The entertainment world is in mourning following the heartbreaking death of Julian McMahon, the charismatic Australian performer whose career carried him

from the sun-drenched shores of early soap fame to some of television’s most unforgettable antiheroes. He was 56. McMahon died in Clearwater,

Florida, after a battle with cancer that had not been publicly disclosed. The news, confirmed by his wife, Kelly Paniagua, sent shockwaves through Hollywood

and back home in Australia, where audiences first met him as a rising talent with unmistakable magnetism.

“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,” Paniagua said in a statement. She described a man devoted to family, friends, colleagues and the fans who followed him across decades of work. His greatest hope, she said, was always to bring joy to as many people as possible.

For viewers of Home and Away, McMahon will forever be remembered as Ben Lucini, the role that introduced him to millions in the early 1990s. Across more than 150 episodes, he honed the blend of danger, vulnerability and raw appeal that would become his calling card. Even then, there was a sense that this actor was destined for far bigger stages.

Born in Sydney in 1968, McMahon grew up in a household already familiar with public life; his father was former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon. Yet Julian carved his own identity, first as a model in the 1980s and then as an actor determined to test himself beyond expectations or legacy. By the time he transitioned to American television, he carried with him not only ambition but a quiet fearlessness.

That fearlessness would define his breakout years. On Charmed, McMahon’s Cole Turner — the half-human, half-demon assassin torn between love and darkness — became a pop-culture obsession. Viewers were captivated by the romantic tragedy he brought to the supernatural drama, and his chemistry with the cast cemented him as a fan favorite. Even after his departure, his returns were treated as events.

If Cole made him beloved, Nip/Tuck made him iconic. As the brilliant, reckless plastic surgeon Christian Troy, McMahon pushed the limits of television’s antihero era. Charming, morally slippery and often heartbreaking, Christian allowed the actor to explore vanity, addiction, longing and vulnerability in equal measure. The performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination and proved he could lead a hit with swagger and depth.

Hollywood soon took notice of how effortlessly he inhabited seductive villains. McMahon stepped into blockbuster territory as Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and its sequel, giving the Marvel antagonist a cool menace that lingered long after the credits rolled. It was a role that introduced him to a new generation and demonstrated the cinematic scale of his presence.

Yet television remained his home turf. In FBI: Most Wanted, he portrayed Jess LaCroix, the steady, empathetic leader of a fugitive task force. The part revealed another facet of McMahon’s range — authoritative but humane, hardened by experience yet capable of warmth. His eventual exit from the series marked the end of a significant chapter, but colleagues never forgot the professionalism and generosity he brought to set.

Producer Dick Wolf said in a statement that everyone at Wolf Entertainment was devastated. McMahon, he noted, was not only a commanding actor but a beloved member of the family.

Friends from Australia shared similar memories. Director Stephan Elliott, who cast him in Swinging Safari, recalled a mischievous, vibrant spirit whose humor could reduce a crew to tears of laughter. Behind the polished exterior, Elliott suggested, lived someone who never lost the thrill of play.

In recent years, McMahon continued to move between genres with ease. Whether portraying political authority, romantic intrigue or outright menace, he retained the unpredictable spark that made audiences lean forward whenever he appeared. Even when scripts faltered, he rarely did.

Beyond the camera, those closest to him describe a man intensely loyal to his loved ones. McMahon had been married three times, including earlier unions with singer Dannii Minogue and actor Brooke Burns, with whom he shared a daughter. His marriage to Paniagua, which began in 2014, marked what friends often called a period of profound contentment.

The privacy surrounding his illness only underscores how determined he was to carry on working and living without spectacle. To fans, the revelation adds a poignant layer to his final performances — moments now viewed through the knowledge of a quiet fight happening offscreen.

For many, it is difficult to imagine the television landscape without him. McMahon occupied a rare space: glamorous yet grounded, dangerous yet inviting. He specialized in men who could break your heart while smiling at you, and he did it so convincingly that viewers forgave them almost anything.

As tributes flood social media from co-stars and admirers, one theme repeats: gratitude. Gratitude for the risks he took, for the characters he made unforgettable, and for the sense of connection he fostered with audiences around the world.

His wife’s request for privacy is being widely respected, but so too is her invitation for those who loved his work to continue seeking joy. It is, after all, what Julian McMahon believed he was here to give.

And in living rooms from Summer Bay to Los Angeles, that gift will endure.