One of my all-time favorite shows was Spartacus, Starz's bloody gladiator series that ran for a total of four seasons, if you include the awesome prequel, Gods of the Arena. The prequel was necessary because star Andy Whitfield had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and had to break for treatment. When he couldn't return for the second season due to the advancement of the disease, it was heart-breaking, not because of the show but because Whitfield seemed to have finally attained everything he was looking for professionally and personally.
Now Whitfield's fight to overcome the disease has been chronicled in a new film, Be Here Now (The Andy Whitfield Story), which has just debuted its first trailer. Directed by Oscar nominee Lilibet Foster, the film chronicles Whitfield and his wife Vashti as they deal with the diagnosis and lean on one another for support.This one's a co-production between TUGG and Be Here Now Productions so it may be worth it to try and get a screening of it down here in DC. I certainly intend to try, or at least join with others to see if we can make it happen. I want to see this film bad. Be Here Now opens in NY on April 8th and LA on April 15 before going nationwide. For more info you can check out the official website here.
