them, Batiatus, has little choice but to accept, as doing otherwise would lose him the favor of a social better. Even if Batiatus cared that he was forcing his slaves to rape each other (though he probably didn’t), the class structure of Roman society forced his hand.

By treating oppression as something that’s basically structural, rather than a thing inflicted by individual bad apples, Spartacus gives flesh to a core progressive insight about the power and character of social oppression. Progressives often speak about racism, sexism, and classism as impersonal forces, things that exist in the world independent of how individual people think about them. It can sometimes be hard to connect concrete acts of discrimination and violence to this airier description. But Spartacus is a vivid illustration of how a system founded on a particular form of classism directly, inevitably leads to individual acts of brutality. The social logic of Rome corrupts people’s incentives, giving even Romans capable of extending sympathy to slaves (like Batiatus’ wife Lucretia) cause to treat them in the most inhuman fashion imaginable.

Spartacus‘ critique isn’t just limited to class. The show’s Rome is unmistakably gendered: Roman women, denied prestigious posts in the military and the Senate, can only exercise power indirectly, participating in the struggle for social power through behind-the-scenes politicking. These Roman women are by no means helpless damsels — perhaps the two most effective, intelligent operators on the show are Lucretia and the high-born Illythia — but when they attempt to assert equality in familial or political decisions, they run up against the limits of what Roman society will allow them to do. And while slaves male and female are both subject to sexual abuse by Romans, there’s no doubt that female slaves bear by far the worst of it. One of the clearest markers of the rebels’ moral superiority, by contrast, is their comparatively egalitarian approach to gender. The season 3 relationship between rebel gladiator Crixus and Naevia, a survivor of repeated sexual assaults, is an honest, touching depiction of a supportive partnership. The rebel army also allows women to serve as equals in combat, to deadly effect.

The show’s method of challenging other sexual norms is more indirect. Two of the most formidable gladiators we meet, Barca and Agron, are in what are almost certainly the most consensual, loving relationships ever to show up on the screen — with other men. In Barca’s case, at least, it’s clearly depicted as an orientation. But no one on the show treats this as wrong or strange; LGBT relationships are treated in the same fashion as heterosexual ones. That homosexual partnerships are seen as unproblematic in Roman times serves to point out how arbitrary the elevation of heterosexuality as morally unique in some contemporary circles really is.

That’s not to say the show doesn’t have its rough spots. The pervasive, graphic violence and nudity — really, it makes Game of Thrones look like Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood — arguably undermines the show’s critique of deriving pleasure from the pain and humiliation of others, especially in the first few episodes where that theme wasn’t particularly well developed. But there’s an equally persuasive case in the reverse. Spartacus is, in my view, asking its audience to reflect on why it likes seeing sex and violence packaged together, and what the relationship is between today’s television viewer and the vicious Romans they’re ostensibly rooting against. That one of the second season’s most emotionally satisfying moments involves the destruction of a gladiatorial arena, with spectators lining the stands, sharpens the point.

So Spartacus doesn’t deserve the 300-lite reputation it has in some circles. It’s one of the most deftly executed, socially conscious shows on television. And it’s certainly worth your time.
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The Girls Of Spartacus: War of the Damned

"It’s easier to take it all off than to cover yourself up..."

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but on the Starz series Spartacus: War of the Damned, it's served smokin' hot. Sexy stars Ellen Hollman (a.k.a. Saxa), Cynthia Addari-Robinson (a.k.a. Naevia), and Gwendoline Taylor (a.k.a. Sibyl) were nice enough to tell Maxim about the final season of their sword-, sandal-, and sex-filled show... without kicking their asses...

Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Birthday: January 12

What was the most fun thing for you about filming the show?

The character I’m playing, Naevia, was learning how to fight last season. Now she’s caught up and fighting alongside all the men. It’s pretty fun.

What do you do to get yourself ready for shooting sex scenes?

Wine is always helpful. We try to keep it light, and there’s always a lot of laughter to help take the edge off. But it probably looks more fun than it actually is.

Has there ever been anything on the set that freaked you out completely?

We have a pretty extreme environment on the show, this season especially. I definitely had a couple of scenes where things lit on fire, and I was just hoping to finish the day with no major injuries.

The show is very sexy. You think there will be any Spartacus babies as a result?

We have a very good-looking group of people. The show’s elements—the wardrobe, the fight sequences—come together to make a steamy night of TV viewing. I know a lot of couples use the show as a way to keep it spicy in the bedroom.

What’s your biggest turnoff?

I’m not a fan of whistles and whispers. Those kinds of things drive me nuts and they never work.

Are you single?

I’ll leave that one blank.


Ellen Hollman

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Birthday: April 1

What’s your favorite part about shooting Spartacus: Vengeance?

Doing my own stunts and choreographing my own fight scenes. I did a lot of knife training with reverse-grip double daggers. You take two daggers, reverse the grip, and then just fuck shit up, basically.

You had to flip a 220-pound dude over your head in a scene. How was that?

My life may or may not have flashed before my eyes a few times. It was a thrill, though.

Has there been anything on the show you were glad you didn’t have to do?

Oh, yeah. My character has dabbled in just about every graphic category across the board, but some people got it worse in the vulgarity department than I did.

How does Spartacus compare to other shows you’ve done?

Spartacus stands alone in that it’s like shooting a movie every three weeks for seven months straight. I’ve never experienced anything in my life quite like it.

How has your character, Saxa, evolved over the course of the series?

Saxa has gone from feisty kitten to fierce lioness. She’s grown into her paws and is bigger and badder, giving the guys a run for their money.


Gwendoline Taylor

Hometown: New Plymouth, New Zealand
Birthday: November 7

What’s been your most embarrassing moment on set?

Probably flashing everyone on my first day. I was pulling my costume down and accidentally pulled it up in back, so all the extras saw my butt. It was the first thing I learned about the show: It’s easier to take it all off than to cover yourself up.

What do you do to stay in shape?

I’ll do about two or three dance classes a week, and I go to the gym every day. I really like getting out on my Rollerblades, too, even though I suck at them.

Do you have a favorite body part?

I would say my legs. The costume department decided that my legs needed showing off, so when I put my costume on for the first time, they ripped the side of it right up to under my ass. Costume designers have an eye for what your best asset is.

What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever heard?

“Would you like a raisin?”
“No.”
“Well, then how about a date?”

What’s been the sexiest part of the show for you?

Getting dirtied up after having my pretty makeup on. It just looks really sexy. I don’t know why. Apparently, dirty works.
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Pictures Of Lily

Jessica Marais might not be a household name, but the Aussie actress could soon become more famous as she expands her role on the period drama Magic City. Born in South Africa, Marais spent her childhood bouncing around Canada and New Zealand before landing in Australia, where she then grew up. While attending the National Institute for Dramatic Art, she won a role on the Australian TV show 'Packed to the Rafters', which would catapult her to fame in her homeland and where she would meet her fiancé, co-star James Stewart. 'Packed to the Rafters' won a slew of awards in Australia and was a critical hit. The show was nominated for dozens of Logie Awards over its run and Marais received several nominations herself, taking home the awards for Most Popular New Female Talent and Most Outstanding New Talent in 2009. She was also nominated for the Most Popular Actress award in 2010, 2011, and 2012, though she didn’t win. She played the role of wholesome Rachel Rafter for four years but eventually left the show as she wanted to concentrate on her family- She and Stewart welcomed a baby girl, Scout, last year.

In 2012 the miniseries Magic City launched in the US, telling the story of a Miami hotelier in the 1950s who strikes a deal with a corrupt gang boss in order to save his business. Marais signed on as the gangster’s trophy wife, Lily Diamond, and is slated to return this year in the show’s second season. The new mum's role certainly had pulses racing with its saucy story-lines and full-frontal nudity. In just about every episode, the 27-year-old actress strips down to her smalls (and yes, often even less). Marais seems unconcerned that stills from the show are now all over the internet. "One of the reasons I did Magic City right off the back of Packed To The Rafters [was] to shake up the image of the girl next door," she told The Kyle And Jackie O Show. And boy has she succeeded! Jess was in the very early stages of her pregnancy during filming, but soldiered on with her sexy role – even when she had to film her first nude scene on her very first day on set.


Marais subsequently decided to relocate to Los Angeles to concentrate on her American film and TV career, partner Stewart also left ‘Packed to the Rafters’ in order to support her and care for baby Scout during the transition. Of working on the show, Marais told The Sydney Morning Herald that the set was absolutely authentic to the period details: "They don’t use anything that isn’t authentically from the 1950s. Even the things you don’t see, the right undergarments, the size of a heel on a shoe. The result is a world which 100 per cent informs your performance and informs the detail in your work."

She also said that she found Lily to be a much more complicated and fun role to play than one might expect: "There are so many layers to peel back with her, and as the first season unfolds you realise there’s so much more going on," she says. "Lily is one of the only female characters that is capable of playing in this dangerous, masculine world." Marais has previously stated that she’s having no problem dropping the baby weight gained during her pregnancy with Scout, as she gained a mere 7kg during her pregnancy due to a penchant for healthy snacks!
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Spartacus: Vengeance S03E01

As the men of Spartacus waged war all around her, Katrina Law’s character – slave girl Mira – was largely mute. That’s going to change as the series begins its third, well second, season with Spartacus: Vengeance. This season picks up where we left off in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, following the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus, gladiators and slaves alike continuing the battle for freedom, events which have opened up all kinds of avenues for Mira. "She was a house slave without hopes, dreams or opportunities," says Law. "So along comes Spartacus, who presents her with an opportunity for, potentially, love and freedom. And this year, you’re going to see her on the run with the rest of the rebels."

That meant some pretty intense physical preparation for Law, an exotic beauty who grew up in South Jersey with a love of action. “Watching all the boys have fun and get to play, while I stood there until I got to pour them water or wine, I was jealous,” Law confides about season one. “So this year, to be able to run around and hit the ground and get bloody along with everyone else, it was a lot more fun.” Not to mention a lot of work. Law trained for two-and-half months with noted trainer and fitness model Anca Marcus before reporting for gladiator training – a two-week marathon that involved, among other things, rolling 300-pound tractor tires, something called the Circle of Death, heavy duty circuit work, weapons training and fight choreography. "I was in relatively good shape and I then get down there and we did two weeks of Gladiator Boot Camp and let me tell you, it took about six days before I could walk normally again after that," says Law.


The intense regime also gave Law the body confidence needed for the copious amount of nudity that is such an integral part of the show. Spartacus, as she explains, is not a show for the faint of heart. "It’s so sexually charged and violent— you have to know where to look," said Law. "We were shooting one scene where these eight fired-up gladiators all dropped their drawers. You had to look at the floor, the ceiling — or the eight penises." Beyond the penises, she’s had an honour few actors have: she’s shot a full-frontal bath scene with Lucy Lawless. When quizzed about it, she laughs for ten seconds straight. "Does that reaction tell you how I felt about the scene?" she chuckles. "That time, I was more scared of the camera. But Lucy made sure I was taken care of, and she was topless, too. [Any time I felt weird], I just remembered, ‘Hey, I’m looking at Xena’s boobs!’" Not one of the most discomforting thoughts.

Warming to the subject of doing naked scenes, Law shared that the people behind the show take the scenes very thoroughly. "They light you well, they pose you well, they do all this stuff with makeup and lighting and editing," she explained. "They really protect the actors on this show. If there is a bad angle, I know I really did something to piss someone off." Protected or not, the actress says she still finds it weird to watch playback. "I have this weird, oblong alien face! I have to get over myself to even look at my work." Fortunately, that isn’t a problem for us. And, thanks to her exotic beauty—something she attributes to her mixed Taiwanese, Italian and German heritage — we suspect it isn’t a problem for most men, either.

Surprisingly, that’s not the case. "Actually, men never approach me!" she protests, before recalling how she had to take the lead with her new co-star and onscreen lover in their intimate scenes. "I felt like the old pro, 'Just take your clothes off, hon, it's going to be fine,'" she told Liam McIntyre. "It's all in a day's work," laughed Law.


Television Series: Spartacus: Vengeance (S03E01)
Release Date: January 2012
Actress: Katrina Law, Viva Bianca, Lucy Lawless
Video Clip Credit: Jabby


















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Boss S01E04

There's a strong possibility someone at Starz lost their job over last night's episode of Boss, which featured only fleeting nudity, two relatively tasteful sex scenes, and not even a single quasi-Shakespearean soliloquy. Even without the grandiloquent monologues, we did get Meredith’s symbolism-drenched aside about pharaohs, handmaidens and Egyptian burial customs as a metaphor to warn Kitty that she knows she’s doing the dirty with Zajac.

Talking of which, the pair broke new ground in their ongoing 'Public Fuckfest' opus, this time opting for sex in a semi-private space. Maybe it's what the preview meant when it hinted Zajac’s campaign would 'land him in uncharted territory'. Still, Emma picked up the slack in that department this week with some adroit car rutting. Maybe Boss really does have a smutty-sex quota to fill? muses AV Club's Meredith Blake. I'm just pleased they're finding useful ways for Hannah Ware to serve the show because her acting skills have met with near universal opprobrium.


Television Series: Boss (S01E03- Slip)
Release Date: November 2011
Actress: Kathleen Robertson & Hannah Ware
Video Clip Credit: Zorg

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Boss S01E03

Could Boss be one of the very rare examples of a television show where gratuitous nudity actually detracts from the overall quality of the programme? I'm going to say that the very suggestion is ridiculous, but then again, I'm not a respected US television critic...

As you probably know by now, no episode of Boss would be complete without Kathleen Robertson baring some portion of her flesh. It's become an inevitability: just as the sun rises in the east, so too will Kathleen Robertson bare her nipples on Boss, laments AV Club's Meredith Blake. This week's spontaneous combustion into a Skinemax movie shall be called Public Fuckfest 3: Doggy Style In The Conference Room. For Blake, it was something of a relief that the requisite sex scene arrived early in last night's show and, all things being considered, it was relatively tame.


In other good news, she argues, there are clues emerging which suggest that Kitty is an actual human being, rather than a bespectacled sex robot. At the commercial shoot, Zajac asks Kitty to meet up with him later— most likely for some sex on home plate at Wrigley Field — but she turns him down. Why doesn’t she meet up with him? Zajac’s wife seems nice, and he propositions Kitty while his kids are frolicking a few feet away, which is icky, so perhaps Kitty’s feeling guilty?

The more likely possibility is that Kitty doesn’t want any messy complications messing with her hot sex life. She’d prefer to keep her relationship with Zajac strictly professional, i.e. limited to perfunctory intercourse in public places. Later in the episode, Kitty meets with Alderman Solomou to tell him that Kane won’t support his re-election bid. Dejected, she takes a strange dude home (or, more likely, to the bathroom stall) after sizing up his package. It’s safe to say Kitty has some issues: she’s sexually impulsive, a little self-destructive. She’s still a bit of a cliché—the ball-busting professional woman who can handle anonymous sex but not emotional attachment— but, muses Blake, that’s better than being a cartoon character.

Some commenters have jokingly suggested that there’s a 'nipple quota' on Starz, and it's beginning to look light this might actually be the case. Since Kitty was only partially nude this week, Boss made up for that nipple shortage elsewhere. In the least gratuitous scene, Emma and Darius share a post-coital conversation about the drugs she needs to procure illegally in order to keep the clinic open (Sounds like a great cost-saving measure to me! What could possibly go wrong?). Far more gratuitous were the two prostitutes fondling each other while Kane delivered a completely ridiculous monologue. Then, when Mayor Rutledge’s nurse stripped down to the buff and seduced Kane pretty much out of nowhere, the whole thing lapsed into ridiculous prurient male-fantasy land. Oh look, snarks Blake, it’s a sweet, nurturing, and curvaceous nurse who’s also totally hot for paunchy middle-aged guys. If the point of the endless flesh parade is to show us the mayor has a lot of empty, unfulfilling sexual encounters, we got the message the last 5 times he had an empty, unfulfilling sexual encounter. The nips are not only gratuitous, they’re also a distraction from what should be the show’s main purpose: storytelling.

Over at Hitfix, Alan Sepinwall is in agreement that the show "is very interesting when it's not trying to be impressive." In terms of pure story he thinks there's a lot of meat here: Tom's position and condition, and the performance by Kelsey Grammer; the gubernatorial campaign and the slow peeling of the kinky onion that is Ben Zajac; Sam Miller's investigation into whatever is going on with both the mayor and the O'Hare dig; the chilly condition of the Kane marriage; etc. It runs into trouble, he thinks, when it starts trying to serve you all that tasty meat with an overly elaborate presentation: with the monologues and eyeball close-ups and soft-core sex fantasy scenes that play like a Lewy Body Penthouse Forum hallucination.

Sometimes, all those pieces complement each other, as with Tom's brief aphasia during the meeting with Mac Cullen, and the way he then overcompensated by getting so ugly and vicious with Mac that no one would even remember that he was going on about breads and circuses. Other times, suggests Seppinwall, it has the whiff of desperation, like it's not enough for Boss to be recognized as good if it's not also acknowledged to be Important. It should just learn to trust the material a little more.


Television Series: Boss (S01E03- Listen)
Release Date: October 2011
Actress: Kathleen Robertson, Hannah Ware & Jennifer Mudge
Video Clip Credit: Zorg & Jabby

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Saxa Warrior Princess

Gladiator-lovers unite! Starz has announced today that Spartacus: Vengeance will be hitting US screens on Friday, January 27 at 10 PM. The series continues the storyline begun on Spartacus: Blood And Sand, which debuted in January 2010; picking up just a few weeks after the gladiators of the house of Batiatus killed their master and went on the run, sending Capua into uproar. With the rebellion raging and striking fear into the heart of the Roman Republic, Gaius Claudius Glaber and his Roman troops are sent to crush the growing band of freed slaves that Spartacus leads before it can inflict further damage. Spartacus is presented the choice of satisfying his personal need for vengeance against the man that condemned his wife to slavery and eventual death or making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep his budding army from breaking apart. The Starz promotional campaign promises the new show will "contain all of the blood-soaked action, exotic sexuality, and villainy and heroism that has come to distinguish the series, when the tale of Spartacus resumes in epic fashion."

The first series was a huge ratings hit but was put on hold when star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t continue. During the hiatus, Starz shot and aired the prequel Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena. All three installments were from the same creative team: Rob Tapert, Steven S. DeKnight, Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen. Whitfiield died on September 11, with Liam McIntyre stepping into the sandals of Spartacus with his full blessing. Returning cast members for the new series include Lucy Lawless as Lucretia, the wife of the slain Batiatus, Manu Bennett as Crixus, Peter Mensah and Nick Tarabay. Dustin Clare will also reprise his role as Gannicus from "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena."


One new face will be Ellen Hollman, who plays a "beautiful, vicious, intelligent, and fiercely passionate" female warrior called Saxa. She is described as a force to be reckoned with, on the battlefield or in the bedroom. It’s a hefty role for the actress best known for a side role in Skateland. She has never had a recurring role on a television series before but has credits consisting mainly of guest spots on series, including In Plain Sight, Rules of Engagement and Medium.
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Boss S01E02

You have got to admire Starz. Even in a serious drama about political corruption and terminal disease they still find ways to shoe horn some boobs in there. In last night's episode there was no unnecessary passion, no intentional moaning, and we did't even know who — if anyone — got off from the furtive interaction. Yet thanks to the sublime new series, Boss, fans of Kathleen Robertson from Beverly Hills, 90210 are starting to learn what fans of Kathleen's independent film work have known for years - this girl is one of the most multifaceted actors of her generation, writes Jarett Wieselman. In a recent interview, the new boss of businesslike hallway hookups explains why banging the hand that feeds you can sometimes be a good thing...


First things first, your character's name - Kitty O'Neill - is pretty much the best name for someone who is not a stripper, ever.

I know! [laughs] That's why I love the scene where that guy asks her real name and she deadpans, "that is my real name." It's so good. A lot of people love her name; thought it was a genius little touch. And I am one of them. When you look at the character, you think she's an Amanda or a Stephanie – something like that. So it bumps up against her persona, which is great.

Aside from the name, what attracted you to Boss?

Gus Van Sant was a huge component. This is his first TV series and he is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers. I grew up with My Own Private Idaho and To Die For. I'm like the biggest Gus Van Sant fan. I even loved his Psycho remake. So I was pretty excited to work with him. The script was also so incredible. And let me tell you, they just get better and better. It was one of those things where we'd run around set asking if the new scripts were in. They're unusual and beautiful – it's a dream job.

What is it you want people to know about this show that the pilot may not tell them?

Pilots have to set up a lot of stuff, so even though it's about politics, this show becomes much more about these characters and their relationships. As the season wears on, it becomes much more of an ensemble. Everyone has their own journey and arc – Kitty in particular goes on a pretty shocking, intense, emotional journey. She ends up in a shocking place at the end of the season. It gets really dark and messy and juicy.

The premiere sees her engage in a very risky sexual relationship -- that moment kind of caught me off-guard.

Did it? Good. At first I wasn't sure either, but it was explained to me that she's very political so everything is calculated – for her, the relationship almost starts out as her getting a chip in her back pocket. She's very meticulous in her professional life, but kind of reckless in her private life. She should know better but she does it anyway. That's why she’s so fascinating. We all know when we’re doing things we shouldn't, but sometimes you just don’t care. There's a bit of self-sabotage with Kitty for sure.


Television Series: Boss (S01E02- Reflex)
Release Date: October 2011
Actress: Kathleen Robertson & Laura Coover
Video Clip Credit: Zorg

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The Boss S01E01

A good political aide is seen, not heard. With the kind of finesse accorded to Mafia hit men, these worker ants carry out their king’s orders with stone-cold expressions, offering humbly potent advice and surveying the enemy camps like clear-minded spies. In the case of a Chicago Mayor whose brain is going due a rare disease, that lucidity is a very good thing indeed, especially in the enticing form of Kitty O’Neil, writes Daniel Schweiger. As a true believer who espouses the company line that “Kane is the city, and everything we do that is good for the city comes from the fact that he has the power to do it,” Kitty isn’t so much the power behind the throne as she is the force that will continue to prop it up at all costs.

However, that doesn’t mean that Kitty doesn’t like a good lift herself when it comes to torrid bouts of public sex with a hot young candidate. But then, what else would you expect from Starz, the rising, hot-blooded cable network who also offers the Machiavellian thrills of “Camelot,” “The Pillars of the Earth,” and “Spartacus.” Here, the arena is political, where so far only morality is being gutted in the developing, darkly intelligent downfall of the “Boss.” Kelsey Grammer (who also executive produces along with Gus Van Sant) plays the man given a death sentence that will bring on increasing hallucinations amidst his regular bouts of strong-arming.


Kitty has seen it all through her eight years with Kane, offering nary a blink. But doubtlessly, there will be some chips flaking off of this tantalizing ice princess as “Boss” develops. Kitty is a particularly raw TV evolution for Kathleen Robertson, a Canadian-born actress whose adolescent work in “My Secret Identity” and “Maniac Mansion” would lead to her first big break as Clare Arnold, one of the cool kids on “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Robertson parlayed her peppy beauty into such offbeat film choices as Nowhere and Splendor for enfant terrible director Gregg Araki, as well as roles in Dog Park, Psycho Beach Party, XX / XY, and as a Canadian killer in Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story. Her continuing, eye-catching work in “Tin Man,” “The Business,” “CSI: Miami,” and Hollywoodland are full of the smart appeal that’s landed Robertson the silent, but politically deadly role of Kitty in “Boss.” And just as her character is filled with drive, Robertson’s own career is now finding her as a writer, and star, for the suspense thriller, Three Days in Havana, and as a psychologist in the upcoming dramedy series, “Your Time Is Up.” Now Robertson reflects on what might be her most daring character, Kitty O’Neil, a right-hand woman to be reckoned with — even in Chicago.

How did you end up alongside the “Boss”?

When I head that Gus Van Sant was doing a television series, I was immediately intrigued. I read the pilot, and just loved it. Farhad Safinia, who’s another creator on the show, is also an unbelievably brilliant writer. And the idea of Kelsey doing a role like this had so many components that were exciting on a personal level for me. All of this made Kitty a dream role for an actor, and her role just gets better and better as the eight episodes unfold over our first season.

Is it difficult to play a woman who at first appears to be as cold as she is concise?

Kitty goes on a real journey, which I can’t give you any “spoilers” about. What you see is definitely not what you get with her, I’ll say that much. She does a lot more than deliver information, and goes on a massive roller coaster ride personally, and professionally, that turns her world upside down. We get to see who Kitty really is behind the façade.

But is that difficult to rein in at first?

Farhad is very specific about how he wants each character. If anything, it was always about doing “less.” So playing Kitty wasn’t difficult in that respect, especially with what I found out by interviewing women who did her job. They told me that being a female political aide is very much business. It’s not about trading on their sexuality, or being the best friend or the mother to the Mayor. It’s all about servicing him. So the key to Kitty for me was to understand, on a psychological level, what would drive her to do this for a living. What would make her excited to get up and to go into this world? And once I figured that out, I sort of under- stood her.

Did you find that you had anything in common with women who are political aides?

I talked to many women who worked for Richard Daley, who was Mayor of Chicago for many years. I kept asking them, “But why?” Why would they want to be in this sort of fiefdom where you’re serving the King? That wasn’t something I could personally relate to. But in the end, I connected to Kitty’s job by relating things in my own personal life to hers.

What do you think distinguishes Chicago politics from any other American city?

The obvious answer is the unbelievable, on-the-table corruption that everyone acknowledges there. Even the people I talked to who worked in the Mayor’s machine told me how blatant it was. And the history of Chicago politics is unlike anyplace else’s. Nothing we could do in “Boss” could touch what went on there, or what’s still going on there.

Kelsey Grammer definitely has a presence here that more than fills a capital building. How do you hold your own without being blown away by his character’s force of personality?

Kitty has worked for Mayor Kane for eight years, so she’s not intimidated by him. So as an actor, it was absolutely essential that I could be in a room with Kelsey and hold my own during a four-page scene with him. But it turned out to be really fun because Kelsey is an actor in the truest sense of the word. People forget that he’s a classically trained Shakespearean actor who got his start doing theater. An hour after meeting him, he was calling me “Kath” and asking me to run lines with him. I’ve worked with some actors who walk on set, and you feel that it’s their room, their show, and that they’re the star. They’re not going to read lines off-camera for you. But Kelsey has none of that. He’s there to delve in, dissect, and rehearse the material. He’s there for every drop of the experience. And because he’s a co-producer on “Boss,” Kelsey has a lot invested in the show. So he wants it to be great. And he definitely brings out the emotion in you.

You get to show a whole new wild side to yourself in “Boss.”

You can’t do a show about Chicago politics and not have sex be a part of it. I actually loved that element of Kitty. She’s so contained and detailed that she needs that outlet. Those scenes for me were a big part of my wanting to take the role. And being on STARZ is pretty cool, because we can really go there and explore these characters the way they would be. If “Boss” were on network television, it would be a completely watered-down version of itself. I love that we go there on STARZ. Farhad said to me, “This isn’t the NBC version of what this girl would be. This is who this girl really would be.”

“Boss” is certainly a long way from “90210” for you.

Yes [laughs], I’ve been acting for a very long time. When I started, no one wanted to be on television. Everyone wanted to be a movie star. But now television is really where it’s at for great writing, and great material. I can’t remember the last decent movie I saw. But I certainly remember cable shows like “The Wire,” “Nurse Jackie,” “The Big C,” “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” and “The Killing.” They’re insane. They’re incredible, and their writing is so beautiful. It might be cliché to say that all the great roles for women are on television, but all the great roles for guys are there, too. Television for me is where it’s at now, even in a way it wasn’t ten years ago.

How did you make the move into writing?

It came from a natural progression. Writing was something that I always loved to do. I’m Canadian, and I get a lot of material offered to me out of there. But I was always frustrated, because so much of it wasn’t interesting. So I just started to write my own scripts. The first thing I wrote was for a pilot called “Your Time Is Up,” which sold. Now I’ve just optioned a book. Writing is really taking off for me. It’s exciting to be creative without having to wait for the phone to ring to give me permission to be creative as an actress.

If you could write the ultimate character for yourself, what would she be?

It’s funny, because I don’t really write for myself. I always write with other actors in mind. I’m now doing a screenplay that I think will have my ultimate character!

I became aware of your work through your appearances in Gregg Araki’s Nowhere and Splendor, a ménage a trois comedy which is my favorite film role of yours.

Gregg is one of my best friends. He’s incredible, because you can count on one hand the directors who can write, shoot, direct, and pro- duce like him. And he’s still making movies the same way as he did when he started out. He’s such a unique artist, and his movies are like nobody else’s. I told Gregg that I’m glad that people have such strong opinions about his work, whether they love or hate his movies, or whether they’re offended, or turned on by them. So few artists are making movies that are still relevant, or push those kinds of buttons. He’s an amazing artist, and it was a great experience to work with him.

What struck me about “Boss” is that you could basically put guns in these characters’ hands and turn it into a crime drama, a la “The Sopranos.”

Well, just wait! The show is slowly percolating to a boil.

What’s up ahead for you?

I’m back in L.A. after three and a half months in Chicago. For the next couple of months, I’m on writing deadlines, which are my focus. Then I’ll see what happens. I’m not super-dying to jump back onto a set just yet. I just want to wear my sweatpants and sit down with my laptop.

What do you think that “Boss” ultimately has to say about women in the political arena?

I don’t know if Farhad is trying to make a comment about women in politics, per se, especially because this takes place in a male-driven world, But over the course of the first season you’ll get to see what the effects of a life like this will have on someone’s self-esteem. It’s a tough, tough world for the guys. But it’s even tougher for women like Kitty. And it’s not one that I would ever have the stomach to be a part of.


Television Series: Boss (S01E01- Pilot)
Release Date: October 2011
Actress: Kathleen Robertson
Video Clip Credit: Biggin101










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Chicago Ooh, Oh, Oh

We already knew that there was going to be nudity on Kelsey Grammer's new show Boss, which begins an eight-installment first season a week tomorrow (and has already renewed for a second season) . After all, it's on Starz, the pay-cable network that doesn't just tolerate nudity on its shows, it usually flat-out requires it. There is no way of knowing if the reported mid-stairwell sex scene that appears towards the end of the first episode will feature Kathleen Robertson, but the LA Times preview that describes the Canadian actress as "the aide who gets naked for premium cable..." seems to tip the wink. She is, of course, best known for her three year role as Clare Arnold in Beverly Hills 90210. As Monsters and Critics verifies: "There's lots of sex and nudity... so this isn't a PG Frasier smallscreen affair for the family."

It is a show business proverb that every clown wants to play Hamlet. But for Grammer, the proverb is more complicated. As one of the most successful comic actors in television history, he is about to play a declining Chicago mayor based on King Lear. He is, in fact, a Shakespearean who became a clown notes Edward McClelland in the LA Times...


Grammer, who studied at the Juilliard School, got his first acting break when he was promoted from Lennox to Macbeth after the leading man quit a Broadway production. Then he spent 20 years as the orotund Frasier Crane. It was an unprecedented run in a comic role but stereotyped him as the fussy psychiatrist. Grammer tried reviving Macbeth on Broadway in 2001, but the New York Times dissed his performance as a "stodgy oratorical exercise." The show lasted just 13 nights. So when "Boss" creator Farhad Safinia approached Grammer with an idea for a TV series about a modern-day Lear, he was eager to try something Shakespearean again. "As skilled as he's been at portraying this phenomenally famous comic character, that was actually a detour," said Safinia, an Iranian-born Englishman who scripted Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto." "That was a 22-year, very lucrative, extremely successful detour from who he really is."

"I like to do some different stuff," Grammer said as he shrugged off his suspenders after a day of playing Mayor Tom Kane. "Hollywood doesn't let you do that, so you've got to make it up yourself and get somebody to believe in it. It's a departure, but in terms of a 35-year career which started in drama, it doesn't really seem incongruous."

Grammer's character in "Boss" has been in power for 20 years. But he's suffering from a degenerative brain disease and is forced to hide his frailty from his family and rival politicians plotting to move into his ornate office. At 56, Grammer has certainly aged into a tragedian: He's jowlier, balder, more lined. As his splayed stride carried him into a police station for the season's climactic scene, he looked as weary as a real-life boss. With his name above the title, and his reputation as a serious actor on the line, Grammer has the same responsibility to "Boss" as a mayor to his city. Which is why, he said, he's the man for the role.

"Mayor Kane is a force," Grammer said. "He is a formidable man, a man of big shoulders. Chicago expects a certain personality in a mayor, a certain size, and that is something that we borrow from my own life in a way, because, you know, I've been on television a long time, and I've had some great success — a beloved character, all that kind of crap that comes along for the ride. I'm not sure you could play the role if you didn't bring that cachet with you as an actor."

Since taking over Starz in 2010, Chris Albrecht, former HBO original programming president, has worked to build a dramatic lineup rivaling his former employer's. "Spartacus" and "Torchwood" were big productions with largely unknown actors; Grammer is the network's first above-the-title name for a series. "Kelsey is an enormous star for a television audience, so I think that will bring a lot of viewer interest," Albrecht said. "It's also a sign that this is a place where other A-list actors can do really good work and still support a career."

While conceiving their main character, Safinia and Grammer thought of him only as a contemporary king, losing his powers. After considering a New York real estate tycoon and a Washington power broker, they decided on a Chicago mayor. Chicago politicians make great TV: a president (Barack Obama) whose career began with a prime-time convention speech, an ex-governor (Rod Blagojevich) who appeared on "Celebrity Apprentice," a mayor (Rahm Emanuel) who inspired a "West Wing" character.

Safinia and Grammer maintain that the city's insecure frontier culture produced the perfect historical and architectural setting for "Boss." "The people here … they had almost a chip on their shoulders, as though they want to feel better than New York, and the same reaching for the skies is manifested in their architecture and their politics," Safinia said. "It's also why they're so interesting to look at in terms of corruption and race — the simultaneous existence of reaching for such great heights, and yet falling short. From an outsider's perspective, the greatest American stories are about that."



Grammer's first big scene — a fatuous speech praising the governor he's about to backstab — condenses the show's promise and problems. Viewers will not think "Mayor Frasier": Grammer captures the fear inside a man whose career depends on control yet is losing control of his body to a terminal disease. But despite filming in inner-city neighborhoods far from Wrigley Field, "Boss'" insight into Chicago and its politics feels paper-deep. Not even Emanuel could order City Council members to turn in their BlackBerrys to ensure a secret vote. Also, Kane is a WASP, a breed that disappeared from City Hall 100 years ago.

While in Chicago, Grammer dined with the outgoing mayor, Richard M. Daley, and the incoming mayor, Emanuel. “The language of the history of Chicago is rich and full of dramatic and terrific examples to help support a story like this,” he explains. “We did a lot of research—Farhad did a lot of research, honestly—and I think people who’ve lived in Chicago all their lives will actually learn things about the history of Chicago from this show. I don’t want to sound like a pretentious twit, but I do think people will be surprised about some of it.”

And if the real Daley had hot secretaries who sleep with gubernatorial candidates, well, then, this town was made for television. “It’s a pretty crazy world,” agrees co-star Robertson, who plays the mayor’s assistant, Kitty O’Neill. A Toronto native, she also met with former Chicago mayoral staff to get a sense of the subculture, and found a former Daley aide (whom she can’t name) who was particularly helpful. She says the salaciousness of the series—which includes her having a fling with Kane’s hand-picked candidate to challenge the governor—is tame. “Our show is certainly not even close to some of the stuff that has gone on [in real life],” she says. (“Very out there,” Grammer adds when he pops his head into the room.)

Neither Daley nor Emanuel gave him ideas about playing a politician, insists Grammer, but they seem to have given him an idea for his next career if "Boss" isn't renewed for the five-season, five-act run its creators envision. He is an outspoken Republican who campaigned for John McCain and funded Rightnetwork, a conservative cable channel. (Grammer also played Georges in "La Cage Aux Folles" on Broadway, so mark him down as fiscally conservative, socially tolerant.)

After "Boss" wrapped, Grammer told the New York Post he plans to enter politics when his acting career is over. Which makes the fate of the series even more interesting. If "Boss" carries on long enough, Grammer will continue acting his way through the 37 Plays. He still feels a need to prove himself as a Shakespearean, even if that means playing Mayor Tom Kane on Starz, rather than King Lear on Broadway. "It might not be 'King Lear' next year," he said. "It might be another [Shakespeare play]. We are borrowing liberally from a lot of stuff he had written and throwing in a dash of Jacobean, a bit of Grand Guignol."
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