Michael Hurst
{{short description|New Zealand actor, director and writer (born 1957)}}
{{Other people}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Michael Hurst
| honorific_suffix = ONZM
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1957|09|20}}
| birth_place = Lancashire, England
| death_date =
| birth_name = Michael Eric Hurst
| occupation = Actor, director, writer
| yearsactive = 1976–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Jennifer Ward-Lealand|1988}}
| children = 2
| othername =
| website = {{URL|michaelhurst.co.nz/}}
}}
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and companion series Xena: Warrior Princess as Iolaus. Most recently, he is known for his role in directing the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Ash vs Evil Dead.
Biography
Hurst was born in Lancashire, England, the eldest of three brothers. When he was seven his family moved to Christchurch, New Zealand. He enrolled at Papanui High School, then University of Canterbury, but for only one year.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
He is married to New Zealand actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand and they have two sons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/houses/110193997/at-home-with-actor-and-director-michael-hurst|title=At home with actor and director Michael Hurst|last=Mann|first=Brit|date=3 February 2019|website=Stuff |language=en|access-date=29 January 2020}}
In 1984, Hurst won the lead role of David Blyth's Death Warmed Up, New Zealand's first splatter movie.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/death-warmed-up-1984|title=Death Warmed Up {{!}} Film {{!}} NZ On Screen|website=nzonscreen.com|language=en|access-date=29 January 2020}} The plot saw Hurst's character weathering institutionalisation, sundry wackos, and a motorcycle chase in the tunnels below Waiheke Island. The film won the grand prize at a fantasy film festival in Paris. The same year Hurst began playing drummer Dave Nelson over two series of Heroes, about a band searching for fame.
Crime thriller Dangerous Orphans (1986) is the first film in which Hurst co-starred with real-life partner Jennifer Ward-Lealand (he had already acted with her on-stage). Hurst's role was one of three grown orphans caught up in a mission to one-up various criminal figures; Ward-Lealand played romantic interest to one of the other orphans. Hurst would work with Ward-Lealand again on his next three features, 1992's The Footstep Man, 1993's Desperate Remedies{{Cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134305009|title=Unconventional opera a creative triumph|last=McDonald|first=Dougal|date=26 February 1994|work=Canberra Times|access-date=29 January 2020|via=Trove}} and 1999's I'll Make You Happy.
In 1993, he starred alongside Australian Sophie Lee and Brit Greg Wise in the TV thriller Typhon's People. Hurst played a European mystery man uncovering the truth behind corporate genetic meddling. The script was by author Margaret Mahy.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
Hurst went on to co-star in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys with Kevin Sorbo, playing sidekick Iolaus to Sorbo's Hercules.{{Cite web|url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/hercules-the-legendary-journeys-cast-then-and-now-photos/|title=See the Cast of 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys' Now!|date=26 January 2020|website=Closer Weekly|language=en-US|access-date=29 January 2020}}
Hurst made his feature debut as a director with Jubilee (2000), based on the book by Nepi Solomon. The film stars Cliff Curtis as a kind-hearted procrastinator who gets the chance to prove himself by organising a 75th jubilee. Hurst followed Jubilee by directing Love Mussel, a one off satire for television. Written by Braindead's Stephen Sinclair and starring Kevin Smith, Love Mussel is a mockumentary about a fictional township which erects a monument to a shellfish with Viagra-like properties.
In 2003, Hurst was awarded an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award. In the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to film and the theatre.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2005 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2005 |date=6 June 2005 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=28 April 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/hauraki-herald/105295493/shakespearean-bard-michael-hurst-comes-to-town|title=Shakespearean bard Michael Hurst comes to town|date=6 July 2018|website=Stuff |language=en|access-date=29 January 2020}}
In 2015, after runs in New Zealand and at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Hurst directed The Generation of Z: Apocalypse at a purpose-built venue in East London between 4 April 2015 to July 2015. Hurst stated, "A lot of the reviews have said 'immersive theatre into overdrive'. 'Video game, only live.' It has those qualities. There are choices where the audience can affect the outcome of scenes which is quite a new thing. It flows very easily depending on which choice they make."{{cite web |url=https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/103933/interview-with-michael-hurst-director-of-the-generation-of-z-apocalypse/ |first=Neil |last=Cheesman |title=Interview with Michael Hurst |date=9 March 2015 |website=London Theatre}}
In October 2018, he was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for his contribution to New Zealand entertainment.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
He has also appeared in several solo stage productions including No Holds Bard (based on several Shakespearian characters) in 2018, and An Illiad in 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12235768|title=Theatre review: Michael Hurst's and Shayne Carter's combined strengths makes for powerful epic|last=Simei-Barton|first=Paul|date=30 May 2019|work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=29 January 2020|language=en-NZ|issn=1170-0777}}
Filmography
=Starring roles=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Prisoners | Sciano | Film |
| 1982 | Casualties of Peace | Peter | TV movie |
| rowspan="3" | 1984 | Constance | Photographer (scenes deleted) | Film |
| Heroes | Dave Nelson | TV series | |
| Death Warmed Up | Michael Tucker | rowspan="2" | Film | |
| 1985 | Dangerous Orphans | Moir | |
| 1986 | Heroes II | Dave Nelson | TV series |
| 1989 | The Shadow Trader | Bob Hoyle | TV mini-series |
| 1992 | The Footstep Man | Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec | Film |
| rowspan="2" | 1993 | Typhon's People | Constantine | TV movie |
| Desperate Remedies | Willam Poyser | Film | |
| rowspan=3 | 1994 | Hercules and the Amazon Women | Iolaus | rowspan=3 | TV movie |
| Hercules in the Underworld | Aelus/Charon | ||
| Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur | Iolaus | ||
| 1995 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Iolaus/Charon/Orestes/Dahak/Widow Twankey | TV series (79 episodes) |
| rowspan="3" | 1997 | A Moment Passing | Joey | rowspan="2" | Short Film |
| The Bar | |||
| Highwater | Hugh Chance | TV movie | |
| rowspan="2" | 1998 | Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus | Iolaus | Voice |
| Young Hercules | The Jeweler | Video | |
| rowspan="2" | 1999 | I'll Make You Happy | Lou | Film |
| This Is It | Narrator, host, and various historical figures | TV special | |
| 2001 | The Man Who Has Everything | George Allwell | TV movie |
| rowspan="2" | 2002 | Honey | Nic | Short Film |
| Showstoppers | celebrity judge | TV series | |
| 2003 | Murder on the Blade? | Defence lawyer | TV movie |
| rowspan="2" | 2004 | Fracture | Athol Peet | Film |
| Hold the Anchovies | Manager & Old Iraqi | Video | |
| 2005 | The Magician | The Agent | Film |
| rowspan="2" | 2006 | Maddigan's Quest | Maska | TV series |
| Treasure Island Kids: The Monster of Treasure Island | ferry pilot | Film | |
| rowspan="5" | 2007 | Ask Your Uncles | Presenter | TV series |
| The Tattooist | Crash | rowspan="5" | Film | |
| We're Here To Help | Rodney Hide | ||
| The Last Magic Show | Trevor Norton | ||
| The Map Reader | Alison's father | ||
| 2009 | Bitch Slap | Gage | |
| 2012 | Inorganic | Brett | rowspan="2" | Short Film |
| 2014 | Death Walks into a Bar | God of War | |
| rowspan="2" | 2018 | Vermilion | Smoking Man | Film |
| Dead | Ross Marbeck | Film | |
| 2019 | Northspur | Green (lead) | Film |
=Guest-starring roles=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Thirty Minute Theatre | Jim | "Tinkling Brass" |
| rowspan="2" | 1983 | Both Sides of the Fence | Gary McNabb | 1.09 |
| Country GP | Mark Sloane | 1.32 | |
| rowspan="2" | 1985 | rowspan="2" | Hanlon | Elliott | 1.6 "In Defence of Shue Rock" |
| Defence Lawyer | 1.7 "In Defence" | ||
| 1989 | Shark in the Park | David Jennings | 2.8 "Acting Sergeant" |
| rowspan="2" | 1990 | The New Adventures of Black Beauty | Kurt | 1.08 "The Birdman" |
| The Ray Bradbury Theater | Roger Shumway | 4.08 "The Toynbee Convector" | |
| 1991 | For the Love of Mike | Laurie | 1.06 |
| 1992 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Lt. Simmons | 6.06 "The Long Rain" |
| 1995, 1997 | rowspan=2 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Iolaus | 1.08 "Prometheus", 2.13 "The Quest" |
| 1996 | Charon | 1.16 "Mortal Beloved" | |
| rowspan="2" | 1997 | E! News Daily | rowspan="2" | Himself | |
| Entertainment Tonight | |||
| 1998 | Young Hercules | Charon | 1.20 "A Lady in Hades" |
| rowspan="5" | 1999 | Celebrity Profile | rowspan="3" | Himself | "Lucy Lawless" |
| Backch@t | 2.01 | ||
| Sunday News Give Us a Clue | |||
| rowspan="2" | Duggan | rowspan="2" | Michael Taylor | 1.3 "A Shadow of Doubt: Part 1" | |
| 1.4 "A Shadow of Doubt: Part 2" | |||
| rowspan="4" | 2000 | Topp Twins | celebrity golfer | 3.05 "Bowls and Golf" |
| Mai Time | rowspan="2" | Himself | ||
| Celebrity Profile | "Kevin Sorbo" | ||
| Jack of All Trades | Captain Nardo da Vinci | 2.2 "Shark Bait" | |
| rowspan="2" | 2001 | Love Mussel | Stephen Jessop | TV movie |
| Xena: Warrior Princess | Nigel | 6.13 "You Are There" | |
| rowspan="2" | 2002 | Andromeda | Ryan | 2.20 "The Knight, Death and the Devil" |
| Mataku | Dr. Forbes | 1.05 "The Final Plume" | |
| rowspan="4" | 2003 | Good Morning | Himself | |
| Shortland Street | Greg Vicelich | Recurring (10 episodes) | |
| rowspan="2" | Power Rangers: Ninja Storm | "D.J. Drummond" (voice) | 1.20 "Good Will Hunter" | |
| "Vexacus" (voice) | 1.27 "Shane's Karma: Part 2", 1.30 "The Wild Wipeout", 1.31 "Double-Edged Blake", 1.33 "General Deception, Part I", 1.34 "General Deception, Part II", 1.35 "A Gem of a Day", 1.36 "Down and Dirty", 1.37 "Storm Before the Calm, Part I", 1.38 "Storm Before the Calm, Part II" | ||
| rowspan="2" | 2005 | Power Rangers: S.P.D. | Silverhead (voice) | 1.28 "Robotpalooza" |
| Frontseat | rowspan="2" | Himself | 2.24 | |
| 2007 | Here to Stay | 1.03 "The English" | |
| 2009 | Legend of the Seeker | Amfortas | 1.13 "Revenant" |
| 2010 | The Jono Project | "Michael Hurst" | 1.12 "Sir Butch" |
| rowspan="6" | 2012 | Spartacus: Vengeance | Roman soldier – uncredited | 2.09 "Monsters" |
| rowspan="4" | The Almighty Johnsons | rowspan="4" | Kvasir | 2.01 "And She Will Come to You" | |
| 2.11 "The House of Jerome" | |||
| 2.12 "You Call This the Real World?" | |||
| 2.13 "Does this Look Like Asgard?" | |||
| rowspan="3" | Auckland Daze | rowspan="3" | Michael | 1.06 | |
| rowspan="2" | 2014 | 2.05 | ||
| 2.06 | |||
| rowspan="2" | 2016 | Terry Teo | Cornelius Jones | 1.04 "Head to Head" |
| Highroad | The Director | 3.04 "39 Lashes" | |
| 2020 | Dead | Ross Marbeck | |
| rowspan="2" | 2021 | My Life is Murder | Otto Klein | 2.10 "Pleasure & Pain" |
| Power Rangers: Dino Fury | Nibyro Guardian (voice) | 1.20 "Waking Nightmare" |
=Director=
The numbers in directing credits refer to the number of episodes.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col"| Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col"| Year ! colspan="1" scope="col"| Credited as ! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes |
| Director |
|---|
| scope=row| I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
| 1994 | {{yes}} | Short film, also writer |
| scope=row| Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
| 1996–99 | {{yes}} (6) | Television series |
| scope=row| A Silent Welcome
| 1976 | {{yes}} | Short film, also writer |
| scope=row| Amazon High
| 1997 | {{yes}} | Unaired pilot |
| scope=row| Xena: Warrior Princess
| 1997–2001 | {{yes}} (6) | rowspan="2" | Television series |
| scope=row| Jack of All Trades
| rowspan="2" | 2000 | {{yes}} (2) |
| scope=row| Jubilee
| {{yes}} | |
| scope=row| Love Mussel
| 2001 | {{yes}} | Television film |
| scope=row| Treasure Island Kids 2: The Monster of Treasure Island
| rowspan="2" | 2006 | {{yes}} | |
| scope=row| Treasure Island Kids 3: The Mystery of Treasure Island
| {{yes}} | |
| scope=row| Legend of the Seeker
| 2009–10 | {{yes}} (7) | rowspan="7" | Television series |
| scope=row| Spartacus
| 2010–13 | {{yes}} (8) |
| scope=row| The Almighty Johnsons
| 2013 | {{yes}} (2) |
| scope=row| The Brokenwood Mysteries
| 2014 | {{yes}} (1) |
| scope=row| Step Dave
| 2014–15 | {{yes}} (5) |
| scope=row| Tatau
| rowspan="2" | 2015 | {{yes}} (2) |
| scope=row| Ash vs Evil Dead
| {{yes}} (2) |
| scope=row| Balloons
| 2016 | {{yes}} | Short film, also writer |
| scope=row| Westside
| 2016–present | {{yes}} (15) | rowspan="7" | Television series |
| scope=row| 800 Words
| 2016–17 | {{yes}} (10) |
| scope=row| The Dead Lands
| rowspan="2" | 2020 | {{yes}} (4) |
| scope=row| Between Two Worlds
| {{yes}} (2) |
| scope=row| My Life is Murder
| rowspan="2" | 2021 | {{yes}} (2) |
| scope=row| Power Rangers Dino Fury
| {{yes}} (6) |
| scope=row| Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
|2023 | {{yes}} (6) |
=Producer=
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Spartacus: War of the Damned | TV series |
=Writer=
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry | Screenplay |
| 1996 | Clown Story | Story |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://michaelhurst.co.nz}} with curriculum vitae
- {{IMDb name|id=0403628}}
- [http://culturalicons.co.nz/episode/michael-hurst-and-jennifer-ward-lealand Michael Hurst interview] with his wife Jennifer Ward-Lealand for the [http://culturalicons.co.nz Cultural Icons] project. Audio and video.
- [http://www.michaelhurstnow.com Michael Hurst Now: Michael Hurst's Projects Since Hercules The Legendary Journeys]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060209062049/http://www.maddigansquest.com/ Maddigan's Quest: Official Site]
{{Arts Foundation Laureate Award}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurst, Michael}}
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male voice actors
Category:New Zealand male film actors
Category:New Zealand male television actors
Category:New Zealand male stage actors
Category:New Zealand male soap opera actors
Category:New Zealand male voice actors
Category:Male actors from Lancashire
Category:English emigrants to New Zealand
Category:Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit