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Prepare for glory… and eye candy! “300,” the epic blockbuster directed by Zack Snyder that’s based on the 1998 Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name, depicts the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against the massive Persian army in 478 B.C. The movie, which grossed more than $456 million after its release on March 9, 2007, thrilled fans with equal parts blood, bravery and ripped abs. Join Wonderwall.com as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the epic blockbuster by checking in with the cast.
Keep reading to catch up with Leonidas, Gorgo, Xerxes and the rest of the “300” crew…
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Gerard Butler played Leonidas, the feared and revered military king of the Greek city-state of Sparta who leads an army of 300 against the advancing Persian army.
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After “300” propelled him to global fame, Gerard Butler starred in two major franchises, voicing Stoick the Vast in the hit “How to Train Your Dragon” films and starring in the action-thriller series “Olympus Has Fallen,” “London Has Fallen,” “Angel Has Fallen” and the upcoming “Night Has Fallen.” All the while, he’s worked steadily in a variety of genres from the 2011 Shakespeare retelling of “Coriolanus” to the 2020 disaster flick “Greenland.” The Scotland native, whose home was destroyed in California’s 2018 Woolsey Fire, has been in an on-off relationship with property developer and interior designer Morgan Brown since 2014.
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Lena Headey portrayed Gorgo, the brilliant and beautiful queen of Sparta and trusted wife and confidant of King Leonidas.
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After “300,” Lena Headey, starred as Sarah Connor on the TV series “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and in movies including the 2013 box office hit “The Purge” with Ethan Hawke. But she snagged her most famous role to date in 2011 after her friend and eventual co-star, Peter Dinklage, suggested her to producers of “Game of Thrones.” Lena has been nominated five times for outstanding supporting actress Emmys for her performance as ruthless and beautiful Cersei Lannister on the hit HBO series. Lena wed musician Peter Loughran in May 2007; they had a son, Wylie, in 2010 and split the following year. In July 2015, the English actress gave birth to daughter Teddy with her childhood friend, filmmaker Dan Cadan, but by mid-2019 they had called it quits. She started dating “Ozard” actor Marc Menchaca in 2020.
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The narrator of “300” — and one of Leonidas’s best friends — is Dilios, a Spartan soldier played by David Wenham.
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David Wenham has worked steadily since “300” in films including “Van Helsing,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” and another another hit fantasy-epic movie, “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (he played Faramir). The Australian actor — who starred in the 2002 adventure-comedy film “The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course” with Steve Irwin and read a poem called “The Crocodiles are Crying” at the wildlife expert’s 2006 memorial service — has two daughters with his longtime partner, Kate Agnew.
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Xerxes, the cruel and powerful king of Persia, was brought to life by Rodrigo Santoro, who had to undergo an intensive workout regimen, a four-and-a-half-hour makeup application process and the complete removal of his body hair to look the part.
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After “300,” Rodrigo Santoro starred in 2008’s “Che,” 2009’s “I Love You Phillip Morris” and 2011’s “Rio.” He also appeared on TV hits including “Lost” and “Westworld.” The Brazil native has been dated actress Mel Fronckowiak since 2013 and in May 2017, the pair welcomed their first child, daughter Nina.
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Vincent Regan (left) was Captain Artemis, an intense warrior and loyal friend to Leonidas.
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Vincent Regan has had a prolific career on stage and U.K. television. In addition to “300,” the Wales-born actor had roles in two other major films set in ancient Greece: “Troy” (2004) and “Clash of the Titans” (2010). He’s been married to British actress Amelia Curtis since 2001; they have three children.
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Michael Fassbender played Stelios, a passionate and highly skilled Spartan warrior.
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A year after “300,” Michael Fassbender turned heads in the film “Hunger,” which required him to restrict his diet to 600 calories a day and drop to just 125 pounds. He went on to star in such critically acclaimed projects as “Inglourious Basterds,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Steve Jobs,” racking up two Oscar nods and three Golden Globe nominations. He also worked in box office smashes like the “X-Men” franchise, in which he plays Magneto. The German-Irish actor married Swedish actress Alicia Vikander in 2017; they welcomed their first child in 2021. Michael (seen here at the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Barcelona in 2020) began competing professionally in auto racing in 2017 and is a fixture on the European circuit.
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Peter Mensah played the Persian envoy who arrives to demand “earth and water” from the Spartans as a token of submission to King Xerxes — and by way of a reply gets tossed into a deep well.
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After “300,” Peter Mensah appeared in box office hits including 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk” and 2009’s “Avatar” and small screen favorites like the Starz “Spartacus” series. The Ghanaian-English actor, who’s practiced martial arts since he was 6, also starred on the 2018 Marvel series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the 2019 series “Departure.”
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Giovani Cimmino, who was 11 when the movie came out, played young Prince Pleistarchus, the son of King Leonidas and Queen Gorgo.
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Giovani Cimmino went on to have a normal upbringing and ended up studying biological science at Arizona State University. The Pennsylvania native — who posted this photo on Instagram with the caption, “My 76 year old nana is an absolute babe, I love you,” in 2016 — has stayed out of the limelight since “300” and has no further film credits. According to his LinkedIn, he currently works in vaccine development for the pharmaceutical company Merck.
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Dominic West portrayed Theron, a corrupt Spartan politician whose primary focus is his own survival and success.
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When he was cast in “300,” Dominic West was already known for playing Jimmy McNulty on “The Wire.” He later snagged the lead role on the Showtime series “The Affair,” which earned him a Golden Globe nod. The English actor was cast as Prince Charles on the final two seasons of “The Crown” and also has a role in the 2022 film “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” In 1999, Dominic welcomed daughter Martha with then-girlfriend Polly Astor. He later rekindled his relationship with college girlfriend Catherine FitzGerald and the pair married in Ireland in 2010. They have four children — Dora, Senan, Francis and Christabel — and put on a united front after photos surfaced of Dominic and actress Lily James on a cozy getaway together in Rome after they filmed the TV drama “The Pursuit of Love.” Though Catherine admitted their marriage had its “ups and downs” in a 2021 interview with the Irish Independent, the Irish landscape designer insisted the couple were “totally devoted to each other.”
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Ephialtes, a deformed Spartan outcast and traitor, was played by Andrew Tiernan.
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Andrew Tiernan reprised his role as Ephialtes in the sequel “300: Rise of an Empire” in 2014. The English actor has found steady work ever since, especially on U.K. television series like “Luther” and “Dr. Who,” and in 2015, he made his directorial debut with the feature film “Dragonfly.”
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Robert Maillet played the monstrous Über Immortal, a muscular and deranged giant who battles Leonidas during the Immortal fight.
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Robert Maillet followed up “300” with a role in 2009’s “Sherlock Holmes” and made headlines when he accidentally punched Robert Downey Jr. in the face while filming a fight scene, knocking him down and leaving him bloodied. The former professional wrestler, who retired in 2011, often lands roles that require his imposing physical presence, including Polyphemus in 2013’s “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” the executioner in 2014’s “Hercules” and the mutant mercenary Sluggo in 2018’s “Deadpool 2.” The Canada native married Laura Eaton in 1997; he’s dad to an adopted daughter and two stepdaughters.
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Kelly Craig played the Oracle, a young Spartan girl chosen for her beauty by the Ephors, the city-state’s elected officials. Her words, spoken in a trance, are interpreted as a message that the gods do not want King Leonidas to attack the Persians.
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Kelly Craig, whose first film job was as a stunt double for Bridget Moynahan in the 2000 movie “Coyote Ugly,” lives in Montreal. The former model (seen here in a selfie she posted on Instagram in 2021) frequently performs on stage including in projects with her boyfriend, actor Anton Koval.
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Tom Wisdom made his feature film debut in “300” as Astinos, the eldest son of Captain Artemis.
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After “300,” Tom Wisdom went on to star as the archangel Michael on the SyFy channel’s “Dominion.” The English actor also has worked on stage and in film, snagging roles in projects like 2008’s “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” and a 2013 production of “Romeo and Juliet.”
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Stephen McHattie played a Spartan politician called Loyalist.
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Stephen McHattie has amassed over 200 credits in his more than 50-year career including in the acclaimed films “A History of Violence,” “Secretary” and “Watchmen.” The Canadian actor, who played Elaine’s manipulative psychiatrist boyfriend Dr. Reston on “Seinfeld” back in 1992, has three children with his wife, actress Lisa Houle.
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