Lawless 'traumatised' by R-rated series

Explicit scenes being filmed as part of an R-rated television series in Auckland have prompted at least one parent to pull their child from appearing as an extra in the production.

American production company Starz Entertainment has commissioned the filming of Spartacus, a 13-episode series about Roman gladiator life, described by overseas media as bordering on "soft porn".

The series features Kiwi Xena actress Lucy Lawless, The Mummy actor John Hannah and Australian-based British actor Andy Whitfield as Spartacus. They are all filming at a studio in South Auckland.

The sexual nature of the show is rumoured to be so risque that even Lawless admitted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly she was "traumatised" by some of the sex scenes.

Approaches to a number of Auckland-based talent agencies confirmed children had been hired as part of the show's background, but most of the extras were required to be aged at least 18.

However the show's publicist, Sue May, said any scenes with children in them were "harmless scenes", and she had not heard of parents pulling their kids out of their roles once agreeing to star in the production.

"If they've pulled out then they're no longer involved in the production," she said.

A spokeswoman from Fresh Talent said one mother had pulled her child out of the show during the negotiation stage, after learning exactly what the series was about.

"We have put a couple of kids up and one mother was fine with everything, but another wasn't happy with it and decided not to do it," she said. '

'It's not that it was sprung on them - they found out about exactly what was involved in whatever scene it was during the negotiation stages and said, 'Sorry, it's not for me'."

The scene in question, she said, was a village scene featuring people "being debaucherous" in a dodgy area. The children were hired to be "vagabond children" wandering around in the background.

"As far as I'm aware there are no children around any of the actual sex scenes," she said.

Gemma Barlow of Background Talent said most of the people they put forward to casting agents were over 18, with "one or two" children involved.

"Our policy is that everybody we put forward for it is described the nature of the shoot, because there is nudity involved and it is an R18 production," said Barlow.

The series is tipped to have a graphic-novel look - similar to that of 300 and Sin City - and features an array of R-rated sex scenes and full frontal nudity.