Julian McMahon health issues explored in wake of actor's passing at 56 

Nip/Tuck-famed Julian McMahon passed away at 56 in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. It was revealed that the Australian actor had been battling cancer.

Julian's wife, Kelly Paniagua, shared her statement with Deadline on Friday following his passing. Addressing the late actor as her "beloved husband", Kelly told the outlet that he "died peacefully". She said:

"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."

Kelly added:

"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."

The official cause of Julian McMahon's death has not been shared. The actor's cancer diagnosis remained undisclosed until his death this week. It is also not known what type of cancer he had.

Amidst his "valiant effort to overcome cancer," as described by Kelly Paniagua, Julian showed up for public appearances months before his passing. The Fantastic Four actor attended the promotions for Nicolas Cage starrer The Surfer, which was released in May. Julian played Scally in the film.

Julian McMahon and Nicolas Cage attended the North American premiere of 'The Surfer' on March 10, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Image via Getty)

His last public appearance was during The Surfer's North American premiere in March. The event took place in Texas on March 10. Director Lorcan Finnegan and co-star Nicolas Cage accompanied Julian at the premiere. Fans were not aware of the late actor's cancer battle at the time.

After Julian's death was made public on Friday, Nicolas Cage mourned the loss in a statement to Deadline:

"Such deeply saddening news. I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors."

Recalling the time Cage spent with Nicolas on the set of their movie, he said:

"Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favorites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favorite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family."

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The late actor Julian McMahon had Parkinson's

Aside from cancer, Julian McMahon shared on social media in December last year that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, as reported by Mint. The late actor had stressed it was important to get an early diagnosis and measures to address the medical issue without any delay.

Some of Julian McMahon's former co-stars were also unaware that the actor had cancer. Kelly Carlson, who played Julian's wife in the series Nip/Tuck, said in an Instagram video on July 5:

"I'm completely shocked and saddened by it."

Kelly added:

"I didn't know he wasn’t well, but my heart goes out to his wife Kelly and his daughter."

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Julian McMahon left behind his 25-year-old daughter, Madison Elizabeth McMahon, whom he shared with his second wife, Brooke Burns.