Andy Whitfield, the Australian star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand on Starz, died this past Sunday.
The 37-year-old lost his battle with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. His wife, Vashti, who was with him in Sydney, Australia, said in a statement that he was a “beautiful young warrior.”
“No words to express the depth of such a loss,” “Spartacus” co-creator Steven S. DeKnight wrote Sunday on Twitter. “You will be deeply missed, my brother.”
Whitfield made a huge splash internationally in 2010 as the title character in Starz’ violent and sexy series. He seemed like a really great guy to know and work with, as well a being an awesome actor.
Lucy Lawless, his “Blood and Sand” co-star, posted this message Monday on her official site, lucylawlessfanclub.com:
Obviously, Andy Whitfield left an indelible mark on all of us in the Spartacus family. He was a gentle man who never said a bad word about anyone, a gifted photographer, engineer (no really!) and a brilliant actor. Andy’s incandescent film presence made men want to be him and women want to marry him. Andy’s two babies will always know that their Daddy cherished them and their mother, Vashti, above all things. How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. Godspeed, Andy!
Whitfield was preparing for the show’s second season when he was diagnosed with the cancer 18 months ago during a routine checkup. The second season was replaced by the prequel “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” so that Whitfield could be treated and then return to the series. He attended the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con fully prepared to come back for a second season.
But a few months after Comic-Con, he had a relapse and completely left the show to receover. In January, Starz announced that Australian actor Liam McIntyre, would take over the role, after Whitfield gave his okay.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Andy Whitfield,” Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht said in a statement. “We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in ‘Spartacus’ and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life. Andy was an inspiration to all of us as he faced this very personal battle with courage, strength and grace. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. He will live on in the hearts of his family, friends and fans.”
Whitfield is survived by his wife and their two children.
Mr. Whitfield, we here at Chulo Magazine are gonna miss you a lot. You made history full of blood, bad-assery, and completely awesome.
