Exclusive to The Official Sean Maguire Website

Sean Maguire’s latest film is about to be released on both sides of the Atlantic. Meet the Spartans, a spoof of the US blockbuster “300” with lots of hilarious celebrity bashing thrown in for good measure, is from the makers of the Scary Movie franchise, who seem to have established a proven formula and achieved much commercial success.

Playing Leonidas, King of Sparta, who in Greek Mythology, with just 300 of his guards went to battle with hundreds of thousands of Persian soldiers, was a part that the determined Brit couldn’t let slip through his fingers. Understandably he was willing to do anything to clinch the role, which included training like a professional athlete to ensure he was 25lbs heavier and in the best physical shape to take to the big screen in a toga.

“I prepared for the audition firstly by getting comedic coaching from my good friend John Cho (of American Pie fame)”, says Sean. “I knew they wanted someone bigger in terms of body build, so even before I knew I had the job I went away from the audition and frantically started training and made some good progress”.

“The film studio knew I had been working hard, and after a few weeks I got the call to say I had to role. The training stepped up a gear and was very strict but I was working with two fantastic trainers and also had a nutritionist. I wasn’t allowed any alcohol or fat, and did 2 to 3 hour workouts twice a day.”

Those who have seen the trailer will know that he is almost unrecognisable in his role of Leonidas, and his makeover included growing a beard, which was then dyed black, in order to complete the transformation.

Although Meet the Spartans will undoubtedly be his highest profile film role to date, Sean appeared in his first at just five years old, and went on to have success through his teens staring in hit British TV shows including Grange Hill, Eastenders and Dangerfield, all for the BBC. He has succeeded in forging a long-term career where most child actors fail. He credits this to the “a huge amount of good luck and good timing, as well as lots of hard work”.

He also surrounds himself with good friends, and regards his family’s support as being integral to his success. It was probably a given therefore that they would be a major influence on his first film script, which he has been penning for the last couple of years.

Sean plans to direct the film, about family and Irish dancing, should it make it to the production stage, saying it is “too personal and close to my heart to let anyone else direct it.”

It could be said that no ones knows Irish dancing like the Maguire family. His mother Kathleen was three times world champion and together with Sean’s father Michael run one of the most successful Irish dance schools in the world. Additionally many of his siblings have performed in Riverdance, including his oldest brother Darren who performed lead in the show.

In fact, Sean’s career started in his parent's dance school, when barely five an agent saw him and his sisters dancing and signed them up. Just a few weeks later he was appearing alongside Sir Lawrence Olivier in a Voyage around my Father.

As well as Meet the Spartans, Sean has filmed two more films over the last 12 months, including the small budget LA Blues, which features a “cool cast of actors”. He is “extremely proud” of the film, which stars the Dead Zone’s Anthony Michael Hall, but is yet to be given a release date.

He also played a small role in The Dukes essentially because he wanted to work with those involved including the writer/director Robert Davi, as well as the Oscar nominated Chazz Palminteri, and legendary director Peter Bogdanovich who all played leads in the film, “I would have taken any part to work with them”, he says.

Since moving Stateside in 2001 he has appeared in three US TV shows, the first being Off Centre alongside Eddie Kaye-Thomas and John Cho. This was followed by three series of Eve, staring the Grammy Award winning rapper of the same name. Most recently he appeared in The Class, a sit-com about a group of twentysomethings, which is currently airing in the UK on E4.

Despite achieving good ratings The Class didn’t make it to a second series. “We had a fantastic cast, and I really believe that if we had have gone to another series it would have hit the ground running. But it is all about dollars and cents and I understand it was a money decision. We were on the top rated channel and the competition to stay on air is so much tougher”, he says.

Despite being cancelled it is clear that the cast genuinely enjoyed working together and “try and catch up for dinner every couple weeks”. Sean is also delighted that many of his Class co-stars have graduated onto successful projects.

Being one of the first in what seems like a current stream of British actors trying to make the move to LA in recent years, he is keen to offer support to his country men when he can. “Seeing other British actors coming to LA is fantastic”, he says. Eternally upbeat and more importantly genuine his support will no doubt be comforting to those Brits wavering in the Hollywood way of life.

Although he wouldn’t rule out a return to England should a role beckon, Sean now considers LA his home, where he lives with his make-up artist girlfriend and dog, Archie. With his ideal day in LA “heading down to Malibu for a walk along the beach and spot of lunch” one would wonder how he could ever give it up.