Finnian Garbutt, the young actor known for his role in Northern Ireland police drama Hope Street, has died peacefully at home at the age of 28 after a sudden decline in his condition.
His family said they were “absolutely heartbroken” and that they would “always love and miss” him. They said he had been “the greatest husband, father, son, brother and friend” they could ask for. Garbutt married his partner Louise last year and leaves behind a one-year-old daughter.
Garbutt, who was born in Bangor, appeared in the last three series of Hope Street as PC Ryan Power. The drama is filmed in Donaghadee, County Down, and he had become a familiar face to viewers while also speaking publicly about his illness and treatment.
He was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago. In March, Garbutt said he was entering the “last stages” of his life, adding that scans had shown the cancer had “progressed rapidly” in his body. He also said that “in the last month or so” he had been having quite a bit of pain in his back and hip.
Those words now read as a farewell in plain sight. The family’s statement said he died after a sudden decline, while colleagues and broadcasters described the mark he left behind. Cameron Cuffe said he had “brought joy to so many,” Northern Ireland’s head of content commissioning Eddie Doyle called him a “key part of Hope Street’s appeal” and said he had brought “so much” to PC Ryan Power over the last three series. Production company Long Story TV said he was a “much-loved member of the Hope Street family” and “an absolute joy to work with.”
Garbutt’s death closes the story of an actor whose illness was never hidden from the public. What remains is the loss felt at home, on set and among viewers who followed his work until the end.
