Manu Bennett

Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Manu Bennett began his acting career on the short-lived Aussie soap opera "Paradise Beach." Bennett went on to co-star in several other quickly cancelled TV shows in Australia and New Zealand before reaching his international breakthrough in the 2010 series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."

After star Andy Whitfield left due to illness, the show was reworked to focus on its other characters, leading to a greater prominence for Bennett's Crixus of Gaul, a top gladiator who becomes a rebel army leader. In 2012, the actor made his initial appearance as the fearsome Orc Azog in the first installment of the "Hobbit" trilogy.