Six years after the release of 300, fans will be able to feast their eyes on award-winning Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro again as he reprises his role of Xerxes the god-king in 300: Rise of an Empire, which hits theaters today.

The 2007 worldwide hit, 300, which was directed by Zack Synder, has returned with its sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, where it's revealed how Xerxes became god-king -- and the film humanizes the character before he's emblazoned in "gold molten" and becomes a dark and vengeful force that's larger than life.

While I am not a fan of blood and gore and get squeamish at beheadings and slashings, the 3-D, action-packed film actually made me want to put on some armour, grab a sword and fight. It's a bad-ass blood bath of visual effects, sexual aggression, fierce females and brutal battle scenes at sea where the element of nature versus man also come into the mix, making for an even more intense adventure.

In 300: Rise of an Empire, it is revealed how Xerxes became a god-king. Santoro says, "In the first film, you had no idea where he came from, so seeing his transformation now brings more dimension to this character, and you understand the power behind his throne.

"I've never done that before-to revisit a character," the actor explained. "I really understood what the challenge was when I had a conversation with [producer] Zack Snyder and he explained to me how we could meet him before he was a god-king. The beautiful thing about this film is that you learn why and how he undergoes this extreme transformation." 

Santoro, who reportedly had to undergo a full-body shave, five hours of make-up on daily basis and wear prosthetics to appear as a golden god-king, seized the opportunity to revisit the powerful character.

The sexy international star also had to religiously hit the gym twice a day and had to be more strict about his diet. He's half-Italian, so it was especially hard for him to give up the pasta that he loves so much.

While there are some similarities between 300: Rise of an Empire, and 300, there are some innovative additions that we see in the current film, in what is being called "a new chapter in the epic-saga." But as mentioned, this time we see the battle unfold at sea, which adds a new, intensity to the film.

The story pits the Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) against the massive invading Persian forces, ruled by the mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and led by Artemisia (Eva Green), the vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

Knowing his only hope of defeating the overwhelming Persian armada will be to unite all of Greece, Themistokles ultimately leads the charge that will change the course of the war, according to Warner Bros.

Like Santoro, actress Lena Headley reprises her role as the Spartan Queen in 300, which also starred Gerard Butler.

Before Santor played the androgynous god-king who's dripping in gold, he was already a huge success in Brazil. He broke barriers by becoming the first Brazilian actor to receive an MTV Movie Award nomination for his performance.

Santoro appeared in his first American film, 2003's Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, followed later that year by the hit romantic comedy Love, Actually.

In 2004, he won the Cannes Film Festival's Chopard Trophy for Male Revelation. Since then, he has starred in a variety of films, including David Mamet's Redbelt; Pablo Trapero's Lion's Den; both parts of Steven Soderbergh's Che; I Love You Phillip Morris, for directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa; Kirk Jones' What to Expect When You're Expecting, and The Last Stand.

Santoro starred in the title role in Heleno, about the famed Brazilian soccer player, and also produced the film, which premiered to great acclaim at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival.

The hunky actor is even in demand when it comes to animated films -- he's even reprised his roles in animation as well. Besides his good looks, you could say that his Brazilian roots and good vocals have made him a perfect addition to the animated feature, Rio, which he's voiced a lead role. Like 300, he is reprising his role again in the sequel, Rio 2.

Among his other upcoming films are Focus, reuniting him with Ficarra and Requa; Gavin O'Connor's Jane Got a Gun; Pele; Rio, I Love You; and The 33.

He's also been on TV, where he had a regular role on the third season of ABC's hit show Lost, among others.

300: Rise of an Empire, hits theaters nationwide today in 3D and 2D (in select theatres) and IMAX.

Check out the official trailer and brace yourself for an intense journey -- and see determine which side you'll be on.