Actor Finnian Garbutt's Terminal Cancer Journey: Creating a Legacy for His Daughter
Finnian Garbutt, the 28-year-old actor known for his role in BBC's Hope Street, has opened up about his terminal cancer diagnosis in a profoundly moving interview. Speaking from his County Antrim home, Garbutt reveals his deepest wish: to live long enough for his baby daughter to remember him.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
It began with a routine haircut in mid-2021. As the country emerged from lockdown, Garbutt visited his barber, who noticed a new mole behind his ear. This seemingly minor observation triggered a chain of events that would define the young actor's life. The mole's removal led to a stage 3 skin cancer diagnosis later that year.
"What followed is a surreal and fast-moving, yet years-long, chain of events," Garbutt explains. He underwent three surgeries and a year of daily chemotherapy tablets. Initially, the treatment appeared successful, and his career flourished with a role in Hope Street, filmed near his Northern Ireland hometown.
A Devastating Turn
During a pre-filming haircut for continuity purposes, Garbutt discovered a lump at the original mole site. More treatment followed, but in August 2024, two weeks before his daughter Saoirse's birth, doctors delivered crushing news: they had found cancer in his liver and lungs, and it was incurable.
Earlier this month, Garbutt shared a heartbreaking update on social media: "Unfortunately, the scans have shown that the cancer has progressed rapidly in my body and I am now entering the last stages of my life."
Coping with Unimaginable Reality
Speaking from the home he shares with wife Louise, daughter Saoirse, and their three dogs, Garbutt maintains a remarkable perspective. "The whole thing has been totally crazy," he admits. "I've probably still not got my head around it all but I think for me, the important thing was that this was happening to me and not anybody else."
His pragmatism is astounding. "It has been really tough. Anytime I get emotional about it, I just sort of think of that, because I wouldn't want to see anybody go through this."
Juggling Career and Treatment
Throughout his diagnosis, Garbutt continued working while documenting his journey on Instagram. His posts alternated between behind-the-scenes photos from sets, sweet family moments, post-surgery selfies, and images of chemotherapy tablets.
He watched Hope Street from his hospital bed during early recovery, then landed a role as PC Ryan Power in 30 episodes. His credits also include audiobooks, a short film, and his first feature-length project, Housejackers, which premiered at Belfast Film Festival last November.
"I don't know if I really enjoyed it or if I kind of wanted to hide, but it was just amazing," he says of seeing himself on the big screen for the first time.
Rapid Deterioration and Financial Concerns
Recently, Garbutt's condition has worsened dramatically. Dull hip pain spread to his back, becoming increasingly severe. Emergency scans revealed the liver cancer had grown, with tumors on both hips and cancer spreading to his bones.
"At the minute, life is very, very uncomfortable," he confesses. "Everything I can do in my life has drastically changed in the past few weeks. I don't drive anymore, and it's sort of every day, the pain is getting worse."
This deterioration prompted a GoFundMe campaign to support his family after his death. "I think people have a conception with actors, that they're millionaires," Garbutt explains. "But the reality is that's not true. I've only been in the industry for a couple of years, I'm not rich."
His voice cracks as he continues: "I've just always wanted to be the person that looks after my family and the last thing I want is my wife having to move house with a one-year-old and being financially stressed."
The campaign has resonated deeply, surpassing £50,000 in donations within days. "I just can't put into words how much I appreciate it," Garbutt says emotionally.
A Father's Deepest Wishes
With daughter Saoirse now eighteen months old, Garbutt focuses on creating lasting memories. "The one thing that I wanted when I was diagnosed and we knew that we were having Saoirse, was to live to the point where she would remember me," he shares.
"At the minute, she's my best friend. She doesn't call me daddy, she calls me 'Dagin', and she's chasing me around, hugging me and everything. I know that at this moment in time she knows me, but when I die, she's not going to have those memories of me and that's very, very difficult."
He adds wistfully: "I wanted to take her in to her first day at primary school. Everything that a parent wants is what I want and unfortunately, that can't happen."
Creating a Tangible Legacy
Despite the heartbreak, Garbutt finds solace in his acting legacy. "It's amazing that I've been on the TV and stuff so she can maybe see me on there and Louise can say 'There's daddy,'" he notes. He has also recorded audiobooks, including a children's story he believes Saoirse will enjoy.
The family is working with charities to create handprint jewellery and other mementos. "I think at the minute, because things are still very raw, writing the birthday cards and stuff might be a bit too tough, but that's something that I'm definitely going to be doing," he reveals. He plans to buy Saoirse a traditional Irish claddagh ring as another keepsake.
A Vital Message for Young Men
Garbutt hopes his story will encourage others to seek medical attention without hesitation. "I was always ashamed of going to a doctor or whatever, you know, and I think a lot of young people feel that way," he admits. "So I wanted people to know that you should just go and speak to somebody if you feel like something's wrong."
He emphasizes: "Most people associate [skin cancer] with older people, but it can affect anybody. A lot of people have this preconception of, 'Oh, it's just skin cancer, you just cut it off and you're fine.' But melanoma, it's deadly and it's going to be the reason that I die."
Through unimaginable adversity, Finnian Garbutt remains determined to leave positive impacts: ensuring stability for his young family while raising crucial awareness about cancer detection among young people.
