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Requiescat in Pace, Andy Whitfield

September 12, 2011 by WendyB

I’m so sad to read that actor Andy Whitfield, the star of the first season of Spartacus, has died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 39.

Andy Whitfield as Spartacus.

My stepdaughter and I watched when Spartacus premiered on STARZ in January 2010. The first episode was truly terrible — something that deserved a “Worst!TV!Show!Ever! comment — yet something drew us back for the second episode. It must have been the full-frontal nudity (male and female) and graphic violence. Miraculously, the writing got better and better and we became totally addicted. After a while, we would have watched the show just for the plot and characters. But we got to have our cake and eat it too, because there were great scripts AND sex and gore. Woot!

When Andy, who played Spartacus, was diagnosed with cancer, it didn’t seem too bad at first. The producers obligingly delayed the second season and produced a prequel mini-series while they waited for him to recover and come back to work. Then, alarmingly, he took a turn for the worse and was replaced with actor Liam McIntyre for the coming second season. But I still thought Andy would pull through, because … well, look at him! How can you not envision him with a sword in each hand, slicing and dicing cancer’s ass while looking fabulous in a tiny loincloth? Alas, it was not to be.

We’ll miss you, Andy Whitfield! You’ll always be the real Spartacus to us.

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Filed Under: Celebrities, obits, TV

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brie says

    September 12, 2011 at 1:13 am

    I am so saddened by this! he was Spartacus to me! And he was a great actor.

    I was even going to watch the series again yesterday because I have it on DVD…weird that I had that urge after hearing this news.

    It is quite shocking to hear he died because, like you, I thought he would pull through.

    R.I.P. Andy Whitfield

    • WendyB says

      September 12, 2011 at 1:15 am

      I can’t imagine anyone else as Spartacus *sob*

      I was seriously hoping he’d be back for a third season.

  2. Tanvi says

    September 12, 2011 at 8:29 am

    OMG! I had no clue. I have been waiting for this show to come back for ages and now without him. It wouldn’t be same. So sad!

  3. Patti @ NotDeadYet Style says

    September 12, 2011 at 10:01 am

    I know, I was so shocked and sad by the news. A great Spartacus. RIP.

  4. The Style Crone says

    September 12, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    Cancer Sucks!

  5. savvy gal says

    September 12, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    oh no. that is so sad.

  6. Miss Janey says

    September 12, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    … Such a shame.

  7. Andrea says

    September 12, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    very sad 🙁

  8. Madeleine Gallay says

    September 12, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    If only life was more reasonable … and the young lived well and long.

  9. Jill says

    September 12, 2011 at 4:39 pm

    This is really terrible. Like you, I assumed he would pull thru with treatment. Dammit!

  10. Eli says

    September 12, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    How tragic and sad, I feel awful for his family. RIP

  11. Lynette says

    September 12, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    I heard this news earlier today and immediately said a prayer for his loved ones.

    WendyB, thanks for stopping by to look at the Edna C. and Lynette dahlias.

  12. Kristin says

    September 12, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    How sad. Cancer is an evil bitch. We’ve lost too many fabulous people to her!

  13. Lyddiegal says

    September 12, 2011 at 11:31 pm

    that is so sad to hear. you always truly believe that someone so young and strong can come out ahead of cancer, and it is so much worse when it beats them.

  14. Sara says

    September 21, 2011 at 12:31 pm

    Wow. I’m really late on this but I had no idea, I am still catching up on all the news that happened while I was out of the country. This is so sad…I agree, Spartacus was like a car crash but he just seemed so strong. I had hoped he’d beat it.

    xo
    Sara

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Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
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