Julian McMahon tragically died after a private battle with cancer at 56. The Nip/Tuck actor's wife, Kelly McMahon, confirmed the news, sharing: "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."
His last public messages with his daughter, Madison McMahon, 25, show a sweet moment amid a difficult time for the family. In March, Madison shared a video of her teaching a yoga class to her Instagram: "Taught my first yoga class today. I guess dreams do come true."
Julian commented on the post: "Your awesome!" Madison, acknowledging her dad's grammatical error jokingly responded: "No YOU'RE awesome!"
The actor had a loving relationship with his daughter, who he shared with his ex-wife Brooke Burns. While Madison has yet to share anything after the passing of her father, her stepmom shared: "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's former Nip/Tuck co-star, Kelly Carlson, reacted to his passing on Instagram, saying: "My heart goes out to Kelly, his wife, his daughter, and Brooke Burns, his ex-wife, who they remain close friends and raise their daughter together."
Julian was born in Sydney, Australia to the former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon. His first role was on a short-lived Australian soap opera, The Power, The Passion. Soon after, he joined Home and Away.
In 1993, Julian moved to the United States to grow his career. His first break came as Detective John Grant in Profiler. But his legacy is tied to the Emmy-nominated medical drama Nip/Tuck. Julian played a charismatic yet deeply flawed plastic surgeon opposite Dylan Walsh. The series ran for six seasons and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.
In 2020, Julian reflected on his career with Soap Opera Digest, saying: "I've never lost my passion for what I do. And so I think that is something that I've carried throughout my whole career and I think it's been an important facet of what I consider being successful, that I've stayed committed to my craft and evolving that craft, and enjoying working in that space."
After his seven years on Nip/Tuck, Julian appeared in Fantastic Four as Doctor Doom and in Swinging Safari alongside Guy Pearce and Kylie Minogue. Julian's last role was as FBI agent Jess LaCroix in FBI: Most Wanted.
Aside from his career, Julian loved his family. He married Kelly in 2014 in a private ceremony in Lake Tahoe.
Through his journey, his wife shared that, "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."