28-Year-Old Actor Dies After Entering Hospice: RIP Finnian Garbutt

Finnian Garbutt has died at age 28, three weeks after sharing that he’d entered hospice care and was in “the last stages of his life.”

Garbutt, known for his role in BBC police drama Hope Street, died “peacefully at home, as he wished, surrounded by his family,” according to a statement from his family.

“We want to thank everyone for their support, their kind words, and for being with us during this really difficult time,” the statement read. “And thank you also to everyone who donated to our GoFundMe page. The peace of mind you all gave Finn during his last days made his passing so much easier to bear.”

The statement continued, “We will always love and miss you, Finn. You were the greatest husband, father, son, brother, and friend we could ever ask for, and knowing that you’re no longer in pain gives us all comfort, despite our own immense pain at losing you.”

Garbutt was initially diagnosed with skin cancer in 2022 after a mole his barber discovered during a haircut turned out to be malignant melanoma. He has spoken publicly about his diagnosis and treatment. In March, he said he was entering the “last stages” of his life and that “scans have shown that the cancer has progressed rapidly in my body.”

“I’m putting this out there as it is really difficult to tell people individually and I hope now it’s in the open then I can enjoy the time with my amazing family and friends.”

Garbutt appeared in all five seasons of Hope Street. After graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2019, he appeared in the BBC hospital series Casualty. He also featured as Raymond in the film Housejackers, which premiered at the Belfast Film Festival last year.

Garbutt married his partner Louise last year and has a 1-year-old daughter.