Fans Revisit Charmed and Nip/Tuck in Wake of Julian McMahon’s Passing
By Ann Tate | News |
A Legacy Reawakened: Remembering McMahon Through His Greatest Roles
With the passing of actor Julian McMahon on July 2, 2025, fans across the globe are revisiting two of his most iconic roles—Charmed’s conflicted demon lover Cole Turner and Nip/Tuck’s seductive surgeon Dr. Christian Troy. The resurgence of viewership on streaming platforms and social media tributes has reignited conversations around McMahon’s legacy and his uncanny gift for portraying morally ambiguous, emotionally complex characters.
The Antihero That Changed Charmed
When Charmed introduced Cole Turner in its third season, the series took a bold narrative turn. Initially sent to kill the Halliwell sisters, Cole’s transformation from demonic assassin to tragically in-love antihero captured the imagination of fans. His romance with Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) remains one of TV’s most iconic "enemies to lovers" arcs, praised for its intensity and heartbreak.
McMahon’s nuanced performance made Cole more than just a villain. His evolution into the Source of All Evil—and his futile struggle to hold onto his humanity and love for Phoebe—became the emotional core of the show’s darkest and most critically praised seasons. Even years later, fans call Cole’s arc one of the reasons Charmed achieved its enduring cult status.
“He elevated the show during its original run,” one Reddit fan recently wrote, “and made it more than just a monster-of-the-week series.”
The Role That Made Him a Star: Nip/Tuck’s Christian Troy
While Charmed gave McMahon cult status, it was FX’s Nip/Tuck that made him a household name. As Dr. Christian Troy, he embodied a character oozing charm, confidence, and calculated cruelty. McMahon’s portrayal of a plastic surgeon obsessed with surface beauty—and deeply scarred beneath it—earned him critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe nomination in 2005.
Nip/Tuck broke ground as one of cable TV’s earliest prestige dramas, and McMahon’s performance was central to its success. He brought a hypnotic intensity to Christian Troy, a character viewers loved to hate—and often just loved. In the weeks following his death, fans have been flooding forums and platforms like X and YouTube with clips, rewatches, and analysis of his most unforgettable scenes.
Why We’re Still Watching
There’s a reason why the roles of Cole Turner and Christian Troy are being rewatched decades later. McMahon didn’t just play antiheroes—he humanized them. Whether navigating love and damnation in Charmed or masking spiritual emptiness behind a scalpel in Nip/Tuck, he brought layered vulnerability to every performance.
And now, in light of his private battle with cancer and sudden passing, those performances hit harder. Fans are remembering a man who chose his roles with care, exited shows to challenge himself creatively, and left behind a body of work filled with intensity, ambiguity, and passion.
Final Curtain, Lasting Impact
Julian McMahon may be gone, but the characters he created continue to live on in every rewatch and every tribute post. Whether you're bingeing Charmed for the angst or Nip/Tuck for the drama, one thing is clear: McMahon left us with performances that still provoke, inspire, and break our hearts.
“He brought joy into as many lives as possible,” his wife Kelly McMahon said in her statement. And clearly, that joy lives on.
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