Andy Whitfield as Spartacus.

Sometimes, it takes awhile for an actor to get their break-out role.  For Andy Whitfield, his breakout performance involved wearing a bit of leather, a lot of body oil, and killing a lot of people.  As Spartacus in the Starz original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Whitfield went from a little-known to a sensation, as the program was a huge hit with both viewers and fans for its whole-hearted embrace of gladiators and their lives of death and craziness.  Then, Whitfield abruptly left the show while the second series was in development, due to a return of his cancer.  Unfortunately, the gladiator ran into a foe he could not slay.  Andy Whitfield lost his battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in Sydney, Australia, over the weekend.  He was 39.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Andy Whitfield,” said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement.  “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.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.  He will live on in the hearts of his family, friends and fans.”

Australian actor Liam McIntyre will be taking over the lead in the upcoming Starz series Spartacus: Vengeance.  The second series of the program, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, was a critical and ratings hit for Starz.

Tags: Spartacus, Andy Whitfield, Andy Whitfield dead, Andy Whitfield dead at 39, obituaries, Hollywood, celebrities, TV stars, Andy Whitfield lymphoma, non-hodgkins lymphoma, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Sydney, Australia, Starz, Chris Albrecht, Liam McIntyre, Spartacus: Vengeance

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