Adrian Paul: Still Highlander
Tall, dark and handsome, with a self-deprecating charm and kick-ass martial-arts skills,
Adrian Paul was well suited to play TV's
The Highlander. The 1992-98 action series, based on the
Sean Connery movies, featured Paul as a swashbuckling 400-year-old Scot who'd rather make love than war. Oh, and he even managed to look dashing in a kilt. Here, TV Guide Online catches up with our immortal beloved for a little reminiscing, and a glimpse into his life post-
Highlander.
TV Guide Online: Congrats. Your character was named one of TV Guide's 25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends.
Adrian Paul: Duncan MacLeod. My goodness. He doesn't seem to want to go away. It's one of those things that's going to come back until I die, probably.
TVGO: Which is only appropriate for a show about Immortals.
Paul: This show's going to last. It'll be like Star Trek.
TVGO: I hear tell there's another Highlander movie in the works.
Paul: There's always talk. I say, "Well, show me the script and then we'll talk."
TVGO: Why did Duncan MacLeod strike such a chord with female fans?
Paul: The romance and the humor appealed to females, and the action appealed to a male audience. But the reason so many people liked him is that he was a leader. He had honor and integrity and courage. And he had his faults, which made him likable and vulnerable. All those factors made him a very intriguing, powerful character.
TVGO: How about adding sexy to that list?
Paul: [Laughs] Yeah, there is that side of him, too...
TVGO: Is Highlander still hot internationally?
Paul: Oh, God, yeah. When I went to Russia last summer [to make] a movie, it was incredible. I walked off the airplane and there were 15 or 20 cameramen standing there. There are seven major stations in Russia and everyone carries Highlander. I still get fan letters from Jordan, Malaysia and South America. And when Spike TV put it back on, there was a whole resurgence of new young fans here!
TVGO: There've been catalogs full of Highlander-related stuff.
Paul: When the show ended, they auctioned off the sets, the clothes and the props. My black 1956 T-bird went for $60,000. It's worth $12,000! And I did commentary for a series of DVDs that just came out, which look great.
TVGO: Is Highlander still a big draw at sci-fi conventions?
Paul: Definitely. I'll do three or four a year. You have to keep those fans, but I'm trying to have another career.
TVGO: So when you're not being Duncan, what are you up to?
Paul: I've been writing a lot, trying to do plays, and I've been studying voice and Shakespeare. I'm pitching a romantic action miniseries based on a real character. I did a small indie film called E5, which is based on Spielberg's first movie; Moscow Heat in Russia; and if the financing comes together, I'll do The Snow Prince. I'd play a prince who was killed 1000 years ago, but through a crystal that was at the birth of Christ, he is brought back today. It's a spiritual romantic fantasy.
TVGO: For years, your fans have been pitching your name for James Bond.
Paul: It's coming up again, isn't it? I've always liked that character. Sean Connery as James Bond was my hero when I was a kid. It would be fantastic to do that, but they might go for a young guy next time. A 25-year-old. Who knows?
TVGO: Who's your favorite sci-fi legend?
Paul: I grew up in England, so I loved Dr. Who. The Doctor was cool. Then, there was that frigging telephone booth that was his ship. He'd walk into it, and there was like an entire four-bedroom flat inside. Wow! That's what I think kind of got me.
