To be soft and strong in a den of men. For Tenika Davis and Achillia, the character she plays on Spartacus: House of Ashur, this was the assignment.
Did she ace it? If you’ve witnessed her magic on screen, you know the answer. As Achillia, the first Nubian and woman gladiator in the Spartacus universe, Davis commands attention and sparks conversations. She also joins a resurgence of ‘Wonder Women’ on the small and silver screen who are taking female empowerment to physical heights: Sydney Sweeney’s turn as a boxer in the 2025 movie Christy; Connie Nielsen’s dynamic battle scenes in 2024’s Gladiator II; Viola Davis’ bold turn as a general in 2022’s The Woman King.
Davis debuted as a finalist on Canada’s Next Top Model. Movies soon came calling with roles alongside Angela Bassett and Paula Patton in Jumping the Broom, and a recurring turn in Guillermo Del Toro’s streaming series Cabinet of Curiosities. Today, her performance as Achillia has everyone talking. In this exclusive interview, we sit with the actress to discuss her character, her journey and the cost of being strong.
Playgirl • March 2026.
What does it feel like playing such a groundbreaking character?
It feels empowering. To play this character –a Black female gladiator in scripted television– that in and of itself is empowering! Then to be able to create a new archetype, a new type of hero, is empowering. It is a moment for us to be able to start a new kind of conversation.
Empowering can also be isolating. How do you navigate being the only woman gladiator on set – and one of the few people of color?
I’m used to being the only one who looks like me. I started off in Taekwondo, and I was surrounded by Korean people. So, I spent years of my life training extensively with people who did not look like me, and most of them were men. Going into the Spartacus world, having Achillia on the sands and in the dirt with these wonderful men –that in itself felt normal.
What impact do you think your presence had?
Being a woman amongst men, in itself, helped them understand that I’m a lady and vulnerable. But it also meant giving them license to act. I don’t want anybody holding back or stopping the ferociousness of what they have to deliver through their characters, because my character Achillia is not a victim. She can stand toe-to-toe with anyone.
Tenika Davis in ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ • Photo: STARZ.
It sounds like so many of your previous experiences shaped you for this role.
Absolutely. I think every moment leading up to me getting cast in the show was something that prepared me for that role. Even my character’s journey: she breaks into Rome from a slave ship, essentially. And that initial moment where you see her, she breaks through the guards and her chains. I had that journey on set. I was brought to Auckland, New Zealand, where we’re filming in a completely different territory. I’m the only woman amongst men in that aspect of the story. Shout out to my Roman sisters, but on the sands, it was just me there. So, you kind of feel like a fish out of water. But at the same time, the story is about underdogs. It is about people trying to define themselves in a new world. And so that goes across the board for all of our characters. it’s not so much about chains and victimhood. It’s about how we found our power and our resilience.
Is there a scene in the series that represents this resilience to you?
Quite a few scenes! But for me it’s always going back to Episode Five: The Goddess of Death, in the arena when Achillia has that moment where she finally realizes, ‘I did it!’ In that moment I raised my arms and roared and let out all of that tension I’d been experiencing. That moment was a breakthrough. I understood that resilience of finally getting through the fight; having all odds stacked against me.
Tenika Davis in ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ • Photo: STARZ.
That’s exhilarating.
Yes! But sometimes, when we have those breakthrough moments, it’s just a flash. After that scene, you’ll see Achillia falls back and she passes out because the strength of that moment also costs a lot. And I think that the audience will understand that every breakthrough that you have costs something. And each one of our characters are experiencing their costs in the series.
As the actress channeling the character’s emotions, what does a scene like that cost you?
The cost for me? It was every pain, every struggle, everything that I had done to get to that moment.
It was a release of all of that. And to be honest: my stepdad passed away during filming. So, to be able to express that emotion in Episode Five, to unleash all of the pain and everything that I was experiencing, the cost of it was the truth and the vulnerability that I was wanting to hide but couldn’t hide anymore.
That had to be such a painful moment as an actress.
But it was necessary. And it was needed for Achillia because, in the same respect, there were things that she’s hiding. You’ll see that she has a scar and there’s trauma that’s attached to that. It’s difficult and it’s challenging, but at the same time necessary for us to move forward. So yeah, it cost everything.
Tenika Davis in ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ • Photo: STARZ.
My condolences to you on your loss. It begs the question how does loving men fit in?
Achillia has a complicated relationship with men. Remember her one line she says to her love interest: ‘Of all the people in this house, you are the least offensive!’ You’ll remember that in Episode Five she has that intimate moment with Celadus… And so, you understand this character has been hurt. You can see the trauma and the pain on her hands and on her body –and having to transcend that, to be able to feel safe with a man. That is challenging. And the first moment she is able to have that connection with Celadus… it’s a revelation for her. As a woman not feeling safe, but showing vulnerability again is something that she’s going to continue to battle against.
How to be soft and strong?
You know what? You just struck a chord with me, because being a Black woman there’s a lot of strength that comes inherently! But being a woman in general, no matter your race, there’s a million things we are navigating throughout the day. That’s why they love calling us multitaskers! But it’s just having that ability to be able to feel safe enough to be vulnerable. And we’re not just one thing. Achillia is not just one thing. She can’t be only power and strength and resilience. She has to have other layers where she’s also vulnerable. And so people will identify with her softness and her femininity because people are multidimensional. I knew when I was making my choices for the character, I didn’t want her to be one thing. I wanted her to be all things.
Tenika Davis in ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ • Photo: STARZ.
You come from a modeling background as well. As a popular finalist on Canada’s Next Top Model, what attracted you to acting?
As a little girl, I read stories. And when I had difficult circumstances, I could escape into characters. I became obsessed with strong, powerful females that are impactful and transform lives because they transform my life. So, when I started off modeling, as a storyteller, I knew I can tell the story of a black female amongst people who don’t look like me and help redefine that idea of what is seen as beautiful, by going out there and telling stories with my body, with my skin color.
Do you think that little girl is proud of the woman that you are?
Absolutely. If I could go back in time, I would tell her, don’t worry, everything that you’re going for, everything that you’re going through in this journey, is for your good later on. And just never give up, keep smiling and don’t let anything dim your light. I think she would be proud to see the woman that I’ve become because I started off a journey where I actually didn’t think I was beautiful and didn’t feel strong. And to now be playing characters where I get to be those things, that is something that I think that little girl, if she was to see it right now, would be like: “Yes! We did it!”
And you’ve done it for her and so many others!
It’s not just about me. I think there’s a whole bunch of people like Achillia. She is an archetype for a person that has challenges and experiences difficult things. She finds the strength and resilience to keep on trying, to keep working, to keep surviving. And not just surviving, but thriving. That’s why audiences have resonated so deeply with this character: it’s the fight that we all have within that we’re seeing shine through her.
Tenika Davis in ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ • Photo: STARZ.
In this milieu there is almost no one else that compares, except Lucy Lawless!
Yes. And I met her!!!!
What was that moment like?
It meant everything! As a little girl, I looked up to Xena: Warrior Princess. She’s strong and powerful and beautiful. And you remember how she would fight?
Yes!
As a girl, I wanted to do that, and I knew there was something inside of me that could. So, when I met her on set, it was a dream come true!
What did she say?
She actually said, ‘I heard you’re killing it out there. Job well done.’ And I was just like, ‘Really?!’ To get that from one of my heroes meant everything to me.
And well-deserved! Even your cast mate, Jordi, said glowing things about you and the energy you brought on set.
I appreciate that! As cast mates, we start this journey and we never know that we’re going to have this quirky, incredible, talented family come together. And it’s not just me playing this character. Every single time you see me in a fight, there’s someone doing that dance on the other side. And Jordi, Dan Hamill, Nick Tarabay, all of my cast mates, we came together to create something special. They’re all part of why I was able to build this character. It’s me, but also my stunt double, Belle Williams! So, creating that safe environment in which we were able to really hone in on our creativity and go to those depths –that was the magic. It allowed us all to be able to play the depth and the fullness of these characters and do them all justice.
Spartacus: House of Usher is now streaming on Starz
