With a massive amount of buzz behind it, the highly anticipated cable TV series Da Vinci's Demons is set to kick off tonight on the Starz network.

Actor Tom Riley, who plays the lead role of Leonardo Da Vinci, spoke to Hollywood Life about the differences between his character and the legendary Da Vinci himself.

"Our Da Vinci is far more youthful, re-imagined as a young, swashbuckling, action-adventurer.  I didn't know anything about him in his youth ... and some of the stuff we found out is crazy," he said.

Interestingly enough, one such realizations was the strenuous relationship Da Vinci had with his father along with him having  numerous adversaries.

"He was tormented by a lot of things.  He was illegitimate, he couldn't inherit wealth, he had no formal education. ... In our show, he doesn't know who his mother is [and] he has repressed memories about his childhood he can't get a hold of.  And then, literally, there are his enemies that circle him - from the Vatican, from this cult called the Sons of Mithras.  It's all go," Riley added.

Although the series debut will show the character at his peak, Riley informs the site that things are going to rapidly go wrong, which may be a scenario he doesn't mind all that much.

"As the series progresses, things get darker for him.  He finds his big mouth getting him into more trouble than he'd like - or maybe he does enjoy it,  We also go to some crazy places, literally.  We leave Florence and go to Rome, Romania ... We travel all over."

Starz's Da Vinci's Demons is set to debut on Friday, April 12 at 10 p.m. EDT.  Video footage of the respective interview can be watched below. 

Tags: Da Vinci's Demons Starz television