Julian McMahon, Australian Actor Known for ‘Nip/Tuck' and ‘Fantastic Four' Movies, Dies at 56
McMahon died Wednesday in Clearwater, Florida, his rep David Schiff, founder of MGMT Entertainment, told The Hollywood Reporter.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Peter Sarsgaard Gets Political as Karlovy Vary Opens: "The Enemies Are the Forces That Divide Us"
Kenneth Colley, Admiral Piett in a Pair of 'Star Wars' Films, Dies at 87
How Jamaal Fields-Green Took Charge of the Tony-Favorite 'MJ the Musical' and Made It His Own
His wife, Kelly McMahon, also shared the following statement: '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, born in Sydney on July 27, 1968, was the son of former Australian prime minister William McMahon and Lady Sonia McMahon.
He began acting on Australian soaps The Power, the Passion as well as Home and Away and appeared on the U.S. soap Another World in 1993. He transitioned to primetime TV with a role on NBC's Profiler and spent three seasons on the WB's Charmed.
He memorably starred alongside Dylan Walsh in Ryan Murphy's FX plastic surgery drama, Nip/Tuck, which ran for six seasons and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Dr. Christian Troy.
On the film side, he played Dr. Doom in Tim Story's two Fantastic Four movies, 2025's Fantastic Four and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer. His other film credits include roles in Premonition, Red, Paranoia and, last year, The Surfer and The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat.
His other TV credits include roles on FBI: Most Wanted, Runaways and the recently canceled murder mystery comedy The Residence.
Reflecting on being an Australian in Hollywood, McMahon told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2017, 'It's a funny town and there's a bit of a last man standing theory to it sometimes.' Early on, he recalled, often feeling 'like you're not cutting it, you're never going to and nothing is happening for you and you're just the wrong person and maybe you should go and do something else or go home to Australia, which a lot of people did.'
Of his role in FBI: Most Wanted, McMahon told Soap Opera Digest that the part was a 'really fascinating character.'
'I was thinking of going back to network television at the time, and I had read a lot of scripts and I was quite surprised, to be honest, that this is the one that stuck with me the most, but it was and here I am,' he said of joining the CBS series, which had a backdoor pilot in the first season of FBI.
Reflecting on his career with Soap Opera Digest, McMahon credited the 'commitment' he picked up from working on The Power, The Passion and Nip/Tuck.
'I've never lost my passion for what I do,' he said. 'And so I think that is something that I've carried throughout my whole career and I think it's been an important facet of what I consider being successful, that I've stayed committed to my craft and evolving that craft, and enjoying working in that space.'
Survivors include his third wife, Kelly, who he married in 2014, and his daughter, Madison, with his second wife, American game show host Brooke Burns. His first wife was Australian singer-actress Dannii Minogue, sister of Kylie Minogue.
McMahon even had a funny moment with his ex-sister-in-law, filming a scene in which he and Kylie Minogue kiss, when he returned to Australia to make Swinging Safari in 2018.
'That was an impromptu moment,' McMahon told the Herald Sun. '[Director] Steph [Elliott] said 'Do what you want, Julian!' and I thought, 'Bugger it, I'll get up and snog my ex sister-in-law' … She had this great reaction, like she was being attacked by some kind of creature. It was very funny.'
Mike Barnes contributed to this report.
July 5, 9:44 a.m. This story has been updated with a statement from McMahon's wife, Kelly.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series
22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History
A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
11 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Julian McMahon of TV's ‘Charmed' and ‘Nip/Tuck,' and the 2005 ‘Fantastic Four's' Dr. Doom, has died at 56
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Julian McMahon, an Australia-born actor who performed in two 'Fantastic Four' films and appeared in TV shows such as 'Charmed,' 'Nip/Tuck' and 'Profiler,' has died, his wife said in a statement. McMahon, 56, died peacefully this week after a battle with cancer, Kelly McMahon said in a statement provided to The Associated Press by his Beverly Hills-based publicist. He was 56, according to the New York Times. 'Julian loved life,' the statement said. '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.' McMahon played Dr. Doom in the films 'Fantastic Four' in 2005 and 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,' which came out two years later. Additionally, he had roles in the TV shows 'Home and Away,' 'FBI: Most Wanted' and 'Another World,' according to IMDB. Actress Alyssa Milano, who appeared with McMahon on 'Charmed,' mourned his death on social media, saying 'Julian was more than my TV husband.' 'Julian McMahon was magic,' Milano said. 'That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up — not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding.'
USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Julian McMahon remembered by Alyssa Milano, former costars: 'Losing him feels unreal'
Hollywood is celebrating the life of Julian McMahon. The "Nip/Tuck" and "Fantastic Four" actor has died at 56 following a battle with cancer, his wife, Kelly McMahon, confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on Saturday, July 5. McMahon starred as Christian Troy on the FX series "Nip/Tuck" and as Cole Turner on The WB's "Charmed." He was also known for his role as Doctor Doom in 2005's "Fantastic Four" and its 2007 sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." In a tribute on Instagram, "Charmed" star Alyssa Milano said she was "heartbroken" to learn of McMahon's death. "He walked into a room and lit it up — not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding," she wrote. Julian McMahon, 'Nip/Tuck' and 'Fantastic Four' actor, dies at 56 "We spent years together on 'Charmed' — years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments. He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other." Milano went on to say that McMahon was a "dear friend," adding, "Losing him feels unreal. Too soon. Too unfair." In her own tribute, "Charmed" star Holly Marie Combs wrote that McMahon's "unyielding zest for life and crazy making sense of humor will be sorely missed," and "the joy and laughter you were the direct cause of will always be remembered." Ioan Gruffudd, who starred as Reed Richards in "Fantastic Four," noted in his tribute that although he and McMahon played rivals on screen, "there was always so much lightness and laughter working together." Shannen Doherty honored by former 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Charmed' co-stars "Every encounter with him was a joy," the actor wrote. "It was an honor to be Dr. Richards to his Dr. Doom. My heart goes out to his wife and family." Michael Chiklis, who played The Thing in "Fantastic Four," said McMahon's death is a reminder that "life is so precious and fragile." Joely Richardson, who starred as Julia McNamara on "Nip/Tuck," remembered on Instagram how the actor "could be hysterically funny" and was "hugely charismatic," adding, "My enormous condolences to your family and children. You lived a large life my friend, Bravo." "Nip/Tuck" star Kelly Carlson, who played Kimber Henry, also shared in an Instagram video that she was "completely shocked and saddened" by the death of her "good friend" McMahon. In a statement to USA TODAY, McMahon's wife Kelly said that his "deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible," adding, "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." McMahon shared a child with his ex-wife Brooke Burns. In an Instagram post, Burns shared a photo of McMahon and their daughter along with a broken heart emoji. Contributing: Jay Stahl
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kim Kardashian say she feels ‘empty' in tribute to childhood friend who died from cancer
Reality star Kim Kardashian has shared an emotional tribute to her childhood friend Lindsay May, who died from cancer in February. The 44-year-old, who grew up alongside May in Beverly Hills, said she felt 'empty' following May's death and shared photos of their friendship group celebrating her 38th birthday the year before she died. Kardashian marked May's first 'heavenly birthday' alongside their 'lifer' friends Allison Statter, Simone Harouche and Sarah Meyer Michaelson at a lake house, which the reality star described as May's 'happy place'. 'It was just your birthday and I know you never liked to make a big deal of it, but Happy Heavenly Birthday, Lindz,' Kardashian wrote in the tribute shared to Instagram. 'I waited months to post this, mostly because I couldn't find the right words. Nothing really captures how quiet and empty our lifers chat feels without you in it. I know you'd probably roll your eyes at me posting anything – especially since you didn't really even have social media – but I couldn't go through this lake trip without feeling you everywhere, and I needed to share it. 'The lake was your happy place. It made you feel lighter, healthier… you were you. It'll always be our favourite lifers tradition because it's where we spend time with all of our kids being together and get real time with each other without any outside noise. We felt your absence this year in every sunset, every laugh, every quiet moment. 'Looking back at these pictures from a year ago, I feel so grateful for all the memories we made. We miss you so f***ing much, Lindz. Our world is not the same without you. I guess that's why I hold onto this lake tradition so tightly. We'll always have the lake – and in that, we'll always have a piece of you.' May was the founder of Mayflower Entertainment, a consulting agency that connected high-end brands such as Gucci with partners in the entertainment industry. Kardashian and her 'lifer' friendship group all attended Marymount High School in Bel Air, California when the reality star lived in Beverly Hills, then later in Calabasaas. The Skims founder previously shared a 'Lifers Appreciation Post' showing her gratitude to her long term friends. 'Life is better when you have your lifers!' she wrote, alongside an infinity symbol.
