Production of the "Spartacus" series' second season was postponed this spring when Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The cable television network said Whitfield was responding well to treatment, but the cancer has returned. The British-born Whitfield played the gladiator hero in the show's breakout first season. The network said co-stars Lucy Lawless and John Hannah would take center stage for a six-episode prequel leading up to Spartacus' arrival. It will air beginning in January. In a statement, Whitfield expressed regret at leaving the series while describing his cancer battle "as another extraordinary journey."