Learn about Andy Whitfield, the actor everybody thinks is a young Patrick Stewart with hair
Aux Features TV
If you Google “Patrick Stewart with hair,” as we all do every day or so, one of the first results will be a black and white photo of a man in a suit who kind of, sort of looks like a young Stewart. This man, it turns out, is not Patrick Stewart, but Andy Whitfield, an actor who has never been on Star Trek and, as his fans are using the latest Stewart confusion to remind the internet, deserves better than to be relegated to meme side note.
The latest instance of the “Patrick Stewart with hair” phenomenon popped up again on Twitter a few days ago. Before long, people like Jared Pechacek began countering the claim that the photo in question was of anyone but Whitfield.
Some saw this as an opportunity to highlight how Google results can be skewed by misinformation, which creates more misinformation over time.
Whitfield’s fans, on the other hand, used the opportunity to tell people about the actor, who died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011 at only 39 years-old and was best known for playing the lead in Spartacus: Blood And Sand.
Aside from urging people to check out his work on the show and learn more about the actor’s life through the documentary Be Here Now, Twitter was also quick to supply images of the actual “Patrick Stewart with hair” photos it needs.
So there you have it. Despite the additional confusion presented by an image of “Patrick Stewart with hair” that also features Roman armor, Spartacus’ Andy Whitfield is an entirely separate person. In a rare case of the internet working as intended, the confusion has been cleared up, people have been directed to accurate photos of a hirsute Stewart, and a late actor’s legacy has been remembered for more than his passing likeness to another celebrity.
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54 Comments
Sir Patrick has never really been young. He’s 38 or 39 year and already starting to look 10 years older. Once he hit 50 or so he sort of locked into that age for the next 30 years or so.
Hair is overrated. It is a scientific fact that bald men are more aerodynamic.
Much like a car with speedholes!
Spartacus was the best. A solid hour of T&A liberally peppered with ridiculous CGI violence. 3 sets (Villa-Exterior, Villa-Interior, Capua Street). Foisted Jai Courtney on an unprepared world. Viva Bianca giving off tremendous I’d Like To Speak To Your Manager energy.
Don’t forget John Hannah as that magnificent bastard Batiatus
And Nick Tarabay being a fucking snake.
Unfortunately for me, its just a one season show with a good prequel season. I’ve tried several times, but I have just never been able to get into the guy they tried to replace Whitfield with. Andy Whitfield was one of a kind (well, based on this article, maybe two of a kind…), the casting and writing just wasn’t able to figure out a good way to overcome that (for me at least, I know the last two seasons do have a lot of fans).
I get it and that is fine. I thought the whole series was great, but Whitfield’s passing gives this gratuitously violent T&A show a sense of tragedy. I don’t begrudge you for not checking out the later seasons.
Liam McIntyre took on a thankless job replacing Andy Whitfield and it was a bit jarring, but I thought he really grew into the role well in the final run.
When great season finales are discussed, Spartacus is missing from the lists too often.
Agreed on both McIntyre growing into the role (I think the structure of the seasons helps — Whitfield leads a revolt, McIntyre leads a rebellion and needs to draw on different capabilities) and the greatness of the series finale (all seasons have excellent ones though).
Much agreed. McIntyre is a bit jarring in his first appearance, but really grows into the role. It helps that the rest of the cast really steps up the game and the show sheds some of it’s worst impulses.And yes, the finale is one of the all time greats.
Agreed – the last 2 seasons were a class below Blood & Sand and Gods of The Arena. Whitfield and Hannah’s absence were tough to overcome.
Manu Bennett really did what he could though…it sort of felt like all of the actors rallied.
I’m glad someone else here appreciates the prequel season. I thought it was really well done for the amount of time they had to prepare it. The new actor to replace Andy (Liam something…) takes a couple episodes to get used to but does an okay job replacing him by mid-season two (or three, whatever you want to refer to it as).
It took me a while. I tried after Whitfield died and just couldn’t…but I came back to it a few years later, and the post-Whitfield stuff is actually good…but yeah.
Spartacus was so over the top in everything. Whether it was violence, nudity (male and female) or colorful phrasing (“My c-ck rages on!””Gratitude”) It also made me really appreciate Lucy Lawless and John Hannah. I loved it!
It was like a really bad show that somehow wasn’t bad at all. One of my favorite things from the 2010’s, and always a joy to put on when company came over and wasn’t expecting it.
That’s a good way to describe it. I remember when I first sat down to watch it with my wife and there was geysers of fake blood, and long slo-mo sex scene, I thought what am I getting us into? But we watched the next episode and then the next one and we wound up loving the damn show. It was really rather good camp fun.I told my cousin, who pretty much watches anything, how much we loved it but she told me she couldn’t get into it. I was actually insulted by her decision. I guess it’s really a strange acquired taste. But I have to say it is still one of my top all time favorite shows. I think it is time for a rewatch.
Yeah yeah, the first episode is really bad. Though less so once you’re used to the tone and style of the show as a whole.Anyways, the first episode is bad, but when you get to around episode 3/4 you find yourself strangely interested. And then episode 6 rolls around and you realise that the show owns you now.
Reactions: WTF?!What am I watching?!?This is Freaking ridiculous!OMG WHAT HAPPENS NEXT???!!!
Since watching I’ll always feel let down by a sword fight scene, unless someone’s face gets cut off.
…and blood explodes as if their body was at 300psi, eventually filling the entire screen…
Jupiter’s cock! Gratitude for such superior username/comment synergy!
“JUPITER’S COCK!”
Truly this show’s most lasting legacy.
“
Once again the Gods spread the cheeks to ram cock in fucking ass”
*Michael Bluth voice* Well no one’s going to top that.
Ah, Viva Bianca. One more person taking up space in the “Australian Actresses of Polish Descent” folder in my brain (subfolder: “Elizabeth Debicki is 6’2″”).One of the bits of gratuitous violence that stuck with me was Ilithyia’s attack on Licinia. I tell myself those are bits of jewellery skittering across the floor and not teeth, but…
Spartacus was much more than the T&A/Violence porn it gets lumped into. It also had some great writing/characterization and one of he best series closing episodes in the Peak TV era. This show was everything GOT aspired to be.
When Spartacus and GoT were both running GoT was in its third season, the Red Wedding season. Arguably it was at it’s best at the time. GoT was a better quality show, but Spartacus evoked more emotion in me. Not just sadness when favourite characters bit the dust, but also fist pumping celebration as they triumphed.
Spartacus owns. (And Courtney is very good! Quit making him talk with an American accent and he’s fine.) Bianca going toe to toe with scheming Lucy Lawless, John Hannah playing every scene like a combination of Richard III and Al Goldstein, Manu Bennett kicking all sorts of ass and of course Whitfield growing so much over his only season. The whole show is one of the greats but that first season may be tops.
Its worth pointing out that Rob Tapert was executive producer. The mastermind behind Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess. Spartacus is basically what happens when Sam Raimi and the censors needed for syndicated television are removed from Mr. Tapert’s concern. I still remember the commentary about Army of Darkness where Sam is mocking Rob for wanting more “Skeletons leading naked women around in chains” in the movie, Sam’s response was go live out your fantasies in someone else’s movie. He’s also marries to Xena and Spartacus actress Lucy Lawless.
It’s been how many years now, and it’s still one of my favourite TV shows. The only weak point IMHO is that the first couple of episodes aren’t great, and the creators themselves are upfront about this. About half the people I recommend the show to say they can’t get beyond the first two episodes because it’s all just so much “300″ rip-off nonsense, but there’s so much exposition you really can’t skip them before the show starts to hit its stride.
Also, everything that “Game of Thrones” fumbled about the depiction of sex and violence, and sexual violence, “Spartacus” gets right.
“Whitfield is an entirely separate person. In a rare case of the internet working as intended”
Sorry, but the intention of the internet was to incorrectly label photos for years and then have a small number of people find and correct the mistake?
The little dot is called a “period.” It indicates that one thought has ended and a new one is beginning. If you included the next clause of that second sentence, the meaning would become clear: In a rare case of the internet working as intended, the confusion has been cleared up…
Gargasmell does this kind of shit on purpose to get attention. Don’t feed them.
I’m still not over Andy Whitfield’s passing. The dude was easily the best part of the first season of Spartacus and brought so much pure raw emotion to the character that the following seasons were considerably less engaging without him. Liam MacIntyre did an admirable job in his place, especially in the third, but the show never quite captured the same dramatic power that Andy carried to balance out the pulpiness of the story without him. I would’ve loved to have seen where he could’ve gone next after this series because he clearly had a ton of talent. Thanks for the reminder, AV Club…lol
I was just texting my husband about somehow Andy Whitfield is the celebrity death that continues to affect me most profoundly. The only thing I ever saw him in was that one season of Spartacus — was he even in anything else of note? — but I swear I tear up a little every time I see him mentioned. Said husband also suggested it was because I wanted to bone him but I don’t thank that’s quite it….
Man, I lost it when they brought Andy back for the final shot in the credits of the series finale. He was such a powerhouse, a phenomenal physical performer and certified beefcake who also grounded the show with emotional investment.
Well one thing that I always admired about Spartacus is that it was an equal opportunist when it came to sexualization haha both men and women were given a lot to look at XD. But yeah I think a lot of it has to do with the missed potential, I think he had a chance to go on to be at the very least a prominent TV actor who could deliver on both the action and the drama. It’s a shame…
Stewart went bald at 19. I’ve never found a picture of him at 18.
How much energy do you devote to looking for hot, barely legal pics of Patrick Stewart?
Was all set to make a snarky comment about him looking like the bland, vanilla, forgettable, second-coming of Sam Worthington until I read that he died of cancer 9 years ago. I’m very sorry to hear that, and I remember him well from the few episodes of Spartacus that I watched. But Sam Worthington is still boring.
The tragic thing is one day we’re going to look back and find out that Sam Worthington died 9 years ago and we never noticed.
Died? I thought he just changed his name to Tom Hardy?
James Cameron: “Okay, welcome to the first day of shooting on Avatar 2! Where’s Sam?…..What? He did? That long ago, huh? Well, I’ll be damned.”
Lol that post aged poorly… Maybe not the right word… what am I trying to say here internet?
This is so rude; clearly Sam Worthington is the bland, vanilla, forgettable second-coming of Andy Whitfield. At least Whitfield had great cheekbones; what has Worthington ever done for us as a society?
Liam McIntyre?
Truly shocking that we had to endure Hollywood trying to make Sam Worthington happen when Andy Whitfield existed.Also, this particular case of mistaken identity has been going on for several years; according to Facebook, I personally Well, actually’d someone about this on June 6, 2014.
Ah, June the 6th of 2014: the day that I, a 29-year-old adult, got braces, which felt like torture for about a month but would totally be worth it 3 years later; also the 70th anniversary of D-Day.I can’t explain why I felt compelled to say that.
Im pretty sure this is Patrick Stewart with hair
The hairline is drawn here! This far! No further!