Julian McMahon, of ‘Charmed’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ fame, passes away at 56
Julian McMahon, the Australian-born actor best known for his roles in the celebrated television series Charmed and Nip/Tuck, as well as his performance in the Fantastic Four film franchise from the 2000s, passed away on Wednesday. He was 56.
His wife, Kelly Paniagua, released a statement on Friday verifying his untimely demise. McMahon had reportedly been privately battling with cancer for some time.
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McMahon’s debut came with a role in a small Australian soap opera, The Power, The Passion, in 1989. Towards the end of the year, he had been cast into a role on Home and Away, playing Benito Lucini in the show. McMahon’s Hollywood breakthrough came with his performance as Ian Rain in Another World, an American television series. His characters, Cole Turner in Charmed from 2000-2005, and Dr Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck from 2003-2010, garnered him international acclaim, even resulting in a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the latter. His film roles were no less impressive, playing supervillain Dr Doom in the Fantastic Four film in 2005 and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2007.
Born to former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon and Lady Sonia McMahon, in Sydney on July 27, 1968, Julian was their only son. Finding no interest in his studies in law at the University of Sydney, and later economics at the University of Wollongong, McMahon began his career as a model before shifting his profession to acting. His most recent role was in the Netflix series The Residence, where he played the Australian Prime Minister in a poignant full-circle moment.
In her heartfelt statement to Deadline, his wife, Kelly Paniagua, with whom he had been in a relationship for 11 years before tying the knot in 2014, said, “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. 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.” She has asked for privacy for the family as they deal with the grief of his loss at this time. McMahon is also survived by his daughter, Madison Elizabeth McMahon, who was born from his previous marriage with model Brooke Burns.
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