CNN has confirmed that after a long battle with cancer, 'Spartacus' star Andy Whitfield has died. Fans of the extremely successful show know Whitfield as the renowned gladiator who led a rebellion against the man who killed his wife.
According to reports in the New York Times, the 39-year-old actor passed away on Sunday in his home town of Sydney, Australia from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Unknown in the States prior to his role on 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand' Whitfield took what everyone assumed would be a temporarily hiatus after a routine checkup in March of 2010. Starz Entertainment, the company behind the show, opted to film a prequel in his wake, using a number of different actors to complete 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena'. But Whitfield never improved enough to return to the title role for its second season, which is currently in production in New Zealand. As a result the role was recast to Australian actor Liam McIntyre.
Whitfield's co-stars are reaching out with their condolences. In a statement made via her website, 'Spartacus' actress Lucy Lawless says, "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," the statement said. "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!"
