Spartacus star Andy Whitfield dies aged 39
Andy Whitfield, the star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, has passed away at the age of 39.
The Welsh-born Australian actor had been battling non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma but died in Sydney on Sunday.
His wife Vashti released a statement to say Andy had passed away "on a sunny Sydney morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife".
Whitfield played the title role on the hit show throughout the first series but was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in March 2010, while preparing for the show's season two return.
After two months of treatment he was given the all-clear only for the disease to return in September, forcing the actor to quit Spartacus in order to continue treatment.
Chris Albrecht, CEO of the Starz network that produced the series, issued a statement in the wake of his death, saying: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Andy Whitfield.
"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."
Andy is survived by his wife and two children.
Our thoughts are with his family.
0 comments:
Post a Comment