‘Highlander’ actor looks at aspects of series
From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
The swashbuckling Adrian Paul has played Duncan McLeod, the immortal Highlander, through six seasons of television and a threatrical release.
In “Highlander: The Source,” now available on DVD, Paul reprises his role as Duncan McLeod as McLeod joins a group of immortals seeking the source of their immortality.
Paul said he thinks “Highlander” taps into a long-held human wish.
“I think everybody would like to live forever,” Paul said in a recent phone interview just after a day of filming the thriller “Nine Miles Down” in Budapest.
“It’s a nice dream to think we can live through the years and live longer than we actually do.” “Highlander” also appeals to those who are interested in history, Paul said, as the story of the immortals plays across the centuries. And the themes of the show, and films, are universal.
“You’re dealing with romance, love, hate, bigotry, and everybody understands those things across cultures in that respect,” Paul said.
Paul spent 18 years studying martial arts and swordplay, and the athletic Paul played semi-professional soccer as a young man. He’s studied the short sword, the long sword, and the staff, among others.
“Even though it’s sped up in ‘The Source’ in places, it was all me doing it,” Paul said. “It’s something I enjoy delving into.”
After finding success as a model, Paul broke into acting with a role in “The Colbys.” After appearing in films and off-Broadway, Paul guest-starred in “Murder, She Wrote” and “Beauty and the Beast” before joining the cast of “War of the Worlds.” Following that was “Highlander: The Series.”
Paul first brought Duncan MacLeod to motion pictures with “Highlander: Endgame,” where he met Christopher Lambert’s Connor MacLeod, his kinsman from the first “Highlander” pictures.
After “The Source,” “Highlander” could continue in future motion picture projects. On the horizon is a “Highlander” video game, set for release this fall.
“Highlander has a life of its own, and whether I’m attached to it or not, it will probably go ahead in one form or another,” Paul said.
Paul stays very busy as an actor, producer and director, and he’s attempting to add writer to his resume.
“I have a script that’s going to be financed, and I’m going to try to produce some stuff, too,” he said, adding that a mix of different responsibilities keeps him from being bored.
“Writing’s a challenge,” Paul said. “I’ve learned a lot about writing over the years. I’ve learned a lot about story elements, and how to do certain pacing in a script at certain times, and the act breaks and that sort of stuff, so it has a flow. And I understand that much better than I did 10 years ago when I first started trying to write.”
Paul won’t consider himself a writer until he has an official credit, though he has unofficially worked on some projects over the years.
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, I’m a writer,’ and they haven’t had anything published … so, I’m not a writer yet.”
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great post adrian paul is so hot