The actress discusses making history as the first Black female gladiatrix on scripted television and the empowering journey of Achillia
Tenika Davis makes history in “Spartacus: House of Ashur” as Achillia, the first Black female gladiatrix in scripted television. Playing a Kushite warrior woman, Davis brings to life a character rooted in a society where fierce warriors fought alongside each other regardless of gender. Her performance adds a modern, fresh perspective to the bloody, dramatic world of Roman society while honoring a warrior tradition rarely depicted on screen. For Davis, the role represents not just a career milestone but the chance to be the role model she needed as a young girl.
Playing a gladiator requires serious physical training and preparation. What was the training like and how did you prepare for the combat scenes?
It was empowering. It was badass. It was fierce. It was challenging to say the least. I don’t think anything really prepares you for that moment where you have a sword in your hand and you’ve got an arena of people screaming, literally at you, wanting and expecting something to happen. I think I found a lot of strength.
I think I found Achillia’s resilience. I think I found her ferociousness in those moments, her frustration. You see her roaring at a lot of parts and just frustrated with the sheer weight of what she’s being told she has to undertake. It’s awesome to say the least, but it’s any hero’s journey where you have to overcome obstacles and find your inner strength.
Female gladiators existed historically but were uncommon. How does Achillia challenge both ancient Roman expectations and modern assumptions?
It’s part of “House of Ashur” in general. It’s a new chapter in this bloody, sexy, drama filled world of Roman society at that time. I believe that she does challenge the way that history is defined. Steven DeKnight brings in the idea of a female gladiatrix, and that happened in a further time period than what the show is, but that’s the beautiful part about television and the ability to be able to create and retell stories. Roman society at that time had a lot of social hierarchy and class and norms of how things would be.
Looking at a world where outsiders and underdogs exist through Ashur and Achillia really does help us redefine that historical world and add a modern, fresh perspective to it. The show really, it’s not about necessarily the more powerful and strong and bigger people. It’s about the size of the fight within you. We have all kinds of people, little people, Black people, female, strong female characters, queer people who are all looking to define themselves in a world that doesn’t necessarily depict them.
You work closely with Nick Tarabay as Ashur. What was the dynamic like between these two characters as they both fight for survival?
I have nothing but respect for Nick Tarabay, and he is perfectly cast as Ashur. He brings all the sass and the drama and the connivingness into this world through this character. Just like Ashur was an outsider, Achillia is seen as an outsider and an underdog in this world. I do believe that Ashur sees that quality in her and brings her into the world almost to find himself as well.
Working with a powerhouse like Graham and Nick definitely helped me up my game and find the dig deeper to find the strength of this character. By the point that we got to, by episode five, they had beat me so far into the ground that I had no choice but to admit my vulnerability. That actually is what I discovered in Achillia as I was playing her.
You’re walking into a world that’s already established with “Spartacus.” What’s the fresh voice you’re bringing to Achillia and how are you honoring the past?
She’s a Kushite woman. This is a story that hasn’t been as depicted in scripted television. She’s not only a Kushite woman, she comes from a society of fierce warriors that are strong and resilient and would fight men and women alongside each other. That’s something that we haven’t really seen. Through her power and her strength, you’re seeing an aspect of that world. Not only that, she’s the first Black female gladiatrix in scripted television.
That in itself is important. It’s something that is relevant. It’s something that I’m honored and privileged to be able to tell that story through her. It’s not just about the power and the strength, it’s also finding the vulnerability. As a little girl who needed a role model and someone to look up to who looked like me, finding that in Achillia and knowing that I was creating that for somebody else really drove me forward and helped me bring life to this character and understood how important she is.
“Spartacus: House of Ashur” debuts with a two episode premiere on Friday, December 5 on STARZ. New episodes will stream weekly on Fridays on the STARZ app and all STARZ streaming and on demand platforms.