Ben Pullen plays Ivanhoe

The "Dark Knight" - Ivanhoe is played by English actor Ben Pullen. At 28, Ben is the young, handsome Ivanhoe Sir Walter Scott envisaged in his 1891 novel.

With a natural aptitude for the physical demands of the role, Ben combines elegance on horseback with brutal swordplay and daring stunt work. Away from the fray, Ben's classical training at the Bristol Old Vic brings strength to the complex character of Ivanhoe. He leads the fight against evil and yet there are sensitive elements to the character, which Ben describes as "a mix of hard man and vulnerability".Now living in London, Ben was born in Switzerland and grew up in Hong Kong and the United States. Since studying film at the University of Warwick and training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Ben has landed an array of film and television roles.

Feature film roles include The Ideal Husband where Ben worked with Cate Blanchett and Rupert Everett, Ben played Tommy Trafford, Minnie Driver's love interest. Ben has just completed his latest film L'Intern (The Intern) playing the romantic lead opposite Dominique Swain of Lolita fame. He will also be familiar to audiences from his starring television roles including Robin in The Last Salute, and Nick in Faith in the Future.

Charlotte Comer plays Rebecca

Charlotte Comer is a stunning new actress perfectly cast to play Rebecca, Ivanhoe'sbeautiful companion. Rebecca is a complex character, by turns a gentle healer and fierce fighter who sees Ivanhoe as her destiny. Blessed with a dancer's grace and statuesque figure, Charlotte stands out in her first major television role.

Charlotte describes her character as "a strong person with ideals who hates the idea of killing, yet she can handle herself in a fight". A modern character in a medieval setting, Rebecca could well become the new century's feminine hero.A talented dancer, Charlotte has also studied yoga, Pilates, fencing and, more unusually, boxing. With an appearance in the BBC's The Wyvern Mysteries. Charlotte is a relative newcomer to television, but she has years of performance experience behind her.

Charlotte was born in Cheshire then grew up and went to school in the village of Sale. She spent 3 years with Manchester Youth Dance theatre, until at 13 she was snapped up by a Manchester Model Agency, and moved to London to be with Models One . Charlotte's work took her all over the world living and working in Vienna, Milan, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. At 21 realizing that modeling wasn't specifically what she wanted to do, she auditioned and was excepted at the Drama Center London, 3 years later, she graduated and was whisked off to New Zealand for her part in Dark Knight.

Charlotte is excited to be working in New Zealand, a country she has always wanted to visit.

Peter O'Farrell plays Odo

Veteran actor Peter O'Farrell plays Odo, the comic dwarf and friend to Ivanhoe and Rebecca. Peter's excellent feel for humour brings an air of humanity to the heroic quest. With film credits which include An Awfully Big Adventure, Santa Claus and Prisoners of the Lost Universe, Peter is no stranger to the world of fantasy and adventure.

A one time jockey, Peter has no problem controlling his donkey although he admits it is more cantankerous than most horses. Peter has enjoyed his role as Odo, especially the fight scenes where he often has the last word with his trusty warhammer "Toecracker".

Peter began his acting career at the age of eleven, and was performing stand-up comedy by the time he turned 20. His career changed direction with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he played everyone from Tom Thumb to Tranio and gathered a wealth of acting experience. Peter has since been in demand for a variety of film and television roles, including television parts in Alas Smith and Jones, van Gogh and the title role in Dr Zargle.

Peter likes to sing and play the guitar for relaxation and enjoyment.

Cameron Rhodes plays Prince John

Cameron Rhodes is having a fabulous time playing Prince John, usurper to the throne and Ivanhoe's nemesis. With an impish grin and wicked sense of humour, Rhodes has a lot of fun with the spoilt behaviour and nasty lines he gets in what he describes as "the best role I've ever had". Cameron is relishing the opportunity to explore different aspects of his role, which he sees as "a lot like a spoilt brat, he's often drunk or over-excited. But he's scared inside".

An accomplished performer, Cameron has appeared in Xena: Warrior Princess, The Enid Blyton Adventure Series, Swiss Family Robinson and more recently in William Shatner's A Twist in the Tale. Cameron has also acted in several New Zealand films and has an impressive list of theatre credits including The Herbal Bed, Cyrano de Bergerac and Beauty and the Beast. He has also sung in a number of musicals including Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd.

Cameron is also a drama teacher and director. He enjoys running, swimming and mountain biking near his Wellington home.

Todd Rippon plays Falco

At six feet tall and bald with piercing blue eyes, Todd Rippon is perfectly cast as the brutish Norman knight, Falco. Always at odds with Ivanhoe and frequently berated by Prince John, Falco is a seething pool of resentment- an emotion that Todd conveys chillingly. Todd believes a strength in this role is "the devil in my eye".

No stranger to television (or to baddie roles), Todd first caught the imagination of viewers with his portrayal of Macon the murderer in Xena: Warrior Princess. Prior to that he had appeared in numerous films, including Castaway directed by Nicholas Roeg. His television credits include roles in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The Legends of William Tell, Shortland Street and The Enid Blyton Adventure Series.

Todd grew up and was educated in Wellington, New Zealand. He developed an early interest in acting and began appearing in numerous plays. Following high school graduation at 17, Todd had 15 different jobs in his first year of work, and he now describes himself as "a jack of all trades".

After a stint in Australia where he gained a great deal of classical theatre experience, Todd returned to a busy career in New Zealand. Between appearances on local comedy shows, soap operas and longer series he teaches guitar at a local college. Todd continues to live in Wellington with his wife Pippa and their two young sons. {visit Todds site}

Jeffrey Thomas plays Mordour

Black magician and nemesis to Prince John. Jeffrey enjoys the charge he gets from playing Mordour who is, he says "totally fearless, he has nothing to fear from anybody.It's quite a strong position to be in".

Jeffrey has played leading roles in series such as the BBC's "Bowen A'i Bartner", TVNZ's "Shark In the Park" and the mini-series "The Sound and the Silence" for which he was nominated best supporting actor. An accomplished writer for theatre, film and television Jeffrey has written for several New Zealand TV series, including "Gloss", "Marlin Bay" and "Plainclothes". His stage play "Playing the Game" was first performed in New Zealand before being produced in the UK at Theatr Clwyd and The King's Head, London.

In the Welsh language he devised and wrote many episodes of the successful TV drama series "Mwy Na Phapur Newydd", in addition to writing and directing a short film, "Making Money". More recently he has appeared regularly in "Hercules" playing Jason the legendary leader of the Argonauts. Jeffrey's recent stage appearances include "Closer" and the Pulitzer prize winning "How I Learned to Drive".

Desmond Kelly plays Fingal

The last of the druids, keeper of Druid Runes and Artefacts and last practitioner of Druid Magic. Fingal is a spiritual guide to Ivanhoe in his quest to destroy the dark forces. "I've waited all my life for one who would stand against evil when it came" is the line that, for Desmond, sums up Fingal. Fingal uses what Desmond calls his "applied magic" to keep the young Ivanhoe and Rebecca out of trouble. Nevertheless Desmond sees Fingal as "tetchy and a bit crusty" in that he doubts the ability of youth to succeed in a quest where experience counts. Fingal's constant companion is Beggar the hooded rat, which forced Desmond to overcome his "healthy revulsion" of rats to play the part.

Desmond Kelly began his working life as a geologist before becoming a teacher. After teaching in New Zealand and Fiji Des returned to lecture at Wellington Teachers College. A growing unease with the education establishment followed by a chance conversation with the College drama lecturer led to his third career switch. In 1976 a very nervous Desmond Kelly made his debut in an amateur dramatic production at the age of 48. After a stint with the Karori Dramatic Society Desmond landed a job at Wellington's Downstage Theatre where he gained vital professional experience.

From there Desmond went on to appear in many New Zealand films, including Roger Donaldson's "Smash Palace", Vincent Ward's "The Navigator" and Peter Jackson's "Frighteners" among others. Desmond's extensive television credits include guest roles in "Xena: Warrior Princess", "Shortland Street", "Bread and Roses", "The Enid Blyton Adventure Series" and continuing character roles in several well known New Zealand series, as well as over 20 years of theatre work. Desmond has been nominated for more than one best actor award.

Desmond lives with his wife Elizabeth on a large, idyllic property near Wellington.

Michael Wilson plays Friar Bacon

Michael Wilson has clocked up many hours on the big and small screens. He has had feature roles in six films, including "Heart of the Stag" and "Pallet on the Floor". His innumerable television roles included fronting his own children's television programme (five days a week for a year) to being stunt double for Worzel Gummidge. Michael has enjoyed stunt work on a few feature films and TV programmes, though he has a tendency to be spectacularly accident-prone.

Michael performed as an acrobat with the New Zealand Ballet in 1976. Most of his acting career has been spent as a comedian working throughout New Zealand and Australia. He was voted "Best of the Fringe" at Sydney Festival in 1981.

Michael played Dog in a stage play of the "Footrot Flats" cartoon. His many radio plays and theatre work included a large amount of Shakepearean work, with his comic and acrobatic skills suited to parts such as Puck, Moth, Feste, Flute and Autolycus. Michael also toured New Zealand as Harpo Marx in "Full Marx!" a musical about the Marx brothers. He had no lines to remember, but he got to jump around a lot.

Michael's character was killed by a giant on "Hercules" but he reappeared as another character bad-mouthing a centaur a few episodes later. Other recent TV credits include "A Twist in the Tale", "William Tell" and "Enid Blyton Adventure Series" the latter of which had Michael playing a Gestapo-like villain which was "a great change from the skinny weaklings I usually get to play" he laughs.

Friar Bacon is also a tough character in his own quiet way. A man of God but also a man of science, Bacon takes great delight in manufacturing gunpowder. Friar Bacon is Ivanhoe's intellectual weapon in his battle to combat evil forces. Michael's own approach to challenging evil is slightly less conventional, "Just once I'd like to lift up my cassock and do a flying karate leap at them".