series, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, M.A.N.T.I.S., Spy Game, and American Gothic. Tapert also co-created the prequel series Young Hercules that starred Ryan Gosling. During Hercules, Tapert created the character of Xena which he later spun off into a separate series, Xena: Warrior Princess. The franchise has been referred to as ground-breaking and the character as a feminist and lesbian icon. Xena: Warrior Princess has been credited by many, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, with blazing the trail for a new generation of female action heroes such as Buffy, Max of Dark Angel, Sydney Bristow of Alias, and the Bride in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. After serving as Lucy Lawless's stunt double on Xena, stunt woman Zoë E. Bell was recruited to be Uma Thurman's stunt double in Tarantino's Kill Bill. By helping to pave the way for female action heroes in television and film, Xena also strengthened the stunt woman profession. In 2008, Tapert produced Legend of the Seeker, the television adaptation of the popular Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind for ABC Studios. Tapert followed with the Roman epic Spartacus for Starz in 2010, including Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Spartacus: Vengeance, and Spartacus: War of the Damned. Tapert's most recent television project is Ash vs Evil Dead based on the Evil Dead film franchise that premiered on Starz in 2015. Filmography Film Acting roles Other roles Direct-to-video Producer Battle the Big Tuna (1991) (Documentary film) 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010) Executive producer Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus (1998) Messengers 2: The Scarecrow (2009) Television Acting roles Video game Musical Tapert produced the stage musical Pleasuredome as a love story to 1980's New York City incorporating songs from the era. The play, which was based on Tapert's personal experiences, successfully premiered in 2017 to critical acclaim and sold-out crowds in Tapert's home of Auckland, New Zealand and stars Lucy Lawless. 57,000 tickets were sold during its first 13-week run. Further reading Warren, Bill. The Evil Dead Companion, . References External links Official Rob Tapert Site 1955 births American film producers Living people Michigan State University alumni Place of birth missing (living people)