The star, who was born in Amlwch, Wales, but moved to Sydney in , lost his month battle with the disease on a 'sunny Sydney morning in the arms of his loving wife Vashti ,' she said in a statement. Tragically young: Whitfield died from cancer at the age of He passed away in Sydney in the arms of his wife, it was announced yesterday.
The actor, who was 39, was diagnosed with stage 1 of the disease in March , but was declared cancer-free two months later after beginning treatment immediately in New Zealand. The actor's Spartacus co-star, Lucy Lawless, also paid tribute to him on her website, saying he was a 'gentle man who never had a bad world about anyone'. However, the cancer returned in September of that year and he was advised to resume 'aggressive treatment'.
Whitfield's wife Vashti paid an emotional tribute to her husband, saying: 'On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his month battle with lymphoma cancer. Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have helped carry him to this point.
Whitfield found fame in the TV remake of Spartacus and appeared in all 13 episodes of the first season. He was preparing to make the second when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He will be remembered as the inspiring, courageous and gentle man, father and husband he was.
Andy's incandescent film presence made men want to be him and women want to marry him. Andy's two babies will always know that their Daddy cherished them and their mother, Vashti, above all things. How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives.
You will be deeply missed, my brother. 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. Whitfield was a virtual unknown when he was cast as the legendary Thracian slave in Spartacus, a role made famous by Kirk Douglas in the Stanley Kubrick film. The series proved a break-out hit for the Starz network and made waves with its graphic violence and sexuality.
Whitfield appeared in all 13 episodes of the first season that aired in , and was preparing to shoot the second when he was diagnosed with cancer. While waiting for Whitfield's treatment and expected recovery, the network produced a six-part prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, that aired earlier this year with only a brief voice-over from the actor. But in January, after Whitfield's condition grew worse, the network announced that another Australian actor, Liam McIntyre, would take over the role.
At the same time, Whitfield released his own statement acknowledging the decision: 'It's with a deep sense of disappointment that I must step aside from such an exceptional project as Spartacus and all the wonderful people involved,' he said.
Spartacus director Steve DeKnight took to Twitter to express his pain. You will be deeply missed, my brother,' he wrote. Spartacus co-star Lucy Lawless said on her website Whitfield was a "gentle man who never had a bad world about anyone". She went on to say that Whitfield was a brilliant actor and a gifted photographer and engineer.
The gladiator: Whitfield was a virtual unknown when he was cast as the legendary Thracian slave in Spartacus. But Whitfield soon relapsed. He was able to project such furious aggression and intense vulnerability, often at the same time. Backstage at Comic-Con in , Whitfield was preparing to greet Spartacus fans after spending months out of the limelight to recover. Andy Whitfield's died: He was 'a champion,' says Starz. James Hibberd. Save FB Tweet More. And so it seemed.
Yet not for long. In September , Andy had a routine medical ahead of filming the second series of Spartacus. The next day, a biopsy confirmed their worst fears: the cancer was back, and this time the prognosis was much more severe. Cherished memories: Vashti with Jesse and Indigo, the children she had with Andy. They are reminded of him every time they see a butterfly.
The resistant cancer cells are the ones that continue to grow and so you have to try a different type of chemotherapy. Without treatment Andy had three months to live, while even with further intervention a successful outcome was far less likely. The treatment now called for an aggressive form of chemo, followed, if successful, by a stem-cell transplant. Andy remained positive, inviting a documentary team to share his journey. In early , Andy embarked on his first round of high-level chemotherapy with a new drug regimen.
This time the experience was markedly different. Some days he could barely drag himself out of bed. After six weeks, a full body scan showed only a mild improvement, which was another blow. The second series of sessions left Andy weak and spending more time in hospital — although a scan showed the cancer had reduced by 50 per cent, a major change, yet far from enough.
In May , Andy embarked on his final round of chemo. The big, strong man I had fallen in love with was now so fragile it was as if he was made out of tissue paper.
A scan showed why: the cancer had not shrunk and Andy now had a mass of tumours pressing on his spinal column.
The hiatus was short-lived. Three days before his death, drifting in and out of consciousness, Andy returned to the hospice.
He rallied enough to say goodbye to the children. It took everything he had to sit up and pull them on to his knee then say goodbye. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Argos AO.
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