Former ‘Doctor Doom’ Actor Julian McMahon Dies After Private Battle with Cancer
Image Courtesy of People
By Luis Zonenberg
Even in the bright days of Summer, Hollywood continues to lose more legendary celebrities than one would wish. While many fans might still be reeling from the loss of icon Val Kilmer, they might have reason to continue mourning as we now have to say farewell to Doctor Doom himself, Julian McMahon. Famous for his infamous portrayal of the titular character in the 2005 Fantastic Four film, the actor has sadly died at the age of 56 after a private ongoing battle with cancer.
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, McMahon was the son of fashion icon Sonia Hopkins and former Prime Minister William McMahon. He grew up being raised by a nanny with his two sisters, Melinda and Deborah, while his parents were away in Canberra during his father’s time as Prime Minister.
In an interview with the Herald Sun in 2018, McMahon reflected on his upbringing and spoke a lot about his childhood. He commented, “my Dad… was born in 1908. That’s a very different time to what it was when he was raising me. He must have gone through a strange misunderstanding of how you were parented in 1908 versus how you parent in 1972; it would have been so conflicting.”
McMahon began a modeling career after studying economics at the University of Wollongong, working in various fashion capitals in Europe. When his father passed away in 1988, he made sure to put a pause on work and return home to Australia for the funeral. He would resume working at home and even make his television debut in the short-lived soap opera, The Power, the Passion, where he portrayed Kane Edmonds.
McMahon had a long-lasting career in television, starring in numerous American dramas like Profiler and even making headlines as Cole Turner in the supernatural series Charmed. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Dr. Christian Troy in the medical drama Nip/Tuck, even earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in 2005. The same year also saw him grace the screen as the tyrannical Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four, with McMahon even reprising his role for the sequel two years later.
Recently, McMahon starred in the CBS crime drama FBI: Most Wanted as Jess LaCroix. In an interview with Brief Take, McMahon described how he had one of those “aha” moments when reading the script for the series. He commented, “it’s something to which I innately connect and somebody that I think that I can really portray well at this point in time in my life and probably could teach me a few lessons.” He would star on the show for over two years before departing midway through its third season.
McMahon resided in the United States for the rest of his life, but noted he was still Australian in his heart. When promoting Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, McMahon opened up about this and stated, “I feel like I’m Australian on the inside and American on the outside or something. I would never want to leave it behind either. I love Australians, Australianisms, I love my part of being Australian. I love where I grew up and how I grew up and, you know, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
McMahon was known for portraying rather villainous or damaged characters; roles in which he felt greatly attracted to. Unfortunately, the world would see him gone too soon as he was found dead while staying in Clearwater, Florida. His wife revealed he had a private ongoing battle with cancer and requested some time for his family to grieve.
Various celebrities have expressed their condolences, including his former Fantastic Four co-star, Ioan Gruffud. In an Instagram post, Gruffud commented, “Even though we played each other’s nemeses, there was always so much lightness and laughter working together. Every encounter with him was a joy. It was an honor to be Dr. Richards to his Dr. Doom.” McMahon was a remarkable talent that will not be forgotten, with many still reminiscing of his talents both on and off the screen.
