'A Good Day To Die Hard' star, Jai Courtney, has revealed his utter shock at the news of Andy Whitfield's death from cancer. The surprise came from that fact that the 'Spartacus: Blood And Sand' actor had always appeared to be "an image of health". Courtney and Whitfield grew steadily closer while working on the critically acclaimed 'Starz' series, with Whitfield acting as a mentor for the younger newcomer, Courteny.

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Whitfield passed away from non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at the age of 39 in 2011, yet Courtney had no idea of his friend's suffering until very late. In an interview with the 'Sydney Morning Herald', Courtney said: "Being close with him on Spartacus had a lot to do with me coming out to Los Angeles in the first place, hearing about his experiences and how the town worked and what you need to do to get an agent, and he really helped guide me through all that, so when he got sick it was unbelievable."

He continued to explain the late star, saying: "The guy was an image of health and it's pretty extraordinary when something like that happens and you can't seem to find a reason why. But I guess what I took away from that was just to live the way he did and get clear about your objectives and make it all count."