Michael Hurst

What draws me to Michael Hurst is the rare span of his work. A serious Shakespearean stage actor who became a household face as Iolaus in Hercules and Xena, then turned around and directed Spartacus and Ash vs Evil Dead. That movement between high theatre and pulpy fun signals real range and a craftsman's appetite. The ONZM honour feels earned, not ceremonial. I admire performers who can both command a stage and shape a show from behind the camera, and Hurst quietly belongs to that small, durable club of genuine all-rounders.

Name (English)

Michael Hurst

Name (Japanese)

マイケル・ハースト

Reading

まいける・はーすと

Born

September 20, 1957 (age 68)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Virgo / Rooster

Origin

Lancashire, United Kingdom

Occupation

actor / film director / screenwriter / stage actor / film actor

High school

Papanui High School

University

University of Canterbury

Awards & achievements

• Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

• Official sitehttp://michaelhurst.co.nz/
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/raunchy_twyford/
• Xhttps://x.com/MichaelHurstNow
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael%20Hurst
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q250041

Tags

• actor
• film director
• screenwriter

Last updated

2026-06-21

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.