Michael Hurst

**Michael Eric Hurst** (born 20 September 1957, in Lancashire, England) is a New Zealand actor, director and writer. He works mostly on stage and television. He is probably best known for playing Iolaus in the television programs _Hercules: The Legendary Journeys_ and _Xena: Warrior Princess_.

Hurst is the oldest of three brothers. When he was seven his family moved to Christchurch, New Zealand. He studied at Papanui High School. After high school, he went to  the University of Canterbury  but for only one year.

He married New Zealand actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand in 1988. They have two sons: Jack Louis Ward Hurst, born in 1997, and Cameron Lane Ward Hurst, born in 1999.

In 2003, Hurst received the Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.  He was later made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005 "for services to film and the theatre".

### Starring roles

|**Year**|**Title**|**Role**|**Other Notes**|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1981|_Prisoners_|Sciano||
|1982|_Casualties of Peace_|Peter|TV|
|1984|_Constance_|Photographer (scenes deleted)||
|1984|_"Heroes"_|Dave Nelson|TV Series|
|1985|_Hanlon: In Defence of Minnie Dean_|Elliott|TV|
|1985|_Death Warmed Up_|Michael Tucker||
|1985|_Dangerous Orphans_|Moir||
|1986|_"Heroes II"_|Dave Nelson|TV Series|
|1989|_The Shadow Trader_|Bob Hoyle|TV|
|1992|_The Footstep Man_|Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec||
|1993|_Typhon's People_|Constantine|TV|
|1993|_Desperate Remedies_|Willam Poyser||
|1994|_Hercules and the Amazon Women_|Iolaus|TV|
|1994|_Hercules in the Underworld_|Aelus|TV|
|1994|_Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur_|Iolaus|TV|
|1995|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|Iolaus/Charon/Orestes/Dahak|TV Series|
|1997|_A Moment Passing_|Joey||
|1997|_The Bar_|||
|1997|_Highwater_|Hugh Chance|TV|
|1998|_Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus_|Iolaus (voice)|Video|
|1998|_Young Hercules_|The Jeweler|Video|
|1999|_I'll Make You Happy_|Lou||
|1999|_This Is It_|Narrator, host, and various historical figures|TV|
|2001|_The Man Who Has Everything_|George Allwell|TV|
|2002|_Honey_|Nic||
|2002|_Showstoppers_|celebrity judge|TV Series|
|2003|_Murder on the Blade_|Defence lawyer|TV|
|2004|_Fracture_|Athol Peet||
|2004|_Hold the Anchovies_|Manager & Old Iraqi|Video|
|2006|_Maddigan's Quest_|Maska|TV Series|
|2007|_The Tattooist_|Crash|Movie|

### Guest-starring roles

|**Year**|**Title**|**Role**|**Episode**|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1976|_"Thirty Minute Theatre"_|Jim|"_Tinkling Brass_"|
|1983|_"Both Sides of the Fence"_|Gary McNabb|1.9|
|1989|_"Shark In the Park"_|David Jennings|"_Acting Sergeant_"|
|1990|_"The New Adventures of Black Beauty"_|Kurt|1.8 "_The Birdman_"|
|1990|_"The Ray Bradbury Theater"_|Roger Shumway|4.8 "_The Toynbee Convector_"|
|1991|_"For the Love of Mike"_|Laurie|1.6|
|1992|_"The Ray Bradbury Theater"_|Lt. Simmons|6.6 "_The Long Rain_"|
|1995|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|Iolaus|1.8 "_Prometheus_"|
|1996|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|Charon|1.16 "_Mortal Beloved_"|
|1997|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|Iolaus|2.13 "_The Quest_"|
|1997|_"E! News Daily"_|Himself||
|1997|_"Entertainment Tonight"_|Himself||
|1998|_"Young Hercules"_|Charon|1.20 "_A Lady in Hades_"|
|1999|_"Celebrity Profile"_|Himself|"_Lucy Lawless_"|
|1999|_"Backch@t"_|Himself|2.1|
|1999|_"Sunday News Give Us a Clue"_|||
|1999|_"Duggan"_|Michael Taylor|1.3 "_A Shadow of Doubt: Part 1_"|
|1999|_"Duggan"_|Michael Taylor|1.4 "_A Shadow of Doubt: Part 2_"|
|2000|_"Topp Twins"_|celebrity golfer||
|2000|_"Mai Time"_|Himself||
|2000|_"Celebrity Profile"_|Himself|"_Kevin Sorbo_"|
|2000|_"Jack of All Trades"_|Captain Nardo da Vinci|2.2 "_Shark Bait_"|
|2001|_"Love Mussel"_|Stephen Jessop||
|2001|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|Nigel|6.13 "_You Are There_"|
|2002|_"Andromeda"_|Ryan|2.20 "_The Knight, Death and the Devil_"|
|2002|_"Mataku"_|Dr. Forbes|1.5 "_The Final Plume_"|
|2003|_"Good Morning"_|Himself||
|2003|_Shortland Street_|Greg Vicelich||
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"D.J. Drummond" (voice)|1.20 _"Good Will Hunter"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.27 _"Shane's Karma: Part 2"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.30 _"The Wild Wipeout"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.31 _"Double-Edged Blake"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.33 _"General Deception, Part I"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.34 _"General Deception, Part II"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.35 _"A Gem of a Day"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.36 _"Down and Dirty"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.37 _"Storm Before the Calm, Part I"_|
|2003|_"Power Rangers: Ninja Storm"_|"Vexacus" (voice)|1.38 _"Storm Before the Calm, Part II"_|
|2005|_Power Rangers: S.P.D._|Silverhead (voice)|1.28 "_Robotpalooza_"|
|2005|_"Frontseat"_|Himself|2.24|

### Director

|**Year**|**Title**|**Other Notes**|
| --- | --- | --- |
|1994|_I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry_||
|1996|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|(TV Series) (episode 3.01 "Mercenary")|
|1997|_Amazon High_|TV|
|1997|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|(TV Series) (episode 2.15 "A Day in the Life")|
|1997|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|(TV Series) (episode 4.08 " . . . And Fancy Free")|
|1998|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|(TV Series) (episode 4.17 "One Fowl Day")|
|1998|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|(TV Series) (episode 5.01 "Faith")|
|1998|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|(TV Series) (episode 5.07 "Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge")|
|1998|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|(TV Series) (episode 4.06 "A Tale of Two Muses")|
|1999|_"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"_|(TV Series) (episode 5.15 "Greece is Burning")|
|2000|_"Jack of All Trades"_|(TV Series) episode 2.04 "The Morning After"|
|2000|_"Jack of All Trades"_|(TV Series) episode 2.06 "One, Two, Three, Give Me Lady Liberty"|
|2000|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|(TV Series) (episode 5.16 "Life Blood")|
|2000|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|(TV Series) (episode 5.18 "Anthony & Cleopatra")|
|2000|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|(TV Series) (episode 6.04 "Who's Gurkhan")|
|2000|_Jubilee_||
|2001|_"Xena: Warrior Princess"_|(TV Series) (episode 6.15 "To Helicon and Back")|
|2001|_Love Mussel_|TV|
|2004|_Treasure Island Kids: The Mystery of Treasure Island_||
|2004|_Treasure Island Kids: The Monster of Treasure Island_||
|2007|_Pumpkinhead:Blood feud_||

### Writer

|**Year**|**Title**|**Other Notes**|
| --- | --- | --- |
|1994|_I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry_|Screenplay|

## Other websites

- Michael Hurst's Official Website with his curriculum vitae
- Michael Hurst Now: Michael Hurst's Projects Since Hercules The Legendary Journeys
- Maddigan's Quest: Official Site

## Infobox (actor)

- **name**: Michael Hurst
- **imagesize**: 300px
- **caption**: Hurst on the documentary _Here To Stay_
- **birth place**: Lancashire, England
- **birthname**: Michael Eric Hurst
- **spouse**: Jennifer Ward-Lealand (1988–present)
- **website**: http://www.michaelhurst.co.nz/
- **known for**: Playing Iolaus in _Hercules: The Legendary Journeys_