Julian McMahon has passed away, and honestly? I’m not doing well.
If you’re of a certain queer, witchy, or chaos-loving persuasion, you know exactly why this hits harder than it probably should. Because this wasn’t just any actor—this was Cole Turner. This was Dr. Christian Troy. This was the man who somehow made being morally compromised look like an aphrodisiac.
And now he’s gone.
Gone like a vanquished demon, but this time, there’s no Power of Three to bring him back. Just the sound of Nip/Tuck reruns and our collective thirst echoing in the void.
Cole Turner Was It for Us
Let’s be clear: Cole was my sexual awakening wearing a dark trench coat. He was brooding. Dangerous. Conflicted. That jawline could have cut through dimensions. He made evil look… negotiable. Like, sure, he’s half-demon, but have you seen him shirtless?
Charmed was campy, cozy, and deeply sincere—and then came Cole, and suddenly it had sexual tension, layered villainy, and a reason to root for bad decisions. His chemistry with Phoebe? Volcanic. His redemption arc? Devastating. His screen presence? A goth wet dream wrapped in 90s leather.
If you were into men who looked like they’d ruin your life and then write you poetry about it… he was your guy.
Don’t Even Get Me Started on Nip/Tuck
As Dr. Christian Troy, McMahon did the impossible: he made a show about plastic surgery and male ego feel like Shakespeare in Miami. He was toxic, magnetic, vain, and somehow still sympathetic. He was the walking embodiment of “emotionally unavailable but extremely hot,” and some of us have never recovered.
That show was absurd. Brilliant. Gross. And Julian carried it like he carried every darkly flawed character he played—with charisma, complexity, and that low, dangerous smirk that made you want to ignore your therapist’s advice.
More Than Just a Pretty Face (But Also, That Face)
Julian McMahon never phoned it in. Even in the B-list superhero flicks and procedural crime shows, he had presence. He wasn’t just good-looking—he was haunting. A kind of old-school, smoldering actor who could say five words and make you rethink your entire moral code.
And now he’s gone.
And it feels personal.
Goodbye, Cole. Goodbye, Christian. Goodbye, You Sexy, Tormented Icon.
Julian McMahon gave us characters that were messy, magnetic, morally gray, and undeniably human. He made evil beautiful. He made heartbreak feel inevitable. He gave us permission to want the bad boy—not because he’d change, but because maybe we would.
He was more than his roles—but God, his roles were unforgettable.
So tonight, I’m lighting a candle. Watching that scene where Cole gets vanquished by the sisters while Phoebe sobs. Maybe I’ll rewatch Nip/Tuck, cringe and swoon in equal measure.
Rest in power, Julian.
You were fire and velvet and ruin—and we loved every second of it.