Andy Whitfield (17 July 1972 – 11 September 2011) was a Welsh actor and model. He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
Whitfield was born in Amlwch, Wales. He studied engineering at the University of Sheffield and worked in Lidcombe as an engineer before moving to Sydney in 1999. He attended Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 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 is filmed in New Zealand. He played the part of Spartacus, a soldier condemned to fight as a gladiator and who ultimately leads a rebellion against the Romans (the Third Servile War). Whitfield also appears in the upcoming Australian thriller The Clinic starring opposite Tabrett Bethell (ofLegend of the Seeker fame) which was shot in Deniliquin. In August 2010, Whitfield teamed up with Freddie Wong and created a 2 minute long YouTube video named "Time Crisis", based on the game Time Crisis. Whitfield made a brief, uncredited voice-only appearance in the prequel mini-series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which premiered on 21 January 2011.
Illness and death
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: Blood and Sand. 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. Although declared cancer-free only two months later, he suffered a recurrence of the disease later in the year and was ultimately forced to leave the role. Starz recast Australian actor Liam McIntyre as Spartacus.
18 months after his cancer diagnosis, Whitfield died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma on 11 September 2011. The actor's manager, Sam Maydew, and Whitfield's wife, Vashti, issued a statement confirming his death in Sydney, Australia. He is survived by his wife and two children.
