Herald on Sunday - Spy Column 16 August 2009
*Casting call*
One young extra who's eager to make her name in the world of acting told *
Spy* about a casting call she's taking part in on the set of hit American TV
show *Spartacus *currently shooting in West Auckland.
Casting agents are looking for girls to play servants. Modesty is not an option. The role calls for frontal nudity and casting agents are preferably looking for girls with their own pubic hair, otherwise, I'm told, the girls will be fitted with wigs.
No joke! A frontal falsie! Is there some sort of specialist crotch-toupee stylist to fit them?
Admittedly, this prudish columnist is completely clueless to the inside machinations of film sets and broke out into hysterical fits of adolescent giggles when this story crossed my lap, er desk, but it appears thesps I've spoken to are a lot more mature. Being fitted for a merkin is par of the course, apparently.
In fact, the show's leading lady, *Lucy Lawless*, told EW.com last month that she was offered a pubic wig for her first full-frontal nude scene, but admitted there was pressure on the *Spartacus* set to go au natural.
She said: "I haven't worn it [the pubic wig] yet... I was like 'have you got a red one?' We have one just in case. We have one person in the cast who insists on being naked... I think that person thinks it will surprise the person they're acting opposite."
She added of the show: "There's full frontal male nudity. You see plenty, trust me. I'm a little traumatized."