Andy Whitfield Respect Thread

I loved this show from the get-go. I judged it as a premium-cable series, not as a movie. I saw the influence of 300 in it, and was more than okay with it; but what grabbed me was the casting of Andy Whitfield as Spartacus. I’ve not seen him in other roles. I don’t know what kind of acting range he had; but he fit this role like a glove fits a hand: dynamic, physical, vulnerable, likeable and altogether human. He MADE this show. He had a wonderful supporting cast, no two ways about it. They all gelled into something special. Do you know what I’ve noticed? I’ve noticed that, when a band is playing with an OUTSTANDING singer or maybe lead musician (Frank Sinatra, Eric Clapton etc.), they don’t bring their A game. They bring their A+ game. They rise above themselves and they BRING IT, because they feel the energy of their Lead. Andy Whitfield put this show on the freaking map, like Connery did with the James Bond series. He fought his cancer bravely. He succumbed. We grieved, or I did, at least. He was a hero, and he set an example of courage for us all, even outside of the arena! The fact that the series ran for THREE MORE SEASONS after Andy was in it, the fact that the network and show runners created a “vamping” second season prequel story (in the hope that Andy would beat his cancer and be able to return) that was pretty damned entertaining and gave us the backstory on the ludis, and the fact that the series completed its narrative in a total of four seasons starring Liam McIntire as a replacement for Andy, who had the nuggets and personal integrity to step into a role where he knew he would always be perceived as inferior, but did so anyway, and delivered! are facts that show how much we lost by Andy’s passing, and also show how much we gained by his presence.

I hope that you will share your thoughts and feelings about Andy Whitfield. We need all the hero/ines we can get.