Australian actor Julian McMahon has died at the age of 56.
The Charmed and Nip/Tuck star’s wife Kelly Paniagua revealed in a statement that McMahon had passed away on Wednesday (2 July) in Clearwater, Florida, after a “valiant effort to overcome cancer”, which he had dealt with privately.
“With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer,” Paniagua told Deadline.
“Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans.
“His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible. We ask for support during this time to allow our family to grieve in privacy.
“And we wish for all of those to whom Julian brought joy, to continue to find joy in life. We are grateful for the memories.”
McMahon was born in Sydney, Australia in 1968 to former Australian prime minister Sir William McMahon and his wife Sonia.
He worked as a model before landing acting roles in Australian soaps such as The Power, The Passion and Home and Away, where he met his first wife, actor and singer Dannii Minogue.
In 2000, he joined the cast of the fantasy drama Charmed as Cole Turner and later received acclaim for his role as Dr Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck, Ryan Murphy’s darkly comic drama about a plastic surgery clinic, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Drama in 2005.
He also played Doctor Doom in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie and its 2007 sequel, and more recently starred in FBI: Most Wanted from 2020 to 2022.
McMahon’s final role was in Netflix’s mystery series The Residence, in which he played a fictional Australian prime minister.
His former colleagues shared emotional tributes, with McMahon’s The Surfer co-star Nicolas Cage describing his loss as “such deeply saddening news”.
“I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors,” Cage told Deadline. “Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favourites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favourite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family.”
Actor Rose McGowan, who starred alongside him on Charmed, hailed him as a “force of brilliance, wild talent and humour” in a statement shared on her Instagram story. “For you, your family and loving fans all over the world, I pray comfort,” she added.
Ioan Gruffudd, who worked with McMahon on the Fantastic Four movies, wrote in an Instagram tribute: “Even though we played each other’s nemeses, there was always so much lightness and laughter working together. Every encounter with him was a joy.
“It was an honour to be Dr Richards to his Dr Doom. My heart goes out to his wife and family. God speed Julian.”
McMahon is survived by his daughter Madison, who he shared with second wife, actor and TV star Brooke Burns.
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