Starz has begun searching for a replacement for actor Andy Whitfield in "Spartacus," after Whitfield was forced to quit because of a recurrence of his cancer, reports EW.com’s The Ausiello Files.

A casting notice says producers are looking for a Caucasian male in his mid to late 30s to play the "smart, intense, passionate” Spartacus, the story says. Actors must also possess an authentic British accent and sign a three-year contract, the item adds.

As previously reported, Whitfield said he wouldn’t return to the program’s second season after requiring additional treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.