In early 2011, the producers of Starz’s bloody gladiator series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, made the difficult decision of recasting the title role after their star, Andy Whitfield, waged an offscreen battle with cancer. Whitfield eventually succumbed to the disease last September, and this Friday, Spartacus will return to television for its second season, with a new title and a new lead. Actress Viva Bianca recalls the first few days of shooting Spartacus: Vengeance with a tinge of sadness in her voice, as she remembers her fallen costar and sings the praises of her new one, Liam McIntyre.

Bianca, a native Australian, stars as Ilithyia, a conniving and ambitious daughter of a senator, and the wife of Gaius Claudius Glaber, the man responsible for Spartacus’ enslavement. As its title implies, Spartacus is a bloody and violent show, and, with enough skin to rival Game of Thrones, it’s one of the more risque series on television. We recently caught up with Bianca and spoke about regrouping after Whitfield’s death, where her character is headed this season, and why undressing in front of the camera is no fun at all.

Viva Bianca on ‘Spartacus: Vengeance,’ Andy Whitfield’s Passing, & Nude Scenes