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Andy Whitfield , who played the title role in the hit cable series " Spartacus: Blood and Sand ," has died at age 39, according to representatives and family. Whitfield died Sunday in Sydney, Australia, 18 months after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, manager Sam Maydew told the Associated Press. "On a beautiful sunny Sydney spring morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his loving wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18 month battle with lymphoma cancer," Whitfield's wife Vashti said in a statement. "He passed peacefully surrounded by love. Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have help carry him to this point. He will be remembered as the inspiring, courageous and gentle man, father and husband he was." Andy Whitfield — who was born in Wales and moved to Australia in 1999 — was a virtual unknown when he was cast as the legendary Thracian slave in "Spartacus," a role made famous by

Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" Keeping It's Viewers If you haven't seen this show then you are missing out on one of the best shows on TV right now. The series focuses on the historical figure of Spartacus (played by Andy Whitfield), a Thracian gladiator who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Executive producers Steven S. DeKnight and Robert Tapert focused on structuring the events of Spartacus' obscure early life leading to the records of history. Several of cable's big-ticket midseason shows are getting a lukewarm response from viewers, but there's at least one new series demonstrating growth potential. Among the current field of major scripted projects on cable -- including Syfy's "Caprica," AMC's "Breaking Bad" and TNT's "SouthlandSouthland" -- it's the ratings for Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" that buck the trend. Though the drama has

'Spartacus' Gets Renewed Before It Even Premieres On Starz Spartacus: Blood and Sand is an upcoming Starz original TV series that will premiere in January, 2010. The series focuses on Spartacus, a Roman gladiator (played by Andy Whitfield), who later became the leader of a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. The show has been advertised as featuring some of the most graphic sex scenes ever produced on television. The violence is also very bloody and it is slated for a TV-MA rating. "We couldn't be happier with the first season," said Starz Entertainment EVP, Programming, Stephan Shelanski. "'Spartacus' delivers on all levels – action, characters, intrigue, romance and excitement. 'Spartacus' is the most ambitious original project we've ever undertaken, and speaks to the commitment to our subscribers to provide truly original programming along with our unmatched lineup of theatrical features." The network is debuting the