Craig Horner has revealed that John Rhys-Davies will guest star in a future episode of Legend of the Seeker.
“John Rhys-Davies guest-starred in an episode just recently,” Horner told Xenite.org. “He’s a really great person.”
Rhys-Davies has a long history in fantasy-themed projects, having played Sallah in several Indiana Jones movies, Gimli (and the voice of Treebeard) in The Lord of the Rings movies, Grimshank in the comedy fantasy series Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, Professor Maximilian on Sliders, and many other projects.
No word on when the episode will air.
Meanwhile, Ted Raimi, who plays Joxer on Xena: Warrior Princess, will reprise his role as the evil map-maker Sebastian on Legend of the Seeker’s February 20th episode.
“Suffice to say that he causes a lot more trouble than he did in the first episode,” Raimi tells TheTorchOnline.com. “He does come in contact with the wizard, and this time I actually had a scene with Bridget and Craig, and it was fantastic. I had a wonderful time.”
More Legend of the Seeker spoilers can be found here, including the fate of a “major character.”
Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)
Q:Tell me something new — anything! — about David Boreanaz! Needless to say, I’m a fan. — Molly, Vancouver, BC, Canada
A: How about what he thinks, looking back now, at all the Buffy and Angel madness?
“When Buffy came out — it debuted in 97 — I remember distinctly being at a party of all the Fox executives, and feeling this energy of ‘I hope this works!’” David tells the Oracle.
Regarding the phenomenon it would soon become, “I have more of a sense now than when I was in it,” he says. “When you’re in it, everything is going on so fast. When it popped to success the way it did, it was because of the hard work and the story. But Joss [Whedon] put that into place and we just executed it.”
When did he know Buffy had become a genuine phenomenon? “I think it was episode that I got swallowed up by a statue and Buffy had to throw the sword and kill me, and I got sucked into this evil monster’s mouth. And we went to New York and did a signing at the Disney store. Four or five blocks had to be shut down, there was a riot outside — it was madness. The cops were trying to get us out of the building, but there were people on top of cars. It was a mess.”
What does he think was the secret to the show’s success? “Joss took characters, [especially] a female character that he made so strong and so likable, and put them through these archetypes or metaphors — whatever you want to call them. But each character had that drive.”
With the show’s enormous impact, the Oracle was very curious to know if David was ever afraid of being type-cast by the part.
“I never thought about it — maybe that’s the equation,” he says. “Obviously, people bring it up, but to me, it was never really an issue, because I believe in myself and my talent. You just kinda go forward and work on projects and see where that takes you.”
Was he offered similar roles, post- Angel? “No. I don’t think I was ever offered [another] vampire role. For me, it was a lot of comic book stuff. I was going to be in Resident Evil, but I couldn’t do it because the production didn’t work you. Associated with a genre that’s a little bit darker and little more fast-paced? Yeah, but I never quite got the [fear of being type-cast].”
Q: I finally had Turkish Delight. I wasn’t delighted. Thoughts? — Larry, Lakewood, CO
A: It’s a British thing. Ever had blood pudding — for breakfast no less?
Still, much depends on the specific nature of the Turkish Delight you tried. The confection, which really did originate in Turkey (and is called lokum there), is a soft, pink jelly-like confection sweetened with sugar or honey, and dusted with powdered sugar or copra (to prevent sticking). Often nuts are added.
Lewis reportedly liked it — and it, therefore, makes sense that it would be Edmund’s downfall in dealing with the White Witch.
The version you tried may not have been sweet enough for your taste-buds. If so, the Oracle suggests the sweeter Americanized version: Aplets and Cotlets, made in Washington State (although rarely referred to as “Turkish Delight”).
And keep in mind that you’ve no doubt long enjoyed a candy that was probably based on Turkish Delight: the jelly bean.
Q: So the new web series directed by Ted Raimi. What’s the deal with that? Did he write it? – John, Fort Lauderdale, FL
A: “I wrote and created the series based on a short story I wrote a few years ago,” says Suzanne Keilly, Ted’s collaborator on Playing Dead (and the star), which is about an aspiring actress recruited to play Death.
“Ted and I produced it, and Ted directed it,” she says. “We collaborated after the project was written. Once it was and he agreed to direct we talked about my script, the tone of it, who to cast, the pacing, that kind of stuff. He gave me notes on the script, which I mostly ignored to his dismay — although he snuck in some changes on the day of shooting when it was harder for me to disagree much to the better-ment of the series. The look of the show is all Ted. He really took my story and dialogue and added his own very cool vision to it.”
Incidentally, the musc is by Curtis RX of Creature Feature. Here’s the latest episode:
Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)
When it comes to acting, dying is easy, but comedy is hard — so says the old expression.
Playing Joxer the Mighty for six years on Xena: Warrior Princess, actor Ted Raimi got to do both.
The “lovable loser” character, not to mention Ted’s pitch-perfect comedy timing, were surely an essential element in Xena’s break-out success — and the inspiration for some of the show’s zaniest flights of fantasy.
But starting around the fourth season, the character deepened, and it was hard not to be touched by his unrequited love for Gabrielle — and his eventual death in the six season.
Ted’s brother is, of course, uber-director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead) — also one of the producers behind Xena: Warrior Princess. As kids, Ted famously acted in Sam’s Super-8 movies — and he still pops up in bit parts in his older brother’s films such as last year’s Drag Me to Hell.
We caught up with Ted at the recent premiere of Spartacus: Blood and Sand and managed to pull him aside for a few questions about his time on Xena, his genre-intensive acting career, and his reoccurring guest spot on Legend of the Seeker.
TheTorchOnline: How did the role on Legend of the Seeker come about?
TR: I was asked by my old pal Rob Tapert who cast me in Xena if I wanted to do Legend of the Seeker, so I said yes. Rob has a great eye for TV shows naturally, so I just jumped at it. I didn’t even look at the part – he really knows where my strengths are, and it was a blast.
Sebastian is this creepy map salesman who also peddles magic, and it was a great part. It was a hell of a lot of fun.
[This season] I went back to New Zealand to do another episode [airing February 20th], and I can’t reveal what happens in it, naturally, but suffice to say that he causes a lot more trouble than he did in the first episode. He does come in contact with the wizard, and this time I actually had a scene with Bridget and Craig, and it was fantastic. I had a wonderful time.
TTO: If they asked, would you do the show full-time?
Ted and Sam Raimi
TR: Oh, sure, if they asked me to Legend of the Seeker full-time, I wouldn’t hesitate to say no!
TTO: When you and Sam were kids out making your movies, did you really think you’d be able to do that kind of stuff as adults?
Ted Raimi: I can’t say for Sam, naturally, but I didn’t think these genre movies that I loved so much would ever be so popular. When I was a kid, this was only B-movies. This was only second-reels and stuff you see on TV. It never really reached the theaters in such massive amounts.
I think it’s a wonderful departure from movies in the 70s and 80s. We’ve gotten away from the harsh realities of the 70s, the goofiness of the 80s, the sort of blasé “removedness,” if that’s a word, of the 90s, and now we’re in sort of a fantasy play-world.
For me, this is sort of the golden age of movies and TV, and I’m very lucky to be living through it.
TTO: Are you particularly drawn to fantasy and genre projects, or is it just the crowd you’ve fallen in with, so to speak, that keeps bringing you to these projects?
TR: The former rather than the latter. I do sci-fi and fantasy, because I love it. I excel at the auditions because I think the producers can see I don’t think it’s just an alternative to porn. I actually really, really love the genre, and I’m really enthused about it.
When I go in to do sci-fi, I’m not just there performing it — I’m asking them where these concepts come from — are they scientifically viable? And as far away from Tolkien as you can get, fantasy-wise, is always mind-blowingly incredible. That’s one of the things I really love about Legend of the Seeker – Terry Goodkind came up with a wildly original set of characters. That’s what appeals to me about that.
TTO: How disappointed were you when they killed Joxer on Xena.
TR: I wasn’t disappointed. I knew it was the sixth season, and it was pretty much time for Joxer to go. But I was sad to see him go. I’d enjoyed my time there. It was a wonderful six years of my life – I’ll never forget it as long as I live. I made friends that will last me a lifetime.
TTO: What are you working on next?
TR:I just finished directing my first web-series. It’s an eight-part web series, it’s calling Playing Dead. I’m very proud of it. It’s got some excellent talent that I’ve known in LA for a long time, and I’ve got the coolest bands from Detroit, Michigan.
A gal named Suzanne Keilly wrote it. I thought it was hysterical and could be done on a budget. It’s very cinematic and bitingly funny, so I couldn’t say no.
Ted Raimi, who starred as Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess, will make a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of Legend of the Seeker, once again playing the shady map-maker Sebastian, a role he originated last season.
In the episode, Sebastian will team up with Zedd’s brother Thaddicus to sell a magical cure for the “Banelings” — evil spirits who have returned from the underworld to kill.
No word on when the episode will air.
Since leaving Xena, Raimi has worked steadily in films and on television, including in the directorial projects of many Xena alumni. Raimi appeared in Diamonds and Guns, Renee O’Connor’s feature film co-directorial debut; the Bruce Campbell-directed My Name is Bruce; and Spider-Man 3 and Drag Me to Hell, both directed by his brother Sam Raimi, who also executive produces Legend of the Seeker.
One of the most important, if overlooked, stock characters in fiction — in particular, fantasy fiction — is “the fool.”
Shakespeare created perhaps the most well-known fool of all time in Falstaff, a character who appears in King Henry IV, Part One and Two, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Falstaff is a bumbling, fat, immoral, boastful ass.
Falstaff is ridiculous — even his name is a joke, a pun about sexual impotence. But his presence reinforces an uncomfortable truth: much of life is ridiculous.
Falstaff may be the most famous fool in literature, but he is far from alone.
For contemporary fantasy fans, perhaps the most well-known fool is Xena: Warrior Princess’s hapless Joxer.
Like Falstaff, Joxer has an incredibly high opinion of himself, seeing himself as a fierce and powerful warrior, when in reality he is klutzy and inept. He even famously sings his own theme song, “Joxer, the Mighty,” since no one else is singing it for him.
When we first meet him, he is trying to serve the evil Callisto, but quickly realizes he isn’t meant for evil, and thus afterward vows to only fight for good at Xena’s side, provided she allow him to do so.
Joxer is a fool, to be sure, but as an audience, we love him for all his endearing ineptitude, and sympathize with him for being a normal person at the side of extraordinary heroes, which is a feeling we all have in our lives at one point or another.
But like Shakespeare’s Falstaff, Joxer is very much more than just a clown: he is a fully fleshed-out character with feelings, and ultimately exhibits true heroism (at least on some occasions!).
Furthermore, for much of the series, he is in love with Gabrielle, Xena’s companion, and as often is the case in these tales, this love is unrequited. Instead of being yet another barb to use against him, the storyline is handled sensitively, and we as an audience feel that sting of unreturned affection.
In other words, when the jokes finally stop, Joxer performs one of the fool’s most important, and most classic, functions: to speak the truth — for, after all, it is Joxer who sees long before anyone else the most fundamental theme of the series, the depth of the love Xena and Gabrielle share.
Often it is only the fool who can speak the truth — for he is the only character unencumbered by social mores and has no status to lose. Furthermore, when words of true wisdom come from a character that the audience has previously dismissed, they have that much more of an impact.
No matter how many times we’ve seen the character of the fool, and no matter how many times we’ve previously dismissed him only to be surprised by his sudden truth-telling, we’re almost always surprised when it happens again.
Now that is a powerful archetype!
Another contemporary fool is Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who for seven seasons was one of the few characters not to obtain superhuman powers, instead providing mostly mortal-strength punches during fights, and the always well-timed wise-crack before and after — often very wise wise-cracks.
In the seventh season, the evil priest Caleb notes that it is Xander who is “the one that sees everything,” who sees the strengths and weaknesses of all his friends, simply because no one is looking at him. When Dawn hears this, she even suggests this might be his long-searched-for superpower.
And when the character’s storyline darkened to the point where he could no longer be plausibly considered a fool, the series served up another clear-cut fool in the character of Andrew.
Andrew Wells (who was kind enough to lend his expertise to one of our Deadliest Fantasy Warrior articles) began as one of the more inept villains on Buffy known as the Trio, a group of three nerds determined to bring down Buffy.
But after his defeat as a villain, he joins the ranks of the good guys, even though he mostly serves as comic relief, a whiny wimp who would have been overshadowed in the presence of such heroism had it not been for his silly way of seeing the world.
Andrew is also sort on an inside joke: a dork who was obsessed with sci-fi and fantasy, one who could quote Star Wars or Lord of the Rings flawlessly at the drop of a hat, a devoted superfan of the sort that the show Buffy itself inspires.
But like Falstaff, Joxer, and Xander, Andrew could also possess a surprising degree of wisdom, usually at the most unexpected of times. When Anya dies, Andrew, who annoys people with his ridiculous lies, tells Xander a whopper: that she died saving his life (she didn’t). But in this case, it’s not ridiculous at all. In fact, it’s the perfect thing to say, lending comfort to a devastated lover.
The fool has been a constant of fantasy fiction for centuries, and all signs show that the archetype is not going anywhere. The fool can take many forms: a jester, a clown, a bombastically arrogant old man, or even a young gay super-nerd (and can I just say? A female fool or a “fool of color” would be nice to see for a change.)
So go ahead and laugh at that foolish person on the stage or the television. You’re supposed to. And why not? The fool is ridiculous.
But you just might feel a little foolish yourself when the laughter stops and you realize once again that the character you’d so quickly written off was ultimately the only one willing to tell you the truth.
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Q: Tell me something new — anything! — about David Boreanaz! Needless to say, I’m a fan. — Molly, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Q: I finally had Turkish Delight. I wasn’t delighted. Thoughts? — Larry, Lakewood, CO
When it comes to acting, dying is easy, but comedy is hard — so says the old expression.
TTO: How disappointed were you when they killed Joxer on Xena.
Ted Raimi, who starred as Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess, will make a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of Legend of the Seeker, once again playing the shady map-maker Sebastian, a role he originated last season.
One of the most important, if overlooked, stock characters in fiction — in particular, fantasy fiction — is “the fool.”
When we first meet him, he is trying to serve the evil Callisto, but quickly realizes he isn’t meant for evil, and thus afterward vows to only fight for good at Xena’s side, provided she allow him to do so.
Andrew Wells (who was kind enough to 
