Avan Jogia On ‘Tut,’ Sir Ben Kingsley [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]

Avan Jogia shot to stardom on teen shows like Victorious and Twisted, but he’s now taking on a more mature role in Spike TV’s new miniseries Tut, in which he plays King Tutankhamun.

Avan Jogia On ‘Tut’

Tut opens with Tutankhamun learning on his feet how to be a pharaoh following his father’s death by poisoning. Ostensibly, he becomes the most powerful man in his kingdom – but he soon finds out that his power is threatened, and that if he wants to keep it, he’s going to have to take action.

“He’s kind of this boy prince trying to figure out what it is to be pharaoh and what it is to reign, and he slowly realizes that these other groups, these special interest groups are taking his power away from him,” Jogia told uInterview. “And he starts to try and take the reigns back.”

“It’s an amazing century or era. The 18th dynasty of the Egyptian empire is like a really convoluted one, and so many questions and a lot of turmoil,” Jogia added. “So [Tut] was born into blood almost in this kind of very violent world, and the Tut that we commit to screen is one that is in battle with himself and at odds with the people around him as also.”

One of the people close by Tut is his advisor Vizier Ay, played by Sir Ben Kingsley, who Jogia calls “an incredible talent.” Before Jogia’s Tut comes of age and starts to assert his power, Ay is the acting ruler. When Tut decides that it is time for him to take control of his kingdom, it causes friction with Ay.

“That steps on Vizier’s toes, and so theres this kind of a little bit of tension there,” Jogia explained. “It’s an interesting kind of little power-play between myself and Sir Ben, and it was fun to play and I think it’s going to be equally enjoyable to watch.”

Tut premieres on Spike TV Sunday at 9/8c.