Celebrities Who Have Had Lymphoma

In 2010, Whitfield was playing the lead role on the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. He had completed work on the first season of the show when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He delayed work on the second season of the show in order to receive immediate treatment in New Zealand, where he underwent chemotherapy. After a few months of treatment, he was in full remission.

Whitfield discovered that the cancer had returned during a routine checkup. Though he tried to fight it again, the relapse proved fatal. He was not able to star in the second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, but he spent the last year of his life collecting film of all of the things that he and his wife went through together. The footage was turned into a documentary of his life called “Be Here Now,” in which he and his wife celebrate life to the fullest, getting matching tattoos, taking care of their children, and sharing in determination, tenderness, and strength. Whitfield passed away in September of 2011 at the age of 39.

Photo credit: Andy Whitfield by Gage Skidmore