Celebrities React to His Death – Hollywood Life

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Julian McMahon died peacefully earlier this week on July 1, 2025, at the age of 56, following a private battle with cancer. His death was confirmed by his wife, Kelly McMahon, who shared a heartfelt message expressing her grief and celebrating Julian’s life.

“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,” Kelly said in the statement. “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.”

Julian is now being honored by friends, former co-stars, and colleagues across Hollywood. Famous for his television roles in shows like Charmed, Nip/Tuck, and the FBI franchise, multiple actors and celebrities have shared public tributes mourning his passing and celebrating his legacy.

Below, read the tributes from some of Julian’s friends and colleagues.

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano worked with Julian on Charmed and penned a lengthy social media note for him. She began her caption by writing, “I’m heartbroken.”

“Julian McMahon was magic,” she wrote in her Instagram post. “That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up—not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding. We spent years together on Charmed—years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments. He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman. He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other.”

Calling Julian “more than [her] TV husband,” Alyssa wrote that he was also “a dear friend.”

“The kind who checks in. The kind who remembers. The kind who shares,” she continued. “The kind who tells you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable—but always with love. My heart is with Kelly [McMahon], with [his daughter] Madison, and with Iliana—his girls, his world. He adored them. You could feel it in every conversation, every story, every text. He was a family man above all, and he loved deeply. Losing him feels unreal. Too soon. Too unfair. Rest, my friend. I’ll carry your laugh with me. Forever Cole. Forever Julian.”

Holly Marie Combs

Fellow Charmed co-star Holly Marie Combs shared an Instagram reel of some of the cast’s photos together with Julian.

“One of a kind is an understatement,” Holly wrote in her caption alongside the video. “Your unyielding zest for life and crazy making sense of humor will be sorely missed. The joy and laughter you were the direct cause of will always be remembered. I hope you find our lady friend and dance in those rose petals.”

Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan also starred in Charmed with Julian and wrote via her Instagram Stories that he was “a force of brilliance, wild talent and humour… I pray comfort for his family.”

Ioan Gruffudd

Ioan Gruffudd, who co-starred in Fantastic Four with Julian, called the latter’s death “terribly sad news” in an Instagram post.

“Even though we played each other’s nemeses, there was always so much lightness and laughter working together,” Ioan wrote about Julian. “Every encounter with him was a joy. It was an honor to be Dr. Richards to his Dr. Doom. My heart goes out to his wife and family. God speed, Julian.”

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage, who worked with Julian on The Surfer, called him “a kind and intelligent man.”

“Such deeply saddening news. I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors,” Nicolas told Deadline. “Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favorites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favorite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family.”

Kelly Carlson

Julian’s Nip/Tuck co-star Kelly Carlson expressed shock and sorrow in a video, calling him a “good friend and acting partner.”

In a video posted on her Instagram, the former actress and model said, “I just heard about the passing of Julian McMahon and I’ve gotten a lot of really nice messages on Instagram and I just checked ‘cause I was just told and I was trying to verify it, right? Because people can say stuff like that, but it looks to be true — and oh, my gosh, I’m completely shocked and saddened by it.”

Kelly continued, “I didn’t know he wasn’t well for a while. But I will say my heart goes out to Kelly, his wife, his daughter and Brooke Burns, his ex-wife, who they remain close friends and raise their daughter together and I think he has a sister…”

“It’s tough to process a little bit because he played my on-and-off husband for several years, [he] was a good friend and my acting partner,” she added. “Anyways, Jules, thank you for a great seven years on Nip/Tuck together and we had so much fun. I hope he had a peaceful journey. I wish him a peaceful journey and I know he had a full, great life so that’s a good thing.”

Michael Chiklis

Another Fantastic Four co-star, Michael Chiklis, remembered Julian on social media. The actor, who played Ben Grimm/The Thing in the Fantastic Four films, shared a photo of himself, Jessica Alba, and Julian on Instagram. “I’m devastated to hear of the passing of my friend Julian. Life is so precious and fragile. My condolences to his family. RIP Jules,” he captioned the post.

Dylan Walsh

Dylan Walsh, also from Nip/Tuck, wrote in a statement, “Dear Jules, I know you like to flout the boundaries but this time you’ve gone too far.”

He continued, “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 shit 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.’ Good bye Jules.”