When you think of Gaius Julius Caesar, you probably think of a shrewd, grey haired man in a toga. But this season of Spartacus takes all those preconceptions and throws them to the wolves. Actor Todd Lasance tells us why this Julius Caesar will give the audience a Caesar that they've never seen before.
Writer and creator, Steven DeKnight, revealed in the same interview that showing the dangerous, military element of Caesar was something he wanted to highlight.
I wanted to show just how dangerous Caesar was. Historically, he goes on to fight a brutal campaign in Gaul and at this point in the story, he’s coming back from that. He was a military guy – and he became a military leader. I also wanted Caesar to be a very, very good fighter. [I wanted] the audience to have the idea that, okay, if he went head to head with Spartacus, maybe he won’t win – but by God, he’ll give him a run for his money. He’s dangerous – and on the right day, at the right time, could kill any of the main rebel characters.
Todd Lasance added to DeKnight’s sentiments, sharing that it was interesting to discover in his research that, at an age younger than Lasance is now, Julius Caesar was commanding legions of men at the front lines of the battlefield.
I wasn’t aware of it until I came across it in the readings, but there’s a couple of accounts of high ranking soldiers moving to the front of the line with Caesar and wanting to be first to charge the enemy line so they could die in his name. He held an extremely large amount of respect with the military. Ultimately, that’s how he gained so much power and became emperor – through the military. So that’s an important element.
Spartacus: War of the Damned airs this Friday, Janurary 25th on STARZ.
