Actor Julian McMahon, who was known for playing Dr. Doom in the early-2000s “Fantastic Four” movies and starring in fan-favorite shows including “Nip/Tuck” and “Charmed,” has died. He was 56.
McMahon “died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer,” his wife, Kelly McMahon, said in a statement.
“Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans,” she said. “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,” she added. “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’s death was also confirmed in a Facebook post by the “Nip/Tuck” series, which was created by renowned television writer Ryan Murphy.
“Warner Bros. Television mourns the loss of our friend Julian McMahon,” the series said in a post accompanied by a photo of McMahon. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues, and fans.”
McMahon’s role as Dr. Christian Troy in “Nip/Tuck” earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a television drama series. The series aired on FX from 2003 to 2010, while McMahon also starred in two of the “Fantastic Four” movies, “Fantastic Four” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”
McMahon’s career took off in the supernatural TV series “Charmed,” which he co-starred in with Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano from 2000 to 2005.
Milano shared an image of McMahon and her on Instagram on Friday, calling him a “dear friend” and saying she was “heartbroken” by his loss.
“He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me,” she said. “We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other.”
The Hollywood star was born in Sydney, Australia, on July 27, 1968, and hailed from famous parents.
His father, William McMahon, was the prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972, and his mother was Sonia McMahon, an Australian socialite and fashion icon.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2007, McMahon said he didn’t remember much from his father’s days as Australia’s leader because of his young age.
“It’s a little different there because Australia’s a smaller country. It was the ’70s. Everything wasn’t so public,” he said. “It was a little easier. You weren’t growing up in the spotlight. Paparazzi wasn’t following you around.”
In 2018, McMahon returned to Australia to star in a comedy-drama film, “Swinging Safari,” alongside Australian star Kylie Minogue. Minogue was McMahon’s former sister-in-law from McMahon’s first marriage to Minogue’s younger sister, Dannii Minogue, in the 1990s.
McMahon might have drawn on his scant memories of his father’s premiership for one of his final roles, playing Australia’s prime minister in the murder mystery series “The Residence,” which premiered on Netflix this year.
In addition to his wife, Kelly McMahon, whom he married in 2014, McMahon leaves behind a daughter, Madison, from a previous marriage to model Brooke Burns.
Austin Mullen and Joe Kottke contributed.