Julian McMahon dead at 56: How Home and Away star broke through Hollywood to star alongside Nicholas Cage one month before he passed

Julian McMahon, the beloved Aussie actor, who became a household name in the likes of Nip/Tuck and FBI Most Wanted has passed away, aged 56.

The former Home and Away star died after a secret battle with cancer, his wife, Kelly Paniagua confirmed on Friday. 

She gave a statement to Deadline on Friday which read: ‘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.’

Kelly – whom he married in 2024 – continued by expressing the love Julian had for his fans and those around him and what being an actor meant to him during his life.

She continued: ‘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.

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‘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 son of former Australian Prime Minister William McMahon, Julian rose to fame in Australia on the iconic Channel Seven soap Home and Away.

He starred as Ben Lucini on the soap from 1990 to 1991, before heading to the US to make it in Hollywood.

He then secured a role in the long running NBC soap Another World, in 1993, and his star  continued to rise. 

Never far from the camera, Julian amassed a formidable list of small and big screen credits, picking up a Golden Globe best actor nomination in 2004.

He played everything from a playboy plastic surgeon to nefarious superhero villain throughout his long career.

Most recently, Julian made a triumphant return to Australian screens, starring alongside Nicholas Cage in the Stan original film The Surfer.

He was busy promoting the film, most recently seen on the red carpet for the Surfer’s SXSW premiere in March.

He showed off a dramatic transformation at the event after ditching his longer locks in favour for a shorn haircut and a moustache and goatee.

The appearance was far cry from his outing at the film’s Cannes premiere back in May last year, when he still had his signature clean-cut aesthetic and deep tan.

In The Surfer, Julian delivered a searing performance as Scally, a charismatic and menacing guru-like figure who leads a group of surfers and acts as a local authority in Luna Bay.

He displayed serious acting chops as the antagonist of his former classmate, played by Nicholas Cage. 

Julian was also busy shooting the upcoming film The Supremes At Earl’s All You Can Eat, starring alongside the likes of Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black), and Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile).

Julian also starred as Special Agent Jess LaCroix on the Dick Wolf-created series FBI, as well as its spin-offs FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International.

However, the actor is perhaps best known for his bravura turn in the long-running Ryan Murphy medical drama, Nip/Tuck, alongside Dylan Walsh as Miami-based plastic surgeon Christian Troy. 

Troy was certainly not shy about falling into bed with his female clients, with Walsh’s Sean McNamara often having to step in to deal with Christian’s mistakes.

His turn as the lothario doctor earned Julian a Golden Globe best actor nomination in 2004, losing out to Ian McShane.    

Prior to Nip/Tuck, Julian starred alongside Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano on the cult Arron Spelling-created magical drama, Charmed.

He played Cole Turner, the half demon ex husband of Alyssa’s character Phoebe Halliwell.

During his time on Charmed, Julian was also romantically linked to Doherty, with the pair dating briefly during the show’s third season in 2000-2001.

On the relationship front, Julian was married to model and author Kelly Paniagua after the pair tied the knot in 2014.

They had been together for 11 years before marrying in a romantic ceremony in Lake Tahoe, a lakeside area on the edge of California and Nevada. 

He was previously married to Baywatch actress Brooke Burns with whom he shared daughter Madison, 25. 

The pair were tied the knot in 1999, before calling it quits three years later.

He then married Australian actress and singer Dannii Minogue, after the pair fell in love on the set of Home and Away in which Julian played fan favourite Ben Lucini.

They were wed in 1994, but the union proved short-lived, with the couple splitting  just a year and a half later.

Dannii previously revealed a difficult relationship with Julian’s mother Lady Sonia McMahon contributed to the split.

‘There was no relationship, she wouldn’t speak to me,’ Dannii told Seven in 2019.

‘I wasn’t allowed to be near her in the house, she said she wasn’t coming to the wedding. We just had no idea how to handle it – we were just trying to.’

Julian went on to star alongside Dannii’s sister Kylie Miniogue in the 2018 film Swinging Safari. 

Speaking about the film at the 2016 GQ Men Of The Year awards, he quickly dodged the question of what it was like working with his former sister-in-law.

Julian was all too happy to discuss the film, however when talk turned to his ex-wife’s sister, he quickly moved things along. 

He mentioned every other star featured in the film, failing to bring Kylie’s name up at all.

Making things even more awkward was the fact that his current wife Kelly was standing right beside him.

Sadly evident for Australian fans in the 2016 clip, Julian has well and truly lost his Aussie accent in favour of an American lilt.