Julian McMahon, the actor best known for starring in the medical drama Nip/Tuck and portraying Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four films, has died at the age of 56.
The Australian-born actor’s wife Kelly confirmed McMahon’s death in a statement to Deadline, adding that he died July 2 in Clearwater, Florida following a private battle with cancer. McMahon’s rep also confirmed the death to the Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” Kelly said in the statement.
“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,” she continued. “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.”
McMahon, the son of former Australian prime minister William McMahon, was first a television star in his native country, appearing in the popular soap operas The Power, the Passion and Home and Away before making the jump to Hollywood in the mid-Nineties.
In 1996, McMahon was the lead role in the NBC crime drama Profiler and part of the main cast of the supernatural series Charmed before landing a co-starring role on Nip/Tuck in 2003. McMahon played plastic surgeon Christian Troy on that hit Ryan Murphy-created FX show, which ran for six seasons and 100 episodes.
During his Nip/Tuck run, McMahon was cast as the Marvel villain Victor Von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom, in 2005’s Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
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Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards in those Fantastic Four films, paid tribute to McMahon on social media, “Even though we played each other’s nemeses, there was always so much lightness and laughter working together,” he wrote. “Every encounter with him was a joy. It was an honor to be Dr. Richards to his Dr. Doom. My heart goes out to his wife and family. God speed Julian.”
McMahon’s recent roles include playing Special Agent Jess LaCroix across three series in CBS’ FBI franchise, co-starring alongside Nicolas Cage in 2024’s The Surfer, and — in a role that recalled his father’s position — playing an Australian prime minister in the Netflix White House murder-mystery The Residence.
From Rolling Stone US
