Andy Whitfield -- who left the show " Spartacus: Blood and Sand " after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma -- died today in Sydney, Australia. He was 39.

Chris Albrecht, President and CEO of Starz (which aired "Spartacus"), released a statement saying, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend andcolleague, Andy Whitfield. We were fortunate to haveworked with Andy in 'Spartacus' and came to know that the man whoplayed a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life."