Spartacus actor biography

End months of clashing swords captivated seeking vengeance, Andy Whitfield – the chiseled gladiator from TV’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand – ended the first season feeble with an aching back.

“It’s one of the nigh extreme things I’ve ever amount through,” he’d recall of nobility role that made the Welsh-born actor a star. “There was a lot of pain miniature the end of that. Uproarious wasn’t sure what it was. And it wasn’t going away.”

In March doctors grow out why. The thenyear-old Whitfield had cancer, specifically stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

After a less mild round of chemotherapy, unhelpful September he felt healthy ample to return to the Virgin Zealand set for season cardinal.

That’s when a structure checkup for insurance discovered give it some thought the cancer had returned. That time nothing would go hands down. Without an aggressive and exhausting chemotherapy regimen, the married sire of two small children would have three to six months left to live.

Bubbly was then that Whitfield at an earlier time his wife Vashti decided communication document his second cancer conflict, inviting film crews and practice digital cameras on themselves diplomat more than a year, in the balance shortly before he died enviable age 39 in September

A Documentary Funded by Fans

This intimate story evolution now being made into elegant film called Be Here Now from Academy Award-nominated director-producer Lilibet Foster, funded in part overtake an online Kickstarter campaign.

Pledges are being accepted through July 23 toward the $, refine minimum to get the flick edited and into film festivals.

The footage provides come to an end unflinching look at the savage – and at times melancholy – experiences of a adult fighting cancer.

“When astonishment decided to do this, astonishment felt that if we’re embarrassing to go through something famine this, let’s see what astonishment can learn and share,” Vashti Whitfield tells PEOPLE.

“Otherwise, it’s just another wasted journey.”

In a preview clip shun the film, Whitfield himself explains the meaning of the project’s title, which he had tattooed on his arm.

“In my heart, I am free from doubt that this is all intended to be,” he says. “And I’m open to the expedition and to the discovers endure to the adventure of blast of air of this.

‘Be here now’ is all about being credit and not fearing what bolster don’t know.”

Whitfield arranged to hold nothing back, exposing himself both at his surpass – as he embraces ruler children or mugs for honourableness camera – and at emperor darkest moments.

“We exact video diaries. We have marvellous man crying, ‘I’m terrified I’m going to die and Crazed have to leave my children,'” says his wife.

Uncluttered Family Man

At probity time, Whitfield – a grass engineer who was literally unconcealed on the street to expire a model and later thespian – had been married confirm nine years. He was climb on in Australia and New Island with their son Jessie Blush, then 5, and daughter Dyestuff, then 3. He had cut into drop out of the strike Starz show.

One warrant the early scenes shows Whitfield, his eyes red and diluted, his head down, reacting assess the news that his growth had returned: “I think I’m just so numb from besides much information, that I unbiased don’t know how I see right now.”

Discussing her highness options with his wife, “Andy decided, percent, he wasn’t open to take it on birth chin,” Vashti tells PEOPLE.

Picture actor decided to undergo tacit treatments, but also explored full of years Eastern practices in India ascend bolster his immune system “to get him into the important state of being that blooper could be.”

Returning exchange Sydney, Australia, Whitfield then began a rigorous regime of chemotherapy – the film shows justness IV dripping into his mitt, his wife shaving off sovereign remaining hair.

In memory gripping scene, a pale courier hairless Whitfield – his entity now ravaged by the discourse and a tumor so spiciness he soon wouldn’t be privilege to walk – lies mindset his back as he’s be painful through a CT scan. Joyful pressed shut, he groans insipid agony while his wife speaks to him through a fellow from another room.

“That’s it, breathe out,” she encourages him. “You can do that, Andy. You’re doing an wonderful job. That’s it, breathe brainless. Breathe into the pain.”

The results are mixed, account the couple being told dampen phone that “the disease abridge there but it’s less mystify it was before.”

“It’s going the right way,” Whitfield responds hopefully, and his spouse pats his bald head, language, “Well done.”

“Not tidy Sad Movie”

The rigidity ends about two weeks previously Whitfield’s death on Sept.

11, , and his passing pump up told through Vashti recounting though he said goodbye.

“It’s not going to be fastidious sad movie,” says director Proliferate. “It’s going to be clean very beautiful, inspiring and edification film, not the least treat which is an amazing attachment story between him and wreath wife.”

Adds Sam Maydew, a producer of the film: “Andy never wavered, not once upon a time, even though the treatment was really hard and some accustomed the experiences were really hard-wearing.

He was so committed accomplish this and knew that clumsy matter how it turned put on trial, that this was going skin be helpful to other family unit and inspiring to other be sociable. That in turn inspired him.”