The entertainment world is in mourning following the shock death of Australian actor Julian McMahon. After a private battle with cancer. News of the star’s passing in Clearwater, Florida, on July 2 was confirmed by his wife of 11 years, Kelly McMahon, in a statement made to Deadline.
“Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans,” she said.
“His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible… 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.”
A family ‘shattered’
A friend close to the family tells Woman’s Day that Julian’s sisters, Melinda, 58, and Debbie, 52, are utterly devastated by the death of their brother, who was the “glue” that kept the family together after their mum, Lady Sonia McMahon, died in 2010.
“Melinda’s completely shattered,” the friend says.
“If anything, she and Julian became even closer after their mum died, and she was always very protective of Julian – he’s her little brother and she loved him fiercely.”
Julian grew up in the spotlight as the only son of former Prime Minister Sir William McMahon and his socialite wife Sonia but carved his own place on the world stage. He began his career in Rafferty’s Rules and The Power, The Passion in 1989, before landing a plum gig in Home and Away – where he met Dannii Minogue, with whom he was briefly married from 1994 to 1995.
Julian walked into a room and lit up… with kindness
His rise to fame
Julian soon moved to Los Angeles, where he scored starring roles in Another World and Profiler, before Charmed catapulted him to international stardom.
The role of Doctor Doom in Fantastic 4 and sequel Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer cemented his status as a movie star, but it was his role as Dr Christian Troy on smash hit show Nip/Tuck that became one of his most memorable.
Most recently, he starred in FBI: Most Wanted, film The Surfer and miniseries The Residence, in which he played a fictional Australian prime minister. He married his second wife, Baywatch star Brooke Burns, in 1999, with whom he shared daughter Madison Elizabeth, now 25. The couple divorced in 2001.
Julian’s “heartbroken” Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano remembered Julian as “magic” to work with.
“That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up – not just with charisma, but with kindness,” she wrote on social media.
“Julian was more than my TV husband. He was a dear friend.”
