Julian McMahon, the Australian actor best known for playing Fantastic Four villain Dr. Doom and starring in Nip/Tuck, Charmed, and FBI: Most Wanted, has died. He was 56.
“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. 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. 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.”
McMahon was born in Sydney on July 27, 1968. His father, Billy McMahon, served as Australia’s Prime Minister from 1971 to 1972, making Julian one of the few actors in Hollywood history to hail from a political dynasty. He started his career as a model before jumping into acting, landing a lead role in the short-lived 1989 soap The Power, the Passion, and then joining Home and Away from 1990–91. His film debut came in Wet and Wild Summer! (1992), a beach comedy co-starring Elliott Gould. After relocating to the U.S., McMahon continued where he left off — in soaps — with a role on Another World in 1993. He then shifted to primetime with Profiler, playing FBI agent John Grant across all four seasons.
Julian McMahon Lived a “Charmed” Life
But it was his scene-stealing turn as the seductive demon Cole Turner on Charmed that made him a fan favorite in the supernatural genre. That recognition paved the way for his most iconic role: the self-absorbed, charming, and wildly problematic plastic surgeon Dr. Christian Troy in Ryan Murphy’s Nip/Tuck. The FX series ran for six seasons and earned McMahon a Golden Globe nomination.
McMahon’s ability to balance swagger with vulnerability made him a natural fit for villains. Nowhere was that more evident than in Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), where he portrayed Victor Von Doom opposite Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis. Though the critical reaction wasn’t great, the films were commercial successes and remain early cornerstones of modern superhero cinema.
In the 2010s, McMahon returned to network TV with a starring role on FBI: Most Wanted as team leader Jess LaCroix, staying for three seasons before an emotional exit in 2022. He also had a recurring role on Marvel’s Runaways, continuing his genre ties. Film credits outside the Fantastic Four universe include Premonition opposite Sandra Bullock, the action comedy RED, the Australian ensemble film Swinging Safari, and the 2024 dramas The Surfer and The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.
Our thoughts are with the family of Julian McMahon.
