Julian McMahon

Julian Dana William McMahon (27 July 1968 – 2 July 2025) was an Australian-American actor. He was the only son of Sir William McMahon, a former Prime Minister of Australia. He was best known for his roles as Ben Lucini in Home and Away, Detective John Grant in Profiler, Cole Turner in Charmed, Dr. Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck, Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four duology, Jonah in Runaways and Jess LaCroix in FBI: Most Wanted. His other films include Premonition, Red, and The Surfer. For his performance in Nip/Tuck, McMahon was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama Series.

Early life and education

File:William and Sonia McMahon, with their children, visit Prime Minister Gough Whitlam at The Lodge in 1975.jpg

William and Sonia McMahon with their children (Julian in the middle) and Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (on right) at The Lodge in 1975.

Julian Dana William McMahon was born in Sydney on 27 July 1968, the son of Sonia (Template:Née), an heiress, socialite and fashion icon and William McMahon, a prominent Australian politician.<ref name="Magee">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His father was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a high-ranking minister in the 23-year Liberal Government for many years before Julian's birth; he became the 20th Prime Minister of Australia on 10 March 1971,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> when Julian was two years old.<ref name="Magee"/> His mother left their three children in the care of a nanny to be with her husband in Canberra during his Prime Ministership. He had two sisters and was of Irish descent through his father.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In an interview with the Herald Sun in 2018, McMahon discussed his childhood: "My Dad... was born in 1908. That's a very different time to what it was when he was raising me. He must have gone through a strange misunderstanding of how you were parented in 1908 versus how you parent in 1972; it would have been so conflicting. Also how you be a husband in that period of time would have been different."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

McMahon was educated at the private, boys-only, Sydney Grammar School,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which his father had attended. As a child, he dreamed of being an army cadet and playing rugby.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> McMahon briefly studied law at the University of Sydney<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and economics at the University of Wollongong.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> McMahon started modeling at age 17 and travelled to fashion hubs including Los Angeles, New York, Milan, Rome, and Paris.<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/>

McMahon was working in Europe when his father died in 1988 and returned to Australia for the funeral.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> While home, he filmed some Levi's commercials which helped him land a role on the Australian soap opera Home and Away.<ref name=":0" />

Career

File:Julian McMahon.jpg

McMahon attending a Q&A session at Comic-Con.

McMahon made his television acting debut in the short-lived daytime soap opera The Power, The Passion, where he played Kane Edmonds.<ref name="Brown">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He joined the cast of Home and Away as soldier Benito "Ben" Lucini in late 1989, with his first episode airing in February 1990.<ref name="Brown" /> McMahon chose not to renew his contract, which expired in December 1990 and he departed along with Sharyn Hodgson, who played his on-screen wife Carly Lucini.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In the early 1990s, McMahon struggled to obtain a work permit for the United States and as a result he missed out on a few roles.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> McMahon's big break Hollywood role was on the soap opera Another World when he was cast as Ian Rain in 1993.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first scene he shot in New York for the show had him emerge from a pool in a speedo at the Cory Mansion.<ref name=":3" /> He remembered the experience as "pretty magical".<ref name=":3" />

McMahon won recognition for his portrayals in American television dramas, such as Detective John Grant in the crime drama Profiler (1996–2000),<ref name="Los Angeles Times" /> Cole Turner in the supernatural drama Charmed (2000–2003) and Dr. Christian Troy in the medical drama Nip/Tuck (2003–2010).<ref name="Seven News"/> He also appeared in films with leading and supporting roles, such as Chasing Sleep (2000) alongside Jeff Daniels,<ref name="McCarthy"/> Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four duology (2005 and 2007),<ref name="ABC News"/> Premonition (2007) alongside Sandra Bullock,<ref name="Sawaya"/> Red (2010) alongside Bruce Willis,<ref name="Scott"/> Faces in the Crowd (2011) alongside Milla Jovovich,<ref name="Shoji"/> and Bait 3D (2012) alongside Sharni Vinson and Phoebe Tonkin.<ref name="Bait 3D"/>

According to McMahon, he was one of the actors in the running to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nip/Tuck garnered him a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama Series.<ref name="GoldenGlobes">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, McMahon returned to Australia to film Swinging Safari in Queensland, alongside Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue, Radha Mitchell, Asher Keddie and Jeremy Sims.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref> The film is set in the 1970s and sees McMahon sport a handlebar moustache.<ref name=":4" /> McMahon and his former sister-in-law Kylie Minogue share an improvised kiss in a scene where couples partner swap.<ref name=":4" /> He stated that he had found it difficult speaking with an Australian accent in the film because the majority of his career he had adapted to performing with an American accent.<ref name=":4" />

From 2020 to 2022, McMahon starred as Jess LaCroix in the CBS crime drama FBI: Most Wanted. He stated that when he received the script for the series from CBS, he had an "aha moment" and knew he had to play the character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also made guest appearances in parent series FBI and in spin-off FBI: International. McMahon departed the series mid-way through the third season; his final episode, "Shattered", aired 8 March 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Most of McMahon's roles were villains or damaged characters, roles to which he felt attracted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

McMahon's final acting role was in The Residence in 2025; the show was subsequently cancelled on the same day of his death.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

In 1994, McMahon married singer and actress Dannii Minogue after meeting on the set of Home and Away in 1991.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The newlyweds spent a great deal of their marriage apart, due to McMahon pursuing his roles in the U.S. and Minogue following her music career in England. They divorced a year and a half later, with Minogue stating that her negative relationship with McMahon's mother, Sonia, Lady McMahon, had been an issue from the beginning.<ref name=":1" />

In 1999, McMahon married Baywatch star Brooke Burns. The couple had one daughter together<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before divorcing in 2001.<ref name=":1" /> McMahon married for the third time in 2014 to Kelly Paniagua.<ref name=":1" />

McMahon resided in the United States from the 1990s until his death, but said his soul was still Australian: "I feel like I'm Australian on the inside and American on the outside or something. I would never want to leave it behind either. I love Australians, Australianisms, I love my part of being Australian. I love where I grew up and how I grew up and, you know, I wouldn't change it for the world."<ref name=":2" /> He became a citizen of the United States via naturalisation, but retained Australian citizenship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Death

McMahon died from lung metastasis caused by head and neck cancer, in Clearwater, Florida, on July 2, 2025. He was 56 years old.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref> His remains were subsequently cremated.<ref name=":5" />

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Ref heading
1992	Exchange Lifeguards	Mick		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1996	Magenta	Michael Walsch		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	In Quiet Night	Hayes		<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/>
2000	Chasing Sleep	George Simian		<ref name="McCarthy">Template:Cite web</ref>
2004	Meet Market	Hutch		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005	Fantastic Four	Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007	Premonition	Jim Hanson		<ref name="Sawaya">Template:Cite web</ref>
	Prisoner	Derek Plato		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer	Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010	Red	Robert Stanton		<ref name="Scott">Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	Faces in the Crowd	Sam Kerrest		<ref name="Shoji">Template:Cite web</ref>
2012	Bait 3D	Doyle		<ref name="Bait 3D">Template:Cite web</ref>
	Fire with Fire	Robert	Direct to video	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013	Paranoia	Miles Meechum		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	You're Not You	Liam		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018	Swinging Safari	Rick Jones		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Monster Party	Patrick Dawson		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	The Surfer	Scally		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat	Ray		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Ref heading
1989	Rafferty's Rules	Police Witness	Episode: "That Old Black Magic"	<ref name="ABC News">Template:Cite web</ref>
1989	The Power, The Passion	Kane Edmonds	Main role	<ref name="Seven News">Template:Cite web</ref>
1990–1991	Home and Away	Ben Lucini	Main role (seasons 3–4)	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1992	G.P.	Const. Colin "Clutch" Carmody	Episode: "Beat It"	<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/>
1993	Another World	Ian Rain	Main role	<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/>
1996–2000	Profiler	Det. John Grant	Main role	<ref name="Los Angeles Times">Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Will & Grace	Guy	Episode: "Where There's a Will, There's No Way"	<ref name="Magee"/>
2000–2005	Charmed	Cole Turner	Main role (seasons 3–5); guest (season 7)	<ref name="Seven News"/>
2001	Another Day	David	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003–2010	Nip/Tuck	Dr. Christian Troy	Main role	<ref name="Seven News"/>
2008	Robot Chicken	Doctor Doom	Voice; episode: "Monstourage"	<ref name="BTVA"/>
2012	Rogue	Kevin Lear	Television film	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013	Full Circle	Stanley	3 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015	Childhood's End	Rupert Boyce	Episode: "The Deceivers"	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016	Hunters	McCarthy	6 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency	Patrick Spring	3 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017–2018	Runaways	Jonah / Magistrate	Recurring role (season 1); main role (season 2)	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019–2021	FBI	FBI SSA Jess LaCroix	3 episodes	<ref name="CBR">Template:Cite web</ref>
2020–2022	FBI: Most Wanted		Main role (seasons 1–3)	<ref name="CBR"/>
2021	FBI: International		2 episodes	<ref name="CBR"/>
2025	The Residence	Stephen Roos	Recurring role, 6 episodes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Template:Ref heading
2005	Fantastic Four	Victor Von Doom / Dr Doom	Voice role	<ref name="BTVA">Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards and nominations

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result	Template:Abbr
2003	Nip/Tuck	Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama	rowspan=8 Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2004		Gold Derby Awards - Drama Lead Actor	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
		Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama	<ref name="GoldenGlobes"/>
2005		Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television	<ref name="Staveley">Template:Cite web</ref>
2006			<ref name="Staveley"/>
2007		Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actor	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer	Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain	<ref name="2007TCA">Template:Cite web</ref>
		Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rumble Template:Small

External links

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