'Spartacus' star Andy Whitfield dies - Hollywood pays tribute

Spartacus creator Steven DeKnight and comedian Joel McHale are among the stars who have paid tribute to the late Andy Whitfield.

Whitfield died at age 39 on Sunday after a long battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Spartacus exec DeKnight said that he was very sad to hear of Whitfield's passing, tweeting: "No words to express the depth of such a loss. You will be deeply missed, my brother."

Whitfield's Spartacus co-star Lucy Lawless said she was lucky to have known the actor, telling Entertainment Weekly: "Obviously, Andy Whitfield left an indelible mark on all of us in the Spartacus family. He was a gentle man who never said a bad word about anyone, a gifted photographer, engineer (no really!) and a brilliant actor.

"Andy's incandescent film presence made men want to be him and women want to marry him. Andy's two babies will always know that their Daddy cherished them and their mother, Vashti, above all things. How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. Godspeed, Andy!"

The Soup host McHale described Whitfield's death as "terribly sad", while Dexter star Julie Benz wrote: "A life cut way too short. So sad."

Grounded for Life actor Donal Logue suggested that Whitfield's cancer battle should encourage his fans to donate bone marrow, writing: "Non-hodgkins lymphoma & 67 other terminal illnesses need not be fatal if a marrow donor can be found- @bethematch.org. save a life. (sic)"

Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff called Whitfield a "great talent and a true warrior" and Body of Proof actress Jeri Ryan added that "cancer sucks".

Whitfield is survived by his wife Vashti and their two children.

Watch Andy Whitfield in Spartacus: Blood and Sand below: