Andy Whitfield: 1972-2011

After an 18-month battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Spartacus: Blood and Sand star Andy Whitfield has died. Whitfield was 39 years old and was the star of the Starz period drama, but he had stepped down immediately after the first season completed filming.

Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht stated, “We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in Spartacus and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life.”

Whitfield will be replaced by Australian actor Liam McIntyre in the upcoming Spartacus: Vengeance when the show returns in January.

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