Andy Whitfield (17 October 1971 - 11 September 2011) was a Welsh Australian actor. He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
Whitfield was born in Amlwch, Anglesey, Wales. He studied construction at Sheffield Hallam University, England and worked in Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia as an engineer before settling in Sydney in 1999. He appeared in several Australian television series, such as Opening Up, All Saints, The Strip, Packed To The Rafters, and McLeod's Daughters.
Whitfield gained his first prominent role in the Australian supernatural film Gabriel. He also starred in the 2010 television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which was filmed in New Zealand. He portrays a version of the historical Spartacus, although in this retelling he is a conscripted soldier condemned to death who defeats all four of his executioners and is thereby recycled as a gladiator. The actual Spartacus, like this fictional version, was destined to lead a rebellion against the Romans (the Third Servile War). Whitfield also appeared in the Australian thriller The Clinic starring opposite Tabrett Bethell (of Legend of the Seeker fame) which was shot in Deniliquin.
In March 2010, Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and began undergoing treatment immediately in New Zealand. This delayed production of season two of Spartacus: Vengeance. While waiting for Whitfield's treatment and expected recovery, the network produced a six-part prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, with only a brief uncredited voiceover from the actor. The prequel mini-series premiered on January 21, 2011. Although declared cancer-free in June 2010, a routine medical in September 2010 revealed a relapse and Whitfield was compelled to abandon the role. Starz then had Australian actor Liam McIntyre recast as Whitfield's successor. His battle with the disease and eventual acceptance of his coming death was documented in the film Be Here Now.
In August 2010, Whitfield teamed up with Freddie Wong and created a 2-minute YouTube video named "Time Crisis", based on the game with the same name.
Whitfield died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Sydney, Australia, on September 11, 2011, 18 months after his initial cancer diagnosis.
Andy Whitfield and his works provide examples of:
- Baritone of Strength: He used his very deep, guttural voice to impressive effect as the physically powerful hero Spartacus.
- Billing Displacement: Bizarrely enough, he was the protagonist of Gabriel (2007), but is billed after Erika Heynatz. She plays the supporting role of Lilith but was more recognisable at the time for winning It Takes Two.
- Died During Production: He died before completing the entire Spartacus series, specifically prior to filming the second season.
- Dye Hard: Naturally brunet, early in his modelling career, he had bleach blond hair.
- Friendship on the Set: He and Jai Courtney were as close off screen as their characters in Spartacus were on it, and the latter was named godfather to both his children.
- I Am Not Spock: Due to his untimely passing, Spartacus is the role he's best remembered for.
- In Memoriam: Spartacus honored him during its second season premiere and Grand Finale.
- Older Than They Look: He was nearly 40 by the time of his death, but looked more like he was in his mid-20s.
- Playing Against Type: Usually cast as a Wide-Eyed Idealist and strong man, he played a rude businessman in Packed To the Rafters.
- Protagonist Title: Gabriel and Spartacus.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The Spartacus series higher-ups were forced to write a Prequel mini-season before producing the actual second season to give him time to recover. He did recover, but the illness resurfaced shortly which forced the recasting of the title character.
- Reality Subtext: Due to him portraying a formidable gladiator who opposes tyranny on-screen, and then trying to fight Cancer in Real Life shortly after, fans and his co-stars in Spartcaus dub him as badass.
- Short-Lived, Big Impact: Despite only appearing in the inaugural season note of Spartacus, he is considered the star of the show by pretty much everyone, co-stars and audiences of the show alike, and his strong and critically-acclaimed performance in said season guaranteed the show to complete its run even after his demise. Even his successor humbly stated that he hated the fact that he had to replace him.(His In Memoriam in the show after its 2nd Season premiere) A champion on screen, a legend in our hearts.
- So My Kids Can Watch: A weird example, since Gabriel is not a child-friendly film, but his wife urged him to take it to give his son something he could be proud of years later.
- Star-Making Role: Spartacus gave him international recognition.
- What Could Have Been:
- He was actually set to star as Chris Benoit in a biopic, but his untimely death led to the project falling into development hell.
- One of the last auditions he did before his passing was for an adaptation of Paradise Lost.
- The Be Here Now documentary includes an early audition video for a Tarzan film that doesn't appear to have been made.
