Television stars who spent years on set with Julian McMahon are mourning the actor, who died on July 2 at age 56 after a cancer battle.
Some of the most heartfelt tributes came from the stars of Charmed, the 2000s-era WB drama on which McMahon played the half-demon Cole Turner.
“I’m heartbroken,” Alyssa Milano, who played Phoebe Halliwell on the show, wrote on Instagram. “Julian McMahon was magic. 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.”
Across “years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments,” McMahon made Milano feel safe as an actor and seen as a woman, she wrote. “He challenged me, teased me, supported me,” she said. “We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other.”
And McMahon was more than Milano’s TV husband, she told fans: “He was a dear friend. The kind who checks in. The kind who remembers. The kind who shares. The kind who tells you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable — but always with love.”
She continued: “My heart is with Kelly, with 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.”
Rose McGowan, who starred as Paige Matthews on Charmed, eulogized McMahon in her Instagram Stories. “Oh, Julian, you force of brilliance, wild talent, and humor,” she wrote. “For you, your family, and loving fans all over the world, I pray comfort.”
And Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper Halliwell, shared photos of McMahon on the Charmed set in an Instagram video. “One of a kind is an understatement,” she wrote. “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.”
In a reference to late Charmed star Shannen Doherty, Combs added, “I hope you find our lady friend and dance in those rose petals.”
Dylan Walsh, who played Dr. Sean McNamara to McMahon’s Dr. Christian Troy on the FX drama Nip/Tuck, told Deadline he was stunned by the news of his former costar’s death. “We rode this wave together, and I loved him,” he said. “My heart goes out to Kelly and Maddy. Jules! I know you’d want me to say something to make you smile — all the inside jokes. All those years you had my back, and my god, we laughed. My heart is with you. Rest in peace.”
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Kelly Carlson, who starred Kimber Henry on Nip/Tuck, fought back emotion as she reacted to the news in an Instagram video. “I just heard about the passing of Julian McMahon,” she said. “I’m completely shocked and saddened by it. I didn’t know he wasn’t well for a while.”
Carlson said McMahon was a good friend and acting partner and that her heart went out to his family. “Jules, thank you for a great six, seven years on Nip/Tuck together,” she added. “We had so much fun. Everybody had so much fun. And I know a lot of you who you followed the show are going to be really upset. I don’t blame you. He was the energy, the charisma, the humor, the looks, and everything of Nip/Tuck. And so, 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. … All right, Jules. We’ll see you on the other side.”
McMahon also made an impression on his costars in the 2005 film Fantastic Film and its 2007 sequel, in which he played the villainous Dr. Victor Von Doom.
“Even though we played each other’s nemeses, there was always so much lightness and laughter working together. Every encounter with him was a joy,” Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed Richards a.k.a. Mister Fantastic in the superhero pictures, wrote on Instagram. “It was an honor to be Dr. Richards to his Dr. Doom. My heart goes out to his wife and family. God speed, Julian.”
And Michael Chiklis, who played Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing in the superhero movies, wrote, “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.”