February 16

Actor Heath Jones

Out gay New Zealand actor Heath Jones plays the hyper-masculine Donar on Starz Network’s popular sword and sandal epic, Spartacus. The axe-wielding character of Donar, a gladiator from Germany, was introduced in season 2 and continued into its third and final season, which began airing last month. Jones has also appeared as a regular on Shortland Street, a television drama set in a New Zealand hospital.

The 6'2" actor had a bit of fun entering (and winning) the title of Mr. Urge* in 2008, and has recently taught acting and directing at UNITEC, after past stints as a flight attendant and bartender. Jones, along with four other Spartacus actors, was featured last month in Men’s Fitness magazine.

*Urge is a popular bar in Aukland, New Zealand.

Jones related that there is a boot camp for two weeks prior to shooting every year for the cast to bone up on their fighting skills and to help them get back into tip-top shape. Because the male actors appear nearly naked most of the time,  they have to watch what they eat and train like crazy for the entire shoot of the show. In a television interview Heath remarked that, until his 20s, he was quite "effeminate." Talk about a 180!

Heath came out to his family and friends at age nineteen and says he had nothing but supportive, affirming reactions. He counts Sir Ian McKellan among his role models and confesses a weakness for chocolate and ice cream (no lie!).

In this shirtless photo Heath is shown with his life partner, Sean Adnitt (seated). Says Heath: "Sean’s been very determined that we should succeed [as a couple], for which I’m eternally grateful. I know this is the right thing for me; his determination has seen us through, and now I understand the quality of the love that exists between us. He breathed life into a part of me that had died."

But I digress. Back to the tan lines, gentlemen.

Military moments (just because):