Australian-American actor Julian McMahon died on July 2, 2025, in Clearwater, Florida, at age 56, following a private battle with cancer. The actor, known for his starring roles in “Nip/Tuck,” “Charmed,” and the “Fantastic Four” films, succumbed to lung metastasis as a result of head and neck metastatic cancer, according to a cremation approval summary report from the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office.
McMahon’s wife, Kelly McMahon, confirmed his death on July 5, 2025, stating that he “died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer.” She expressed that his deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible and asked for privacy during their family’s grieving process.
Born in Sydney, Australia, on July 27, 1968, McMahon was the son of former Australian Prime Minister William “Billy” McMahon, who served from 1971 to 1972. His mother, Sonia McMahon, was an Australian socialite and fashion icon. McMahon began his career as a model in the 1980s before transitioning to acting with a lead role in the short-lived 1989 Australian soap opera “The Power, the Passion.”
After appearing in another Australian soap, “Home and Away,” from 1990 to 1991, McMahon made his feature film debut in the 1992 Australian-American movie “Wet and Wild Summer!” He subsequently moved to Hollywood and appeared on NBC’s daytime soap “Another World” in 1993 before becoming a series regular on the crime drama “Profiler” for its four-season run.
McMahon’s breakthrough role came when he joined the supernatural drama “Charmed” on the WB network, playing the half-demon Cole Turner and love interest to Alyssa Milano’s character Phoebe from 2000 to 2005. Milano paid tribute to her former co-star, describing McMahon as magical and expressing that he was more than her television husband, but a dear friend who made her feel safe as an actor.
His most prominent role came as Dr. Christian Troy in Ryan Murphy’s FX medical drama “Nip/Tuck,” which ran for six seasons from 2003 to 2010. The role earned McMahon a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a television drama series. His co-star Dylan Walsh expressed being stunned by the news, telling Deadline that they “rode this wave together” and that McMahon had his back throughout their years working together.
In film, McMahon gained recognition for playing the villainous Dr. Victor Von Doom in two “Fantastic Four” movies: “Fantastic Four” in 2005 and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” in 2007. His co-star Ioan Gruffudd described their working relationship as joyful, noting that despite playing nemeses, there was always lightness and laughter when working together.
McMahon later starred as Jess LaCroix, a special agent and team leader, in CBS’s “FBI: Most Wanted” for three seasons before his surprise departure in March 2022. Dick Wolf, the producer of the FBI franchise, called McMahon’s death “shocking news” and expressed that all at Wolf Entertainment were deeply saddened by his passing.
His final television role was on Netflix’s murder mystery series “The Residence,” where he played the Australian Prime Minister Stephen Roos. The show was recently canceled after one season. McMahon’s most recent film work included “The Surfer” with Nicolas Cage in 2024 and “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.”
Nicolas Cage, who worked with McMahon on “The Surfer,” described him as the most talented of actors and noted that their scenes together were among his favorites he had ever participated in. Cage characterized McMahon as a kind and intelligent man and extended his love to McMahon’s family.
McMahon was married three times throughout his life. His first marriage was to Australian singer Dannii Minogue, sister of pop star Kylie Minogue, from 1994 to 1995. He then married “Baywatch” actress Brooke Burns in 1999, with whom he had a daughter, Madison Elizabeth McMahon, now 25. His final marriage was to Kelly Paniagua in 2014.
Holly Marie Combs, another “Charmed” co-star, shared tribute photos on Instagram, expressing that McMahon’s unyielding zest for life and sense of humor would be sorely missed. Rose McGowan, also from “Charmed,” called him a force of brilliance, wild talent, and humor.
McMahon’s remains were cremated following his death, with his manner of death ruled as natural by the medical examiner. He is survived by his wife, Kelly, and his daughter Madison. His final red carpet appearance was on March 10, 2025, in Austin, Texas, where he promoted “The Surfer” at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.