Three actresses have been cast in the third season of the hit Starz drama "Spartacus," and one of them has a Joss Whedon connection.
Anna Hutchison, Jenna Lind and Gwendoline Taylor will play key roles in the new season of the show.
Hutchison, who can currently be seen as Jules in the twisty Joss Whedon-Drew Goddard horrorfest "Cabin in the Woods," will play Laeta, the wealthy wife of a Roman official. Laeta's life and the lives of those closest to her are affected by Spartacus' growing slave rebellion.
It's already widely known that wealthy slave owner Marcus Crassus (Simon Merrells) will be a key figure in "Spartacus" Season 3, and Lind will play Kore, a slave who is deeply loyal to Crassus. It's complicated to be a slave close to Crassus, given that he attempts to end the rebellion by Spartacus and his followers.
Taylor will play a young slave rescued from a cruel fate who will come into contact with the key leaders of the revolt. The network previously announced that Australian actor Todd Lasance will play Julius Caesar in "Spartacus" Season 3.
Hutchison has had roles in "Shortland Street" and "Underbelly"; Lind, who's also from Australia, and Taylor, a New Zealander, appeared in "Go Girls," among other projects.
Of course "Spartacus" has another Whedon-universe connection as well: Creator Steven DeKnight, whom I interviewed about the typically insane (and great) Season 2 finale, wrote for "Buffy," "Angel" and "Dollhouse."
Production on Season 3 of "Spartacus" is currently underway in New Zealand.