They always say that deaths tend to come in threes, and sure enough, this is my third obituary in twenty-four hours for an iconic artist—following the passing of Michael Madsen and Mark Snow. According to a statement put out by his wife, Julian McMahon—the star of Nip/Tuck and Doctor Doom in two Fantastic Four movies—has died of cancer at only fifty-six.
What makes this all the more bittersweet is that he had just delivered a performance in The Surfer—opposite Nicolas Cage—that many of us thought ranked among his best work. In fact, I actually saw him at a party for The Surfer, and he seemed to be in excellent spirits promoting a movie he clearly loved.
Here’s the official statement from his wife, which was given to Deadline:
“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.”
McMahon, who was Australian, first made an impact with a recurring role on Charmed, but became a star thanks to his lead role as the vain plastic surgeon Dr. Christian Troy on Ryan Murphy’s Nip/Tuck. One of the first big cable hits, it set the stage for much of Murphy’s later career and was FX’s first major success. The show made McMahon a huge heartthrob, and for a time, many believed he was in the running to play James Bond once it was decided to replace Pierce Brosnan.
While he never played 007, he did appear as Doctor Doom in two early Marvel films: Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He also headlined FBI: Most Wanted for three seasons.
Most recently, he played the guru of an Australian surf cult opposite Nicolas Cage in The Surfer, receiving rave reviews (including from us). He also appeared on the Netflix series The Residence.
Alas, fifty-six is a tragically young age. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
