Michael Eric Hurst

ONZM The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

(born 20 September 1957) is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-born

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs ''

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' is an American television series filmed in New Zealand, based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles (Hercules was his Roman analogue). Starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as ...

'' and companion series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' as

Iolaus In Greek mythology, Iolaus (; Ancient Greek: Ἰόλαος ''Iólaos'') was a Theban divine hero. He was famed for being Heracles' nephew and for helping with some of his Labors, and also for being one of the Argonauts. Family Iolaus was t ...

. Most recently, he is known for his role in directing the

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

series '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' and ''

Ash vs Evil Dead Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash is ...

''.

Biography

Hurst was born in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England, the eldest of three brothers. When he was seven his family moved to

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand. He enrolled at

Papanui High School Papanui High School (PHS) is a state secondary school located in Papanui, Christchurch, New Zealand. The school was founded as Papanui Technical College in 1936 and was officially renamed Papanui High School in 1949. The first principal of the sch ...

, then

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

, but for only one year. He is married to New Zealand actress

Jennifer Ward-Lealand ' Jennifer Cecily Ward-Lealand (born 8 November 1962) is a New Zealand theatre and film actor, director, teacher and intimacy coordinator. She has worked for 40 years, appearing in over 120 theatre performances: Greek, Shakespeare, drama, come ...

and they have two sons. In 1984, Hurst won the lead role of David Blyth's '' Death Warmed Up'', New Zealand's first splatter movie. The plot saw Hurst's character weathering institutionalisation, sundry wackos, and a motorcycle chase in the tunnels below

Waiheke Island Waiheke Island (; Māori: ) is the second-largest island (after Great Barrier Island) in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. Its ferry terminal in Matiatia Bay at the western end is from the central-city terminal in Auckland. It is the most pop ...

. The film won the grand prize at a fantasy film festival in Paris. The same year Hurst began playing drummer Dave Nelson over two series of ''Heroes'', about a band searching for fame. Crime thriller ''

Dangerous Orphans ''Dangerous Orphans'' is a 1986 New Zealand action film directed by John Laing. Synopsis Harry, Moir and Rossi after growing up together orphanage, as adults they pull off the occasional heist together. They plan an international heist to aven ...

'' (1986) is the first film in which Hurst co-starred with real-life partner Jennifer Ward-Lealand (he had already acted with her on-stage). Hurst's role was one of three grown orphans caught up in a mission to one-up various criminal figures; Ward-Lealand played romantic interest to one of the other orphans. Hurst would work with Ward-Lealand again on his next three features, 1992's ''The Footstep Man'', 1993's ''

Desperate Remedies ''Desperate Remedies'' is the second novel by Thomas Hardy, albeit the first to be published. It was released anonymously by Tinsley Brothers in 1871. Plot summary In ''Desperate Remedies'' a young woman, Cytherea Graye, is forced by pover ...

'' and 1999's ''I'll Make You Happy''. In 1993, he starred alongside Australian

Sophie Lee Sophie Lee (born 7 August 1968)TV Hits Sophie Lee Collect-a-Card is an Australian film, stage and television actress and author. Career Lee worked as a model early in her career, both in Australia and Japan''Lunch of Blood'' by Antonella Gambo ...

and Brit

Greg Wise Matthew Gregory Wise, born 1966, is an English actor and producer. He has appeared in several British television programmes and feature films. He played the role of John Willoughby in ''Sense and Sensibility'', which also starred Emma Thompson, ...

in the TV thriller '' Typhon's People''. Hurst played a European mystery man uncovering the truth behind corporate genetic meddling. The script was by author

Margaret Mahy Margaret Mahy (21 March 1936 – 23 July 2012) was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growi ...

. Hurst went on to co-star in ''

'' with

Kevin Sorbo Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for actin ...

, playing sidekick Iolaus to Sorbo's Hercules. Hurst made his feature debut as a director with ''

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

'' (2000), based on the book by Nepi Solomon. The film stars

Cliff Curtis Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born 27 July 1968) is a New Zealand actor. His film credits include '' Once Were Warriors'' (1994), ''Three Kings'' (1999), ''Training Day'' (2001), '' Whale Rider'' (2002), ''Collateral Damage'' (2002), '' Sunshin ...

as a kind-hearted procrastinator who gets the chance to prove himself by organising a 75th jubilee. Hurst followed ''

'' by directing ''Love Mussel'', a one off satire for television. Written by '' Braindeads Stephen Sinclair and starring

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...

, ''Love Mussel'' is a

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

about a fictional township which erects a monument to a shellfish with

Viagra Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is unclear if it is effective for treating sexual dysfunction in women. It is taken by ...

-like properties. In 2003, Hurst was awarded an

Arts Foundation of New Zealand 'The Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi is a New Zealand arts organisation that supports artistic excellence and facilitates private philanthropy through raising funds for the arts and allocating it to New Zealand artists. The concept ...

Laureate Award. In the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

, for services to film and the theatre. In 2015, after runs in New Zealand and at the 2014

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

, Hurst directed ''The Generation of Z: Apocalypse'' at a purpose-built venue in

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

between 4 April 2015 to July 2015. Hurst stated, "A lot of the reviews have said 'immersive theatre into overdrive'. 'Video game, only live.' It has those qualities. There are choices where the audience can affect the outcome of scenes which is quite a new thing. It flows very easily depending on which choice they make." In October 2018, he was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

for his contribution to New Zealand entertainment. He has also appeared in several solo stage productions including ''No Holds Bard'' (based on several Shakespearian characters) in 2018, and ''An Illiad'' in 2019.

Filmography

Starring roles

Guest-starring roles

Director

The numbers in directing credits refer to the number of episodes.

Producer

Writer

References

External links

* * with curriculum vitae
Michael Hurst interview
with his wife

for th
Cultural Icons
project. Audio and video.
Michael Hurst Now: Michael Hurst's Projects Since Hercules The Legendary JourneysMaddigan's Quest: Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurst, Michael 1957 births English male film actors English male television actors English male stage actors English male voice actors New Zealand male film actors New Zealand male television actors New Zealand male stage actors New Zealand male soap opera actors New Zealand male voice actors Male actors from Lancashire English emigrants to New Zealand Living people Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit University of Canterbury alumni People educated at Papanui High School