Actor Finnian Garbutt, 28, has shared his experience of living with incurable skin cancer, determined to leave memories for his baby daughter. The journey began in mid-2021 when his barber noticed a new mole behind his ear, leading to a stage 3 melanoma diagnosis later that year. Three surgeries and a year of daily chemotherapy tablets followed, and the treatment initially seemed successful.
Garbutt landed a role in the BBC crime drama Hope Street, filmed in Northern Ireland. However, during a pre-filming hair and makeup appointment, a lump was found at the original mole site, leading to further treatment. In August 2024, two weeks before his daughter Saoirse was born, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs and was incurable.
Earlier this month, Garbutt posted an update on social media, revealing that scans showed rapid progression and he is now in the last stages of his life. Speaking from his home in County Antrim, he said: 'The whole thing has been totally crazy.' He copes with a 'rather me than anyone else' outlook, adding: '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.'
Garbutt has continued working, appearing in 30 episodes of Hope Street as PC Ryan Power, and starring in the upcoming feature film Housejackers, a comedy-drama that premiered at Belfast Film Festival last November. He described seeing himself on the big screen as 'surreal'. The film is set for full release later this year.
In the past four weeks, his cancer has progressed rapidly, with tumours now in his liver, hips, and bones. 'At the minute, life is very, very uncomfortable,' he said. Despite this, he remains focused on creating memories for his daughter, saying: 'I wanted my daughter to remember me.'
