British actor Andy Whitfield died on Sunday after losing his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The Spartacus star was 39.
His wife Vashti issued a statement, “On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family…our beautiful young warrior lost his 18 month battle with lymphoma cancer. He passed peacefully surrounded by love.”
Whitfield was featured as a gladiator in the first season of the Starz network television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The second season was delayed while he underwent cancer treatment.
Actor Liam McIntyre has been named to replace Whitfield in Spartacus: Vengeance. The new installments will begin filming soon with a planned premiere in January 2012.
Andy’s parting words to fans of the series were poignant, “It seems that it is time for myself and my family to embark on another extraordinary journey.”
Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht said, “We are deeply saddened by the loss. We came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life.”
Photo Credit: WENN