Julian McMahon death: The Australian actor’s career and personal life in pictures following his death aged 56 of cancer
Julian McMahon was thrust into the spotlight for the first time at the age of two when his father, Sir William McMahon, was elected Australia’s prime minister.
Twenty years later, he was carving out his own path in the public eye as an actor, and it wouldn’t be long before the Sydneysider took Hollywood by storm.
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The news of McMahon’s death aged 56 – following a private cancer battle – has shocked fans around the world who’ve watched him on screens for decades.
From his early days on Home and Away to Hollywood blockbusters, soap operas and beloved TV series, the actor’s career was a truly varied one – and his personal life drew plenty of attention too.
Keep reading for a look back at McMahon’s life and career in photos.
The prime minister’s son
McMahon was born in Sydney in July 1968, to parents Sir William and Lady Sonia McMahon. He had an older sister, Melinda, and a younger sister, Deborah.
When he was born, his father was already a well-known MP and minister, and he was elected prime minister in 1971, finishing his term in 1972.
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During their father’s time in the PM’s office, McMahon and his sisters were cared for by a nanny in Sydney while their parents lived in Canberra or travelled abroad.
The future actor attended Sydney Grammar School, before studying at Sydney University and the University of Wollongong.
From modelling to acting
McMahon began modelling while living in Europe, working in some of the world’s fashion capitals.
He also appeared in some Aussie Levi’s ads that became, in his words, “a bit of a phenomenon”.
He returned to Australia for his father’s funeral in 198, and ended up staying longer than he’d initially planned.
Watch McMahon’s Levi’s ad below:
Thanks to those Levi’s ads, McMahon was approached to audition for Home and Away, which became his first major acting credit.
“I auditioned for the part, got the role and stayed in Australia for a few more years,” he told Variety.
“I was surrounded by some pretty prolific Australian actors, and I really lucked out in this environment.”
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He played Benito Lucini, making his first appearance in February 1990. In an unexpected bonus, he met his future first wife Dannii Minogue on the set of the iconic Aussie series.
He also starred in 1992 movie Wet and Wild Summer! before making the move overseas to crack Hollywood.
His breakthrough US role came in 1993 with the soap opera Another World; three years later, he was cast in the crime drama series Profiler.
The series ran for four years, ending in 2000.
Hitting the big time
In 2000, McMahon landed what would become one of his most iconic roles: Cole Turner in supernatural series Charmed.
Starring big Hollywood names including Alyssa Milano and the late Shannen Doherty, Charmed was a huge hit and well and truly cemented McMahon on the world stage in its 2000-2005 run.
The year 2000 also saw him star alongside Jeff Daniels in the movie Chasing Sleep.
In 2003, McMahon was upgraded to leading man status with the sexy medical series Nip/Tuck.
The actor starred as plastic surgeon Dr Christian Troy, and the show ran from 2003-2010.
In 2005, he added a supervillain to his CV, joining a blockbuster franchise.
McMahon starred in Fantastic Four as Victor Von Doom, or Dr. Doom, reprising the role for the sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
He was joined in the series by stars including Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Ioan Gruffudd.
His movie roles after that include RED, Paranoia and Swinging Safari, which saw him return to Australia for filming in 2018.
Other TV series McMahon appeared in include Full Circle, Childhood’s End and Hunters.
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More significant roles came with Runaways in 2017 and the police procedurals FBI, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International.
The actor’s most recent credits have been 2024 movie The Surfer, also starring Nicolas Cage, and Netflix series The Residence, released earlier this year, in which he played a prime minister.
McMahon’s last public appearance was at The Surfer‘s North American premiere in March 2025.
Life off-screen
McMahon married fellow Aussie icon Dannii Minogue in 1994.
The pair met in 1991 on the set of Home and Away; Minogue once said McMahon, “He stopped me in my tracks”.
The actor even starred in Minogue’s music video for This Is it.
The marriage lasted a year and a half, with the two performers having spent much of that time working in different countries.
Minogue has also spoken of a difficult relationship with McMahon’s mother, and said she and the actor hadn’t spoken since they separated.
McMahon married for the second time in 1999, to Baywatch star Brooke Burns.
The actors had started dating a year earlier and went on to welcome a daughter, Madison. They divorced in 2001.
In 2014, McMahon married actress and model Kelly Paniagua after 11 years of dating.
The pair became engaged during a family trip to Melbourne in 2013.
After 11 years of marriage, Kelly has sadly lost her “beloved husband” to cancer, sharing the news with the world this morning.
A private battle
In a statement to media, Kelly revealed McMahon had died after a private cancer battle.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
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