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Julian McMahon knew how to stand out. He started with soap operas in Australia and later took over prime-time TV in America. Many first saw him as Cole Turner on Charmed, where he played the half-demon who broke Phoebe’s heart again and again. Others still picture Christian Troy from Nip/Tuck, the smooth surgeon who pushed TV to its limits in the early 2000s.
He stepped into the shoes of Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four and made him look slick and dangerous. Even when the movie fell short, people still discussed his version of Doom. Julian had a way of giving every role an edge that stayed with you. He never faded into the background.
His death on July 2, 2025, at the age of 56 shocked fans who grew up watching him flip from soap heartthrob to Marvel villain to TV bad boy. He always made his scenes count. These seven roles show he gave it everything he had each time.
They remind people that actors do not need trophies to stick around in people’s heads. One good scene does the trick. People still talk about his best moments, and that is why his work will not fade away.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.
These 7 roles played by Julian McMahon will always live in the hearts of fans
1) Cole Turner – Charmed (2000–2005)
Julian McMahon turned Cole Turner into one of Charmed’s biggest shockwaves. He first came in as Belthazor, a demon sent to kill the Halliwells, but he fell for Phoebe and wrecked every evil plan. Fans remember how he flipped from charming human lawyer to ruthless demon in seconds.
His romance with Phoebe turned the show into more than just spells of the week. It gave real heartbreak and betrayal that kept viewers arguing. Cole pushed the sisters to question trust and second chances. He married Phoebe, then lost her, then fought to get her back, but the darkness never left him.
Some fans still say the writers did him wrong when they banished him to the Demonic Wasteland. His last moments gave Charmed the painful edge it needed to stand out among supernatural shows. Cole made the line between love and danger feel too close for comfort.
2) Dr. Christian Troy – Nip/Tuck (2003–2010)
Christian Troy turned plastic surgery into TV chaos. McMahon made him look smooth on the surface, but ready to ruin everything underneath. He ran McNamara/Troy with Sean but refused to follow any line. He jumped into clients’ beds, took bribes, and ruined friendships with quick decisions. His life stayed messy on purpose. He fathered a child with Kimber, which brought endless twists.
Christian dressed sharply and flirted with every patient, but always looked like he hid something dark. The surgeries were shocking, but Christian’s reckless life gave the show its shock value.
Fans loved how Julian showed his shallow world covering real damage that never healed. Christian made bad choices feel tempting to watch, but impossible to escape. Nip/Tuck ran on extremes, and Christian kept it from going stale. He remains TV’s king of bad doctors who never learn.
3) Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom – Fantastic Four (2005, 2007)
Julian McMahon stepped in as Victor Von Doom when Marvel needed a face for power and revenge. Doom began as the billionaire who funded Reed’s mission and turned bitter when his powers were stripped from him. Julian played Doom cold and smug instead of loud and silly, which made betrayal sting harder.
He made scenes tight by showing Doom could switch from boardroom deals to threats in seconds. Many fans think his Doom should have had more screen time, while some wanted to see Doom’s mind games and rivalry with Reed run deeper than the film allowed.
Even people who called the movies a mess admit Julian’s Doom gave them weight they lacked. He wore the metal mask and still looked ready to break the heroes without needing explosions. He remains a bright spot in an early Marvel film that needed a villain who felt real.
4) Jess LaCroix – FBI: Most Wanted (2020–2022)
Jess LaCroix felt different from Julian McMahon’s flashier roles. He led the Fugitive Task Force without drama but with eyes sharp enough to read any suspect. He carried years of loss after losing his wife, but kept going for his daughter. Julian made Jess look calm, but you could see the cost behind his eyes. He solved cases by trusting his team and letting quiet moments build tension instead of big speeches.
Fans liked seeing Julian play someone strong but steady. His exit in season three shocked people because Jess felt like the heart of the spinoff. FBI: Most Wanted had to shift fast once he left.
Jess stands out because he proved Julian could lead a crime drama without leaning on bad-boy charm. He portrayed him as the kind of leader who knows silence works better than threats.
5) Jonah / Magistrate – Runaways (Marvel, 2017–2018)
Jonah showed up in Runaways and flipped the kids’ world upside down. He came off warm and calm, but turned out to be an alien feeding off people’s lives. Julian made Jonah feel polite and cold at once, which made him scarier than shouting villains. He controlled the Pride and made them do awful things to protect their families. He turned Karolina’s life inside out by revealing he was her real father, which twisted her trust.
Jonah’s plan forced the Pride to cross lines they never imagined. His smooth threats made Runaways darker than just a teen fight. When Jonah left the show lost a big piece of what made it feel risky.
Fans still say Julian’s calm voice hid more danger than any fight scene. Jonah proved that bad guys can look like saviors when they hide what they really want.
6) Ben Lucini – Home and Away (1990–1991)
Ben Lucini gave Julian his first real step into people’s homes. He played a young soldier who married Carly in one of the soap’s early beach weddings. Ben’s military life clashed with small-town routine, which caused fights that felt real, not just soap fluff.
Fans still remember Carly and Ben’s wedding because it felt sweet yet tense with his job pulling him away. Julian portrayed Ben as steady, but you could see him break under pressure.
Home and Away uses new couples every few years, but Ben and Carly’s marriage stayed in fans’ heads because they showed young love and grown-up stress at once. Julian’s time on that soap put him on the path to bigger screens. Without Ben Lucini, he might not have landed his bigger roles later.
7) Detective John Grant – Profiler (1996–2000)
John Grant worked in the shadows while Profiler chased serial killers. Julian McMahon played Grant as the agent who kept the team from falling apart. He stayed calm when Sam Waters dove deep into the suspects’ minds.
Grant didn’t chase drama — he got facts and backed Sam when cases turned ugly. His steady side balanced out the show’s dark visions and tense scenes. He made sure the show felt grounded, not just spooky.
Julian never made Grant show off. He played him quietly but solidly, which made him easy to trust when murders piled up. Profiler gave crime TV an early taste of what would become shows like Criminal Minds. John Grant showed Julian could carry the weight of teamwork and crime solving without big speeches. He proved small moments matter as much as psychic hunches when danger closes in.
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