MOVIE NEWS – Australian actor Julian McMahon, beloved by audiences worldwide and in Hungary, has died at age 56. The Sydney-born performer became a household name through acclaimed series like Nip/Tuck, Charmed, FBI: Most Wanted, and was the very first to portray Victor Von Doom on the big screen in the 2005 Fantastic Four adaptation.

The heartbreaking news of Julian McMahon’s passing was announced by his wife, who paid tribute to him in a deeply moving statement. Throughout his career, McMahon carved out a legacy in television and film, earning generations of fans. Hungarian viewers remember him from Nip/Tuck and Charmed, or as Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four movies.

A Message from Julian McMahon’s Wife

“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.”

Julian McMahon’s Life and Career

Born in 1968 as Julian Dana William McMahon, he initially studied law and economics before embarking on an entirely different journey as a model. He worked on catwalks across the world before making his acting debut in 1990 on the Australian soap Home and Away. He then landed a key role as Ian Rain in NBC’s Another World, cementing his future in television.

The true turning point came in 2003 when he starred as Dr. Christian Troy in FX’s Nip/Tuck, a role he held until 2010. Meanwhile, his recurring character Cole Turner in Charmed—a half-demon—earned him a new wave of fans. For Nip/Tuck, McMahon was nominated for Golden Globe, Satellite, and Saturn awards, but despite his standout performances, never took home the win.

In 2005, McMahon donned the cloak of Victor Von Doom in Marvel’s Fantastic Four and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He later appeared as a contract killer in Smokin’ Aces, and as Sandra Bullock’s time-shifting husband in Premonition. In 2020, he returned to network TV as Jess LaCroix in CBS’s FBI: Most Wanted, leaving the show after three seasons. McMahon was also a series regular on Marvel’s Runaways and featured in films such as RED, Paranoia, You’re Not You, Swinging Safari, and 2024’s The Surfer. His final role was in Netflix’s The Residence, portraying the Australian Prime Minister. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this difficult time. Rest in peace.

Julian McMahon Remained Engaged with His Most Iconic Roles

Recently, major buzz erupted around Robert Downey Jr. being cast as the next Doctor Doom. McMahon, known for his take on the villain, reflected on his time with the character just months ago at SXSW, noting how different the 2005 Fantastic Four film is from today’s comic book movies—and how vivid those memories still are two decades later: “It’s Robert, you know what I mean? What are you going to say? His body of work speaks for itself. He’s a super talented guy. I love watching his work. When we did the movies years ago, we were at the [precipice] of all that stuff happening. So, we were finding our way a lot, and we were trying to figure out what space the movie itself lived in. Was it a kid’s movie? Was it a family movie? Was it more comedy-driven, or was it more trauma-driven? We were trying to find all that stuff as we were shooting. I think now that there’s so many different realms of establishment of the way that you look at those pieces, you can pretty much do so many different things now. If you’ve got Robert Downey Jr, who’s one of the great creatives of the last however many years we’ve been watching him for, mixed with the elements of how we can make movies these days? I think it’s going to be pretty extraordinary.”

Source: MovieWeb