Andrew Whitfield (17 October 1971 – 11 September 2011) was a Welsh actor.[1] He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand.[2]
Whitfield gained his first prominent role in the 2007 Australian supernatural film Gabriel.[9] He also starred in the 2010 television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which was filmed in New Zealand.[9] Whitfield also appeared in the Australian thriller The Clinic starring opposite Tabrett Bethell (of Legend of the Seeker fame) which was shot in Deniliquin.[10]
In August 2010, Whitfield teamed up with Freddie Wong and created a 2-minute YouTube video named "Time Crisis", based on the video game series of the same name.[11] Whitfield made a brief, uncredited voice-only appearance in the prequel mini-series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which premiered on 21 January 2011.[12]
A documentary titled Be Here Now premiered at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival.[13] It follows Whitfield and his family as he undergoes chemotherapy treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.[14] It was later released on Netflix as Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story.[15]
Illness and death
In March 2010, Whitfield was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma and began undergoing immediate treatment in New Zealand.[16] This delayed production of season two of Spartacus: Vengeance.[16] While waiting for Whitfield's treatment and expected recovery, Starz produced a six-part prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, with only a brief voiceover from the actor. Although declared cancer-free in June 2010, a routine medical check in September 2010 revealed a relapse[17] and Whitfield was compelled to abandon the role.[18][19][20] Starz recast Australian actor Liam McIntyre as Whitfield's successor.[21]
On 11 September 2011, Whitfield died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Sydney, Australia, 18 months after his initial cancer diagnosis.[1][22]
