‘Fantastic Four’ actor Julian McMahon passes away at 56 after cancer battle

Actor Julian McMahon, who is known for his roles in Nip/Tuck/, Charmed, FBI: Most Wanted, and the 2000s Fantastic Four movies passed away in Florida after a battle with cancer, reported Deadline. The actor was 56 years old.

McMahon’s wife, Kelly McMahon, announced the passing of her husband in a statement 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,” Kelly McMahon said.

McMahon was an Australian-born actor. His father, Billy McMahon, served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. Starting his career as a model, McMahon transitioned to acting with a lead role on the short-lived 1989 Australian daytime soap The Power, the Passion.

He made his feature acting debut as a lead opposite Elliott Gould in the 1992 Australian-American movie Wet and Wild Summer!. McMahon then moved to Hollywood and began his American career in the same way he had his Australian one — with a role on a daytime soap.

After a stint on NBC’s Another World in 1993, McMahon transitioned to primetime as a series regular on the network’s crime drama Profiler for its four-season run. The actor then went on to join the WB’s popular supernatural drama Charmed for a three-season stint starring as the demonic Cole Turner.

McMahon’s career took a huge leap when Marvel recruited him for the role of Dr Doom in the 2000s Fantastic Four franchise. He played the role of the iconic villain of Marvel in ‘Fantastic Four’ (2005) and its sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).

McMahon’s film credits also include Premonition, RED, Paranoia, You’re Not You, Swinging Safari, and most recently, The Surfer with Nicolas Cage. It premiered in the Midnight Screenings section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. McMahon’s final role was on Netflix’s murder mystery series The Residence. The actor played the role of the Australian Prime Minister in the series.