Finnian Garbutt, the 28-year-old actor known for his role in BBC Northern Ireland drama Hope Street, said he is now entering the “last stages” of cancer after recent scans showed the disease has progressed rapidly in his body.
Garbutt shared the update in a public statement, saying it had become too difficult to inform people individually. The announcement quickly drew messages of support across Northern Ireland’s creative community and from viewers who have followed his work on screen.
A rapid change after new pain and scans
Garbutt said that over the past month he experienced increasing pain in his back and hip, prompting his cancer team to admit him for observation and additional scans. He said the results showed the cancer had advanced quickly, and he is now in the final stage of his illness.
“I’m putting this out there as it is really difficult to tell people individually,” Garbutt wrote, adding that he hopes to spend the time ahead with his family and friends.
Hope Street role put him at the center of a growing NI TV success
Garbutt has played police constable Ryan Power in Hope Street, a BBC Northern Ireland police drama filmed in Donaghadee, County Down and set in the fictional seaside town of Port Devine. The series has run for five seasons, building a steady following and helping spotlight the region’s production ecosystem.
A BBC spokesperson said Garbutt has been an important part of the show’s success and that he is “very much in our thoughts.”
Measured gratitude, and a focus on time with family
In his statement, Garbutt said he was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago and described a list of milestones he reached during that period—achievements he framed as life goals met in spite of the constraints of long-term illness.
He cited work milestones including 30 episodes of a TV series and a lead role in a forthcoming film he said should be released soon. He also pointed to personal milestones: buying a house, marrying his best friend, and becoming a father to a baby daughter.
The shape of his message—brief, direct, and heavy with gratitude—landed with the kind of force usually reserved for the most sudden corporate disclosures. It was a reminder that behind familiar credits and recurring roles, there is a private ledger of hospital admissions, scan results, and time negotiated in weeks and months rather than seasons.
Career roots from Bangor to stage and screen
Born in Bangor, County Down, Garbutt graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2019. His work has included theatre roles in Belfast, as well as screen appearances beyond Hope Street, reflecting the increasingly fluid pipeline between Northern Ireland’s stage scene and its expanding TV production slate.
He has also featured in film projects connected to the local festival circuit, adding to a résumé that was still building momentum when he shared this update.
An invitation for connection
In a line that underlined the tone of his statement, Garbutt invited people to reach out if they wanted to meet—“for a pint, coffee or a general bit of craic”—a small but telling request that kept the focus on ordinary conversation rather than formal goodbyes.
His approach has been to place the news in the open, reduce the burden of repeated explanations, and protect what remains as time he can spend with family and friends.
More details are available via the BBC report.
