Spartacus was a landmark television series for both Starz and fans of swords-and-sandals epics. The historical drama by Steven S. DeKnight premiered in 2010, and quickly earned a loyal fanbase which would follow the series through a prequel season, two sequel seasons concluding Spartacus’ journey. Now, 13 years later, an unexpected twist has occurred. Ashur, the traitorous henchman of Batiatus is back from the dead in an alternate reality that has him rise from slave to Dominus.
With the return of Ashur and the life of gladiators in Spartacus: House of Ashur we get a whole new set of interesting and multi-dimensional characters, including Achillia.
We had the honour of speaking with Toronto’s own Tenika Davis about preparing for her role as Achillia, joining the world of Spartacus, what we can expect from her character, and much more!
Watch the full interview with Tenika Davis below:
The series has given us a plethora of dynamic women, including the newest addition, Achillia. Of course, as an actor, getting into a role that has such physicality can be daunting. However, preparing mentally and emotionally can be just as difficulr.
Tenika Davis shared, “You’re from Canada, so you understand how hard it is to get through winter. So before I got this show, I actually didn’t know why I was doing this, but I convinced myself that I needed to go out every single day at negative 40 and run through the snow. There was nobody out there but me, but I didn’t understand why I was pushing past limits at that moment. But I feel like something inside of me knew that I had to get myself comfortable with being uncomfortable, and train myself in such a way that I was building a powerful, resilient character. And when this audition came, I understood why I did that thing that seemed crazy at the time, but I didn’t really notice. Something inside of me knew that I was building a gladiator that had to push past limits.”
Davis is extremely dynamic as Achillia in Spartacus: House of Ashur and much of her character work happens alongside Nick E. Tarabay’s Ashur. So, building that rapport and relationship was important, not only for the script, but also for the actors as well.
Davis shared, “I believe, you know, my character’s journey really paralleled what I was experiencing in real life coming into this new world in this show as a later addition to the cast, and I felt like an outsider and an underdog. And for some reason, Nick Tarabay, as a person, saw something in me, right? So it was one of those things that, yeah, it was uncomfortable at first, but I believe that we developed a camaraderie and a mutual respect and understanding that we had the ability to be able to create something great if we were focused and we were disciplined. And I see that as no different than the relationship with Ashur and Achillea – both of us really are struggling to find each other.
You know, the show is about underdogs and outsiders and a society that nobody wants you in. She’s a Kushite woman trying to find her place in a man’s Roman world. So in that same respect, for Ashur, to see something in her that she didn’t even see in herself, to be able to find that success and become what she became, I always believe that you always need somebody to believe in you, for you to step into your power. And that’s what she did in this character, and it’s partially because Ashur saw that in her.”
Being in the world of the Spartacus series with huge moments that take place in the arena makes for amazing television. In House of Ashur, we see Achillia’s first attempt in the arena and the emotional toll it can take on the person portraying the character. We asked Davis what she did to hype herself up once she got to that point.
Davis said, “I believe being on that set is enough of a hype. Hearing the roar of the crowd, literally 150 to 300 extras screaming, beating the wood drums, blaring like all of that is real. So knowing that you have the responsibility to achieve something out there in that spectacle, and having the lens on you, I believe, is enough to get you excited, to get you nervous as well, too, all the things that these characters need when they’re experiencing that in that arena. So, yeah, it’s one of those. It’s bold and it’s amazing. And I feel honored and privileged to be able to have put on those clothes and that costume and step into that world.”
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