Later generations' fascination with ancient Sparta, particularly the Battle of Thermopylae, has led to Xerxes' portrayal in works of popular culture. He was played by David Farrar in the fictional film "The 300 Spartans" (1962), where he is portrayed as a cruel, power-crazed despot and an inept commander. He also features prominently in the graphic novels "300" and ' by Frank Miller, as well as the film adaptation "300" (2007) and its sequel ' (2014), as portrayed by Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro, in which he is represented as a giant man with androgynous qualities, who claims to be a god-king. This portrayal attracted controversy, especially in Iran. Ken Davitian plays Xerxes in "Meet the Spartans", a parody of the first "300" movie replete with sophomoric humour and deliberate anachronisms.