Julian McMahon’s Cause of Death Confirmed Following Private Cancer Battle

Julian McMahon’s cause of death has been confirmed, just days after his wife shared the heartbreaking news of his passing.

The actor, best known for his roles on Nip/Tuck and Charmed, died on July 2 at the age of 56. He passed away in Clearwater, Florida. According to a cremation approval report from the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office, reviewed by Entertainment Weekly, the cause of death was lung metastasis caused by head and neck cancer.

PEOPLE was the first to report the medical findings. His death was ruled natural.

Julian had kept his illness private. His wife, Kelly McMahon, spoke about it last week, saying he had been battling cancer “valiantly.”

“Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans,” she said in a statement. “His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible … we wish for all of those to whom Julian brought joy to continue to find joy in life.”

Born in Australia, Julian was the son of former Prime Minister William McMahon. He started out as a model before stepping into the world of acting. He first appeared on TV in soap operas like Home and Away, The Power, The Passion, and Another World.

His first movie was Wet and Wild Summer in 1993, and he went on to appear in bigger projects like Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer, Red, and Paranoia.

But most fans will remember him as Cole Turner on Charmed and Dr. Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck, two roles that brought him international fame.

Many of Julian’s former co-stars have shared tributes since the news of his death. Charmed stars Holly Marie Combs, Rose McGowan, and Alyssa Milano all honored him and called him a “force of brilliance, wild talent, and humor.”

Dylan Walsh, who worked closely with him on Nip/Tuck, shared a heartfelt message written as if speaking directly to Julian:
“I know you like to flout the boundaries, but this time you’ve gone too far. Let’s meet at the Biltmore, have a martini, and we’ll talk this through. We’ll laugh hard, the valet will bring up your Hummer, and right behind my hatchback with car seats and bird s— on the window — we’ve laughed at this too many times. Now it’s just us. You’ll kiss me on the cheek and say, ‘Bye, Dyl.’”

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