Spartacus Loses Star Andy Whitfield
Very sad news. Starz hit show Spartacus: Blood and Sand is to lose its star Andy Whitfield after doctors advised him to resume his cancer treatment. Whitfield had been positive during Comic-Con about his return to training for the historical sword-and-sandal epic.
His publicist sent out the following statement:
Andy Whitfield, star of Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," has been advised by his doctors to immediately resume aggressive treatment for a recurrence of cancer, as a result of which he will not be returning for the series' second season, which was tentatively set to air in September 2011.
"It's with a deep sense of disappointment that I must step aside from such an exceptional project as Spartacus' and all the wonderful people involved. It seems that it is time for myself and my family to embark on another extraordinary journey. Thank you sincerely for the support so far," said Whitfield.
"Our hearts and prayers are with Andy and his family during this difficult time," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht. "Andy is not only an incredible actor whose portrayal of Spartacus made an indelible impression on Starz audiences, he is also an amazing human being whose courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity have inspired all of us."
No decisions have yet been made about the future of the series. "Right now, we just want to extend our concern and support to Andy and his family," said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director, Starz Media. "We will address our programming plans at some later date."
Starz still plans to air the prequel to "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" in January 2011. Entitled "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," it focuses on the House of Batiatus before Spartacus arrives in Capua and stars returning cast members John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah and Manu Bennett, along with newcomer Dustin Clare.
Everyone at TVOvermind wishes Andy the best of luck in his battle, and we hope for a speedy recovery.
I am very sorry to hear about Andy, I wish him and his family all the best in their battle. I am sorry that he won't be in Spartacus, he was awesome.
Spartacus wont be the same without him. He 'made' Spartacus the character. My prayers go out to him and his family.
My wife and I are very sad about the news – about his situation and the series in which he shines. He is the soul of the series and with that in mind, I do very much hope they suspend the series until he makes a full recovery. It would not even be close to what it has been unless he is in it. Unfortunately if they do this, the other cast will be forced into other work which would make the scheduling for another future season very difficult at best.