Ask the Flying Monkey! (January 25, 2010)

Have a question about gay male entertainment? Send it to aftereltonflyingmonkey@yahoo.com! (Please include your city and state and/or country.)

Q: As much as I like seeing all the scantily-clad men in Spartacus: Sand and Blood, I can’t help but wonder: how awkward must that be for the actors? – Walter, San Diego, CA

Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) gets sand in his codpiece

A: It’s definitely a challenge, at least according to Andy Whitfield, who plays Spartacus on the show.

“They hand you a costume, and you say, ‘That’s it?’” he tells AfterElton.com. “You go, ‘Okay, I’m going to have to create the rest of the character from my own flesh and blood.’ There’s nowhere to hide. You’ve got to show yourself to everyone who’s watching.”

Still, in some ways, the costume does help him get into character. “There’s no protection in what we wear. None. So the minute we’re rolling on the dirt and hitting the gravel, someone hits you accidentally with a sword, you’re taking a direct hit. Those things add to the authenticity. You lose some skin, there’s blood, but how appropriate is that for the show?”

He does have one complaint: the temperature. “It’s New Zealand in winter. It’s two degrees above freezing in the studios in the morning, and they’re spraying you with water to make you look sweaty.”

But in the end, he’s taking it all in stride. “That’s acting, I think, letting people see your flaws and whatever you have.”

Personally, I’m having a hard time finding any flaws on Whitfield’s body at all. And trust me, I’m looking very closely.

Next page! Spike TV's pretty gay Blue Mountain State.