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SALT LAKE CITY — Manu Bennett has garnered millions of fans from both his film and television roles. He played gladiator, Crixus, in the series "Spartacus" and the menacing Ork, Azog in "The Hobbit" and he is coming to the Comic-Con in Salt Lake City in September.
When Bennett played the sword-wielding warrior of "Spartacus," he caught the eye of filmmaker, Peter Jackson, which landed him his role in "The Hobbit."
Bennet said that creating a superhero or equally dreadful villain takes careful coordination of mind and body. With a process called motion capture, he wore a body suit and helmet with a camera.
"So when they make the face of Azog, it's basically like having a plastic mask and putting the dots where my face is, so when I move, the mask moves."
Bennett's latest tough guy is Slade Wilson in the CW network series "Arrow".
"Even ‘Arrow' has got a new run of the comic series for the DC Comic world, based upon the series," Bennett said. "So, things do feed each other."
- Sept. 5-7
- $50 for a three day pass
- Held at the Salt Palace Convention Center
He said appearing at Comic-Con conventions is all about making that person-to-person connection.
"The thing that the person at home gets is the opportunity to come and meet face-to-face with the writers, artists and people who draw these cartoons and the characters they play," Bennett said.
Bennett has appeared at Comic-Cons around the world. He believes it will become an annual event in Utah.
"This is where the Sundance Film Festival happens, so it's another big score for Salt Lake City," he said. "Well Done!"
The Comic-Con will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Sept. 5-7.