The fake babies bundled into a bin suggests this is one serious television show. The waft of horse dung makes the West Auckland set smell like a Greek city from many years BC. Rotund warriors in fur uniforms, gaunt villagers in smocks, and fake baskets of fruit add to the atmosphere. One Hercules cast member who is used to filming in New Zealand is Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord Of The Rings. In Hercules, Astin is again cast as a faithful companion, playing the bard Linus. “The sidekick business has been very good,” he laughs. “It’s not hard work. [More]