Lymphoma

Andy Whitfield, a British actor who played the protagonist in Starz "Spartacus", died Sunday after battling cancer. He was 39th

"On a sunny spring morning in Sydney, surrounded by his family in the arms of his beloved wife, our beautiful young warrior ... he lost his battle with lymphoma cancer 18 months," the actor's wife, Vashti, said in a statement. "He died peacefully, surrounded by love."

"Thanks to all his fans, whose love and support to bring it to this point. He will be remembered as a man inspired, brave and gentle, a father and husband was" informed.

Whitfield had a few acting credits to his name before he was cast as the main character of Starz "Spartacus: Blood and Sand", which turned out to be a success for the cable network. Post television critic Hank Whitfield Stueve acclaimed "difficult, the performance of steel" in the show.

The actor was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in May 2010 and was treated in New Zealand. In July of this year Comic-Con, the actor told Zap2It that he felt "better than ever," and hopes to return to the second season of the show. But the recurrence of cancer forced him to leave permanently in September.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague," Starz president and CEO Chris Albrecht said in a statement. "We were fortunate to have worked with Andy 'Spartacus' and came to know that the man who has been a champion of the screen was also a master of his own life."

"Spartacus," said creator Steven DeKnight in a tweet, "Words can not express the depth of that loss. You will be greatly missed, brother."