Some bad news for Spartacus: Blood and Sand fans. EW is reporting that star Andy Whitfield, who plays the title character will not be returning to the second season of the hit series. If you remember Whitfield was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in March. Since receiving “aggressive treatment” for the disease, he has been cancer free since June. Unfortunately, his doctors have advised the actor, who has been training for the new season to continue with his treatment which has caused him to bow out of the series:
“It’s with a deep sense of disappointment that I must step aside from such an exceptional project as Spartacus and all the wonderful people involved,” Whitfield said in the release. “It seems that it is time for myself and my family to embark on another extraordinary journey. Thank you for the support so far.”
At this point, the network has not made any decisions regarding the series’ future. “Right now, we just want to extend our concern and support to Andy and his family,” Starz Media’s Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik said in the statement. “We will address our programming plans at some later date.” Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel to the series, will still air as scheduled in January 2011. Hopefully Whitfield will be back in fighting shape for season 3, since the second season will be a prequel. It's a great show and I would hate to see it come to an end so soon, but at the end of the day your health comes first.
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