12:59 11 September 2012
"A loving husband and father, terrific actor, and an inspiration to us all" quoted by Digital Spy, this is how Lucy Lawless described her Spartacus co-star Andy Whitfield - who has lost his battle to non-Hodgkin Lymphoma on September 2011 in a PSA video she made for Stand Up to Cancer telethon.
"No-one is immune to cancer,"the actress later added.
"It strikes unexpectedly, changing lives. We must stand united against this devastating disease."
Stand up to Cancertelethon is a star-studded event that aims to raise funds to accelerate cancer research, provide faster treatments to patients, and to fund innovative science to fight the deadly disease.
This is produced by Gwyneth Paltrow and Joel Gallen.
Among the celebrity presenters are Hollywood big names that include Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Missy Franklin, couples Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, and Jeremy Renner.
On the other hand, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Tim McGraw, and Alicia Keys are set to perform at the event.
Stand Up to Cancer telethon airs tonight at 8/7c on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and various cable channels.