It all began with a one-episode stint on ‘80s Australian TV show “Rafferty’s Rules.” Before a two-year “Home and Away” run, then international success from his lead 1996–2000 role in US television series “Profiler” onwards, that’s where Julian McMahon first graced the screen. With his megawatt smile and easy charm, but also the ability to convey brooding intensity, he was rarely away from the camera since. Before the Australian actor’s death in July 2025 following a private cancer battle, both cinemas and streaming benefited from his presence this year.
Two of the last performances on McMahon’s resume will now always be “The Residence” and “The Surfer.” In the first, a twisty Netflix whodunit series set at the White House, he enjoyed multiple full-circle moments. The son of an Australian Prime Minister, he portrayed one with flair. He also co-starred — and not for the first time — with his former sister-in-law Kylie Minogue.
In his last film, McMahon headed home to hold his own with a delightfully unhinged Nicolas Cage in a battle for a beach, in a feature that premiered at Cannes 2024 before earning a general release in 2025. “The Surfer” will now also always be one of the talent’s finest performances.
To pay tribute to McMahon, both “The Residence” and “The Surfer” should be on everyone’s watch list. A survey of his standout roles spans decades, however. Variety AU/NZ takes a look back at a range of McMahon’s TV shows and films that viewers can stream now, also including his time as “Charmed’s” half-demon, “Nip Tuck’s” suave plastic surgeon and getting villainous in the ’00s-era “Fantastic 4” films.
“Charmed”
When “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” proved a late-‘90s hit, its own spinoff “Angel” wasn’t the only series to follow in its footsteps. With its tale of witchy sisters using their powers for good, “Charmed” also firmly fit the mould. It took until season three for Julian McMahon to join the cast as half-demon Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner, but he’s as well-remembered for the Aaron Spelling-produced supernatural drama as Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs are for portraying the original three Halliwell siblings — plus Rose McGowan for playing their younger half-sister.
“Charmed” streams via Paramount+.
“Nip/Tuck”
At the heart of “Nip/Tuck” is a concept and a tone that were only likely to work with the right stars. One of Ryan Murphy’s first shows, the series centres on two plastic surgeons, chalk and cheese in their demeanour and lifestyles, running a practice — in a field that the series doesn’t shy away from depicting in graphic detail or carving into with a black sense of humour. Julian McMahon’s Golden Globe-nominated work as playboy Christian Troy, opposite Dylan Walsh as Sean McNamara, couldn’t sum up the show better: across 100 episodes, he’s having a ball no matter how comic or dark any moment swings.
“Nip/Tuck” streams via Prime Video.
“Fantastic 4” and “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”
The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t yet exist when Julian McMahon initially stepped into Victor Von Doom’s shoes in 2005’s “Fantastic 4.” “Iron Man” was still a year away, in fact, when 2007’s “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer” reached cinemas. While Robert Downey Jr. will next play the character in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday” and Toby Kebbell did the same in Josh Trank’s 2025 “Fantastic Four”, McMahon visibly relished portraying the nefarious figure first, starring opposite Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, future Captain America Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis.
“Fantastic 4” and “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer” both stream via Disney+.
“Swinging Safari”
Writer/director Stephan Elliott. A love letter to Australia and its idiosyncrasies that’s set in a distinctive patch of Down Under terrain. Scene-stealing costume design. A stacked cast. That combination worked fabulously with “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” It comes together entertainingly in 2018 comedy “Swinging Safari,” too, in no small part thanks to the abundant enthusiasm on everyone’s parts. Here, stars Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue, Radha Mitchell, Julian McMahon, Asher Keddie and Jeremy Sims pair up as married couples living the Gold Coast life in the ‘70s.
“Swinging Safari” streams via iTunes and Prime Video.
“FBI: Most Wanted”
Following a stint on US soap opera “Another World,” Julian McMahon’s big American TV break came via “Profiler,” playing a police detective who is part of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. Two decades after that series ended, “FBI: Most Wanted” had him leading the bureau’s New York Fugitive Task Force for three seasons. Not every actor thrives in police procedurals, but McMahon is among those who can. His time as Supervisory Special Agent Jess LaCroix also saw him pop up in “FBI,” which started the Dick Wolf-created franchise, as well as “FBI: International.”
“FBI: Most Wanted” streams via Paramount+.
“The Residence”
What happens when pop culture’s love of whodunnits combines with TV’s fondness for political intrigue? Shondaland series “The Residence” arrived in March 2025 to answer that question in an eight-episode mystery-meets-dramedy. The setup: when a murder occurs during a state dinner where Australia is the focus, the nation’s Prime Minister is in attendance and Kylie Minogue is singing for the crowd, genius detective Cordelia Cupp is called in to solve the crime. Enlisting Julian McMahon as the PM, as part of a cast led by Uzo Adoba, is one of the show’s clever and winking moves.
“The Residence” streams via Netflix.
“The Surfer”
When Nicolas Cage is giving a role his all, especially when it requires him to test his character’s sanity, he’s hypnotic. “The Surfer” ticks those boxes, casting him as an expat Aussie who returns home after decades in the US, complete with an American accent, and wants nothing more than to hark back to his youthful glory days by buying the house that he grew up in and taking his teenage son to his childhood beach. The one thing in his way: an equally commanding, mesmerising and exceptionally deployed Julian McMahon as Scally, who leads a crew of locals that aren’t fond of outsiders.
“The Surfer” streams via Stan.