A Wales born Australian actor who was a virtual unknown when he was cast as the legendary Thracian slave in the hit cable series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," a role made famous by Kirk Douglas in the 1960 Stanley Kubrick film. The series proved a breakout hit for the Starz network and made waves with its graphic violence and sexuality.

Whitfield played the title role in all 13 episodes of the first season that aired in 2010, and was preparing to shoot the second when he was diagnosed with cancer. He died at age 39 on September 11, 2011 after an 18 months battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer.