It’s always sad when a talented young man is cut down in his prime. But isn’t it a little extra sad when the guy is really hot too? Andy Whitfield, star of the television series Spartacus, has lost his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was diagnosed last year, and I honestly thought he was in remission. People Magazine reports that the lymphoma “reoccurred” though. He was 39.
Andy Whitfield, who starred in TV’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand – only to leave the show to treat a recurrence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – died Sunday of the disease at age 39.
The actor’s wife Vashti said in a statement that the “beautiful young warrior” died on a “sunny Sydney morning” in the “arms of his loving wife,” the Associated Press reports.
Born in Wales and a resident of Australia, Whitfield was preparing for a second season in September 2010 when he announced that he would not be returning to the Starz series so he could undergo aggressive cancer treatment. He was replaced by actor Liam McIntyre.
In Whitfield’s statement, he said, “It seems that it is time for myself and my family to embark on another extraordinary journey.”
[From People]
By all reports, Whitfield was a really lovely guy, adored and respected by his coworkers, friends and family. It’s such a loss for Hollywood, for the people who loved him, and for his fans. So sad.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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