Actor Francis “Frankie” Mossman, known for his roles in the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and the queer web series The Horizon, has died at the age of 33.
The out performer died on Saturday at his home in Sydney, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family to raise funds to transport his remains to his native New Zealand.
“Francis was an energetic force and much-loved brother and son,” his family shared. “He was a well-respected member of the acting community and found a supportive and endearing family community in Sydney. His smile and energetic presence will be sorely missed by those lucky enough to have known him.”
Mossman’s talent agency, Kathryn Rawlings & Associates, put out a statement to E! News: “It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of Francis Mossman. Francis has been part of the KR Actors whānau for many years and was well-loved in the industry and by his peers. Always a ray of light and a well of positivity and fun, Francis will be greatly missed. Our hearts reach out to Francis and his family during this unimaginably difficult time.”
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He is survived by his partner, Lachlan, his two brothers, and parents.
Mossman starred as Stevie Hughes in The Horizon, which followed the lives of a group of LGBTQ friends. It became Australia’s most popular web series and ran from 2013 to 2017. That gig came shortly after he appeared in four episodes of Spartacus in 2012.
No cause of death was released, but his family told Daily Mail Australia that Mossman was suffering from “old scars and trauma from high school” during the COVID shutdown.
In his last Instagram post the day before his death, Mossman shared a photo of himself as a child along with the caption, “Who knew this boy would endure so much pain”.
Chrisk
Why do they need to beg for money to transport his body when he seemed to be fairly successful. Couldn’t the guys BF front the costs?
Sounds like suicide that his family alluded to. Sad. RIP.
bgeorge59
I also don’t understand.. why do these people need to raise money? Funerals aren’t that expensive .
JRamonMc
Unfortunately funerals are crazy expensive especially if you have to transport a body via air travel. All sorts of red tape especially between countries. Everybody wants their pound of flesh and has their hand out waiting for the pay off. So sad.
BigE
He was a working actor, not some international superstar. Think of him as middle class if that helps. New Zealand is one of the remotest places on the planet. You may get a bereavement rate to transfer a body by air within a country, but not internationally.
barryaksarben
Funerals can be VERY expensive depending on where you live. I advise every gay man to prepay their own funeral as it saves their loved ones so much stress when they die. Actually everyone should do it. My husband was taken to town when his father died and he wanted only the bet for him and paid at least double what he should have
SDR94103
you and your band of repuglicans have no shame. your comments are disgusting.
Caliboy
Waaah..I’ll save my pity for those that had health conditions that made living impossible. Not someone that’s sad things weren’t going his way. He made a choice in life and he succeeded. End of story.
CurtisIsTheOne
Caliboy. Your lack of empathy is not at all endearing. As a matter of fact, it’s REPUGNANT. Here’s hoping neither you nor your loved ones ever suffer from a mental health crisis. Oh yeah, before I forget here’s a BIG F**K YOU to you, you arsehole. Go crawl back under your rock. You suck. And NOT in a good way.
KyleMichelSullivan
Okay, first of all, his estate is probably frozen, pending probate. If he had no Will, that complicates things even more. Second, Australian actors are not necessarily paid on the same scale as American actors unless they’re A-Level all around the world, like Hugh Jackman and Cate Blanchett, so to assume he was wealthy is nonsensical. Third, why you would assume his boyfriend is financially able to cover the expenses is absurd and really quite despicable.
RyanMBecker
There are additional costs associated with shipping bodies during COVID. New Zealand has especially tough rules because they’ve been largely successful in fighting COVID due to their isolation. I believe cadavers need to be quarantined just like living arrivals so there’s also the cost of refrigerated storage space. Up the article titled “Funeral repatriations in the time of Covid-19” for more info.
RyanMBecker
Mossman was hardly successful. Despite having double-major, then a post-grad certificate and a Masters, he had only a 2015 film to his credit and two shorts. Shorts pay very little, if anything, and most actors do them for the credit and experience. Otherwise, he had only 4 series to his name, one of them being a children show. He was only in 4 episodes of Spartacus in 2012. His main claim to Fame was The Horizon, 2013-2017. That was a web series, which again, pays very little. Especially since it was a niche show that was targeted toward gay men. His last credit was a short last year. With COVID, he probably wasn’t even able to wait tables to support himself. A post below from someone who reportedly knew him says that he was broke.
For someone with so much schooling and hope to wind up a penniless failure is a major blow. And there was no real promise of a brighter future. Add that to the scars that his family alluded to and it’s easy to understand why he might kill himself. And it explains why the family needs money for transport his body.
Kangol2
I don’t know this actor’s work but nevertheless, it sounds like he was facing some difficult challenges and his death is sad news. RIP.
andrew.agee
“Old scars” and “high school trauma” don’t kill people, or 90% of gay men would be dead.
Drugs kill people
Suicide kills people.
Celtic
Not necessarily so. The inner depths of depression lead to greater depths of dispair. Not all gays are strong within. I suspect suicide. Yet another gay life laid waste.
Jon in Canada
What do you think turns people to drugs or suicide? Oh that’s right, “old scars” and “high school trauma”. People don’t just decide to do those things, they are a product of despair. The fact that you’re so ignorant as to make the vapid comment you just did is an indictment as to how callous you are to other’s pain. Sick bastard.
jsmu
@Jon in Canada You can eff all the way off, dickwad. OP was quite right; many of us have managed not to wreck our lives with drugs or kill ourselves despite epic traumas in our early lives. OP is , obliquely, commenting on the utter GUTLESSNESS and cowardice of the ‘family’ (and the BF) at refusing to name or admit the cause of death. No normal 33 year old dies of ‘natural causes’; it’s either cancer, HIV (rarely any more), drugs or booze, or suicide. It’s nauseating how dishonest this ‘family’ is and how *you* attempt to defend them.
barryaksarben
jsmu is a horrible person. I had a traumatic childhood an did not turn to drugs ( alcohol included) but I understand people who do. Not eveyone is strongo enough esp if they arent given a foundation to do so. Your outrage seems unbalanced and your anger is misplaced. You should look up a word you obviously are unaware of “compassion” . Lovers and families who have never seen suicide may not have seen the signs so are NOT in any way at fault and your comments are just VILE!
man5996853
@jsmu
Congrats. You managed to out-c unt andrew.agee. That’s no small feat.
Caliboy
Jon in Canada
If you read Andrews comment he was just being sarcastic of the families dodging of the question. Stop being so obtuse.
CurtisIsTheOne
Caliboy. Stop defending a douche wad comment. You’re on a roll, idiot.
KyleMichelSullivan
What an evil thing to say.
AxelDC
The original Spartacus of the series, Andy Whitfield, died at age 39 of lymphoma after filming the first season.
The next season was a prequel so that Spartacus was not included, and then the next season they recast the role.
Ken A.
He didn’t play Spartacus but I don’t remember him on the show.
Vince
He did a documentary shortly before he died. He tried everything to save himself but sadly it just wasn’t to be. It’s amazing that’s such a virile guy could be cut down like that. Especially right before the peak of his stardom. It’s like he had it all and then just bam.
Hank31
I don’t get this at all. He’s young, incredibly good looking, in excellent shape, has a loving family and (from his Insta posts) lots of friends, and is realizing success in his acting career. But he kills himself over stuff that happened in high school 18 years ago?
Kangol2
Trauma doesn’t work the way you think. Psychological and emotional traumas can lead people to despair no matter how much they outwardly appear to be doing well. It’s Psychology 101….
Doug
I just checked IMDB and, yes, it was suicide. I can’t believe people here are actually putting him down for that. They have absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of what his life was like or what he was going through, especially if he was experiencing chronic depression throughout a lot of his life. Why can’t some people making comments on Queerty show some empathy? Some of these postings sound so bitter and jaded.
echo2400
Trust me from going catholic school drama stays with you for life and the dumbest things can bring it all back. Hellkids are getting initiated and hospitalized for months from being gang raped with brumes and plunrghers. I know they have not gotten over it. Had to move to not be the boy growth news gangraped.
VaJohn
From many of these comments, people just don’t seem to understand how depression works. Depression is illogical, depression is a killer. Anti-depressants sometimes work, sometimes don’t (and can make you a totally-numb, unfeeling zombie). Counseling is also “hit and miss”…you have to be lucky to find and afford the right one. You can be totally successful, rich, handsome, loved, and still be in psychological hell (“Richard Cory”). Spare some pity. There, but for the grace of God, we could all be. God rest his young soul.
Hank31
To the various commenters above, thanks for the reply. I was not putting him down at all. I was expressing my bafflement as to why he would do this. Now, if the article had said he was severely depressed and nothing more, then it would be less confusing. But the article specifically ties it to stuff that happened in high school. This fellow was 33 years old, so whatever happened in high school was nearly 2 decades ago. I can understand being overwhelmed by current problems, but it’s harder to see how high school problems from 2003 can be so overwhelming and urgent now, in 2021, such that he would kill himself.
ericr_wilson
It is painfully clear that Frankie Mossman suicided…. What’s also clear is that we, as a community, are not immune to the insensitivity and cruelty Frankie referred to…. Be gentle with yourselves, dudes. There’s no need to criticize his family, or partner, or attack one another for their opinions — a precious life has been forever lost. The human beings that loved him are utterly shattered; have some compassion. If you have issues with the Go Fund Me initiative — keep them, and your $$$$$, to yourself. Don’t hide behind the anonymity of the internet to express opinions you’d never express personally or publicly; that’s cowardly…. Be better. Rest in eternal peace, Frankie. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.
CurtisIsTheOne
Thank You, ericr_wilson for your wisdom, compassion and empathy. You are what the SUFIs refer to as “A Being of Light”. May you continue to shine brightly on those you encounter.
KyleMichelSullivan
Well said.
Openminded
Thank you for posting what I hope most of us here are thinking. Shame on those who just want to bicker over something they know little about.
CityguyUSA
And maybe the “gay community” could learn to support one another. I know it’s laughable but why do queers have to be so hateful to one another. It’s worse than high school.
tdnte
I knew him and my current houseguest is an old friend of his. He was absolutely broke. Had barely any work and had no support though COVID lockdowns financially. Basically broke.
BoomerMyles
It’s so easy for people to judge those with mental health issues who will never know what deep depression or bipolar stress is like.
Just be grateful you or a loved one is not afflicted and show some compassion.
smudge
The mean statements here do not deserve a comment. RSVP Frankie.
RyanMBecker
RSVP? Do you mean, “RIP”?
RSVP is a ghoulish request for a dead person unless you’re performing a seance. Regardless, I agree with your sentiments.
RyanMBecker
To the family’s credit, they have closed The GoFundMe after raising $15,856AUD ($11,305US) in 4 days. That shows the lack of greed. Too many campaigns collect much more money than the stated need, which is tantamount to fraud. The most notable example was an elderly Chinese woman who was the victim of a racist attack. She received a lot of publicity because she fought back with a stick. Her grandson set up the campaign, claiming that she needed counseling, even though she had insurance. The proper thing to do is to shut the campaign when one’s goal is surpassed, which was a few thousand dollars. They, however, left it open until it surpassed $1 MILLION. Under pressure, the family claimed that they would donate all the money away.
Although the Mossman family no longer accepts donations, they have left the page up so people can read and share their comments. My best to them for such a dignified campaign.
belugafan
Sad. Another death due to the unnecessarily rough lockdowns due to the governments fear of this virus. We need to learn to live with this virus instead of being so scared of it or there will be so many more senseless and preventable mental health deaths.
Openminded
Let the political arguments begin.
echo2400
3 months off hell, a year of fighting for every breath, on oxygen, I can’t sleep laying down, sex is next to imposable. can’t walk more than from one end of the house to the other, I can’t walk around the house, am in a wheelchair to go anywhere, go nowhere but about 3 doctors, test or poroseadures a day, 120,000 medical expenses so far and after this bankrupts me I’ll be living off taxpayers if I don’;t take a hand full of pills first. Probably close to a million citizens dead and tens of thousand disabled for life, and now the kids are dying, hospitals are full busnesses can’t find work. So please don’t post another comment like this.
echo2400
Creamate the body and spread the ashes. It is better for the planet.
[email protected]
My mother always told me whenever I commented on someone else’s life, you have to walk in their shoes, my mother never would discuss her childhood,she said noone really knew her ,none of her children were like her, she is the last of her family she is an orphan I have given up trying to understand her I just love her,this man’s life and passing we may not understand we may never walk in his shoe, cannot we all just love him?