House of Ashur’s Graham McTavish Talks the Beauty of Playing a Romantic Lead for the First Time

The following contains spoilers for Spartacus: House of Ashur, Season 1, Episode 4, “Blood and Bone”

Amidst all the blood, sex, and political maneuvering in Spartacus: House of Ashur, we get to see something wonderful blossom between two of the show’s most interesting characters: Korris and Opiter. Portrayed by Graham McTavish and Arlo Gibson, it’s the first time we get to see the former play any sort of romantic lead, and for McTavish, it was a chance for him to branch out and do something different.

Sitting down with MovieWeb to discuss his role as the new Doctore in the Spartacus spinoff, I pointed out to the star that we haven’t seen him in many roles like this, and asked him if that posed any sort of challenges going into the series, seeing as how it’s the first time he’s ever really played a character that’s romantically linked to someone else in any meaningful way. “Very good question,” McTavish responded, adding:

“It was, for me, one of the joys of doing the show – being able to explore that side of a character. You’re right, I don’t think I’ve ever really had the opportunity to do that on screen.”

In Episode 4 of Spartacus: House of Ashur, which is out now on the Starz app, fans finally get to see that side of not only Korris, but McTavish, as he gives himself fully to Opiter. The two men share a passionate kiss, which the star told me is “beautifully written, beautifully paced, and very believable.” When it comes to any sort of challenges the actor faced, he hesitated to say “it wasn’t difficult” per se, mainly due to the fact that it’s a situation that lends itself to the human condition:

“I think that we can all relate to the situation that Korris finds himself in. It doesn’t matter what your sexuality is. Everybody has been in a situation where they’re frightened of revealing their true feelings about someone, and taking that leap, and giving themselves to someone. Giving their heart to them. I think that will definitely resonate with everybody watching it.”

What Does Graham McTavish Personally Bring to the Role of Korris?

Graham McTavish in Spartacus: House of Ashur

Starz

Diving deeper into the psyche of McTavish, I mentioned that he’s been in numerous period pieces over the years, including shows like Outlander, Empire, and Rome, as well as movies like King Arthur. I asked what it is about him that lends itself to playing those gritty characters like Dougal MacKenzie that we remember so fondly, and McTavish didn’t hold back in his response, saying that when it came to his new role of Korris, he went to a familial place:

“I understand him to some degree. I understand that kind of guarded nature. I’m not a curmudgeon, but I’m not ‘Let’s all sing Kumbaya.’ I am my father’s son, and my father, I’ve talked about him before, he’s very much present in many of the characters I’ve played. That sort of hard, gritty, Scottish sensibility. If you get close to them, they’ll do anything for you, but if you’re somebody that they don’t like, watch out.”

To say that seeing McTavish play the part of Korris in Spartacus: House of Ashur is a breath of fresh air would be an understatement. Thus far, his portrayal of the Doctore has been phenomenal to watch, and we can’t wait to see where this romance with Opiter goes, especially now, after the show’s fourth episode, in which Ashur tells him he’s no longer required to spend time in the company of the lanista.

Spartacus: House of Ashur, Episode 4, “Blood and Bone,” is streaming now on the Starz app.