 |
| "Paul
has become well known in his own image, having starred
for six years in the highly successful Highlander
TV series, which was viewed in over 80 countries." |
|
ADRIAN PAUL
Duncan MacLeod
Adrian reprises his role as the Immortal Highlander
Although he has been likened
to a young Sean Connery, British-born Adrian Paul
has become well known in his own image, having starred
for six years in the highly successful Highlander
TV series, which was viewed in over 80 countries.
And so, not to disappoint his fans from around the
globe, Adrian will recreate the role of the 400-year-old
Duncan MacLeod in the forthcoming motion picture
Highlander: The Source, which he will also
executive produce, with Brett Leonard (Lawnmower
Man) directing for Davis-Panzer Productions.
A veteran of 18 movies, four TV series and four
plays, Adrian was honored in November 2000 by People
magazine, which named him "Sexiest Action Star"
based on his talents with Hung Gar Kung Fu and flamenco
dancing, which, when transferred to the Miramax/Dimension
feature Highlander: Endgame, resulted in
the largest box office opening in the franchise's
history.
His athletic ability manifested itself while at
school, playing semi-pro soccer and other sports
from the ages of 16 to 20. In his mid-20s, he studied
martial arts, kickboxing, and Kwon Do. Rounding
out his athletic abilities, his study of Eastern
and Western sword techniques added to the believability
of his Highlander role.
During his teenage years, he was employed in jobs
such as clerking at a bank and as a part-time waiter
three days a week at the trendy Tiddy Dolls restaurant
in London. Following a year with a pharmaceutical
company analyzing and inputting inventory, he won
a male model contest, while at the same time selling
replacement windows to supplement his meager income.
His success as a model included fashion shows as
well as print work for companies as varied as English
Vogue, Missoni, Freeman's catalogue and American
Express. His passion for dance led him to train
in jazz ballet, appearing in dance shows all across
Europe, including Paris, Munich, Milan, Hamburg
and London. At the same time, his forming of a dance
trio later served him well as he began choreographing
shows for such companies as In Wear Martinique and
Adidas, both in Europe and the U.S. His great desire
to come to the United States was fulfilled by joining
the famed Eileen Ford Agency in New York. After
four months, he went to Los Angeles, where he continued
choreographing and modeling. But the acting bug
- which had manifested itself from the days he appeared
in Shakesperean plays at school - induced him to
study TV and film with acting coaches in New York
and Los Angeles.
A young actress was so impressed with Adrian's charisma
that she recommended him to her agent, who immediately
signed him. Within two-and-a-half months, he secured
his first role during the second year of the ABC-TV
series The Colbys, appearing in 22 episodes.
This was followed by an off-Broadway play, Bouncers,
which eventually led to Adrian's first motion picture,
Last Rites, starring Tom Beringer. Back
in Los Angeles, Adrian appeared in such shows as
Murder, She Wrote and Beauty and the
Beast before landing the role of John Kincaid
in the second season of War of the Worlds.
Next came Highlander: The Series, which
also saw him making his directorial debut. After
Highlander and several films, he was contracted
to 22 episodes of the series Tracker, which
saw Adrian take the dual designation of both star
and executive producer for Lions Gate Films.
With more than 300 hours of television and 18 movies
making him recognizable around the world, as well
as his ability to converse in Italian, French and
Spanish (as well as English), Adrian is an international
icon with the world's press.
When not actively working on a project, Adrian has
devoted much of his spare time to developing his
fundraising entity, the PEACE Fund, which he designed
to Protect, Educate and Aid Children Everywhere.
His latest efforts focus on raising money for tsunami
victims on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi, where
Adrian's brother Andrew lives with his family. Recently
efforts have expanded to also support charities
helping with recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita in the U.S. Gulf Coast area. To date, over
$75,000 has been raised by the PEACE Fund. |
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