“Spartacus: Blood and Sand” star Andy Whitfield passed away this Sunday at the age of 39. He died in Sydney, Australia due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Andy Whitfield is survived by his two children and his wife Vashti, who held him as he died in her arms after 18 months of struggling with the cancer. Chief executive of Starz Chris Albrecht, said in a statement, “The man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life.”

Whitfield’s Spartacus co-star Lucy Lawless also praised Andy Whitfield in Entertainment Weekly saying, “Andy’s incandescent film presence made men want to be him and women want to marry him. Andy’s two babies will always know that their Daddy cherished them and their mother, Vashti, above all things. How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. Godspeed, Andy!”

The actor came to fame when he was chosen as the leading gladiator in the blood-soaked and sex-driven Starz Entertainment show. His performance was so strong production of a second season was halted a year and a half ago when Whitfield was first diagnosed with the cancer.

During that time, producers created “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” a prequel series with different actors. However, Whitfield was never able to recover for a second season, so rather than cancel, producers recast is role. With Whitfield’s blessings, Liam McIntyre has taken over in Spartacus as the leading Thracian gladiator in a slave rebellion. “Spartacus: Vengeance” is set to premier on Starz in January.