A rising actor from Northern Ireland has revealed he is approaching the end of his life after a four-year battle with skin cancer that has now reached his liver and lungs.
Finnian Garbutt, 28, best known for playing Police Constable Ryan Power in the BBC drama “Hope Street,” shared the devastating update with followers on social media March 1, 2026. Recent scans show his melanoma has progressed aggressively throughout his body.
Garbutt explained he chose to make the news public rather than contacting people individually. “I hope now it’s in the open then I can enjoy the time with my amazing family and friends,” he wrote.
The Bangor native first noticed a lump behind his ear in late 2020, thinking it was an ingrown hair. After lockdown lifted, his barber pointed out the lump had increased in size, which led him to seek medical advice. By December 2021, at 25, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 malignant melanoma. The disease later spread to his neck, and in February 2022 he underwent a gruelling 12-hour operation that removed 75 lymph nodes from his face and neck.
In August 2024, two weeks before his daughter Saoirse was born, doctors informed him the cancer was terminal after it reached his liver and lungs. Despite that prognosis, Garbutt carried on with his career and life milestones—appearing in 30 episodes of “Hope Street” between 2023 and 2025 and marrying his wife Louise Agnew in September 2025.
Since his diagnosis, Garbutt has marked several major achievements: a lead role in an upcoming film, buying a house, marrying his best friend and welcoming a daughter who, as he said, “never fails to make me smile.”
The series, now in its fifth season, is shot in Donaghadee, County Down, and follows life in the fictional coastal town of Port Devine. Garbutt also appeared as Raymond in the film “Housejackers,” which premiered at the Belfast Film Festival in 2025. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, he previously played Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and appeared in the BBC medical drama “Casualty.”
In recent weeks, he experienced increasing pain in his back and hip, prompting his oncology team to admit him for further scans and observation at the hospital.. The tests confirmed his worst fear—the disease had spread rapidly and extensively.
After he made the announcement, Garbutt’s family set up a GoFundMe campaign to support his wife and daughter after his passing. The fundraiser has since raised over £55,000.
Garbutt emphasized he is not seeking pity. His single wish is that his wife and young daughter have the life they deserve—something he had hoped to provide. He said any donations would help Louise and Saoirse move forward and stay secure in their home.
Throughout his illness, Garbutt has worked with Action Cancer and promoted the charity’s Peer Mentoring Programme, urging men to check their skin regularly and get medical attention early. In previous interviews, he spoke candidly about the emotional toll of his diagnosis and the constant fear of the cancer spreading.
Despite the bleak prognosis, Garbutt invited friends and supporters warmly: “If anyone wants to meet up for a pint, coffee or general bit of craic, please reach out and we can try and make it work.”
A spokesperson for the BBC and Long Story TV paid tribute to Garbutt’s contribution. “Finnian has been such an important part of ‘Hope Street’s’ success,” the spokesperson said. “He is very much in our thoughts.”
As Garbutt faces his final days, he is focused on spending meaningful time with his wife Louise and daughter Saoirse. His openness about his journey has touched people worldwide and prompted an outpouring of support across his social media channels.
