Character History Phileas Fogg Phileas Fogg adds an element of romance to The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. A complex figure with a past marred by tragedy, his outward persona is that of a gentleman of leisure, traveling round the world in style, prepared to risk all on a throw of the dice, or the turn of a card. Phileas' father, Sir Boniface Fogg, was a towering figure at the center of British Intelligence during the latter part of the Napoleonic Wars and became a close confidant of both Horatio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. After Napolean's defeat and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Bonafice sought to ensure there would never be another World War by creating a network of agents to act as the secret guardians of the British Empire... and thus of the Pax Britannica that protected the entire world. Needless to say, Bonifice wanted his two sons, Phileas and his younger brother Erasmus, to follow in his footsteps. Bonifice might have had his wish is he had not sent them both on a mission which resulted in the death of Erasmus and the destruction of Phileas' ideals. Thereafter, Phileas reacted violently against his father's view of the world and turned to a life of pleasure. His faith in "the system" had been fatally undermined. He saw no point in devoting his life to an Empire that was prepared to sacrafice its own citizens in so cavalier manner. As a result of his early experiences, Phileas has seen the evil in men's souls and emerged into a state of detachment which gives him a special perspective on life, and a wisdom of his own. He is skeptical, easily bored, restless... but he's also a man of immense style and charm. He savors life's pleasures with great sophistication, from great art to fine wines and beautiful women. He takes satisfaction in his skill as a swordsman, his accuracy with a pistol, his ability to finesse an opponent at a game of cards. Fogg regards it as something of a cosmic joke that he's been saddled with the excitable young Frenchman Jules Verne, who, to further his own literary ambitions, is bent on hurling them both into every possible adventure that comes their way. Although Fogg may resist both Rebecca and Jules, he senses that in this paring destiny is at work. And he's right. -Talisman Crest/Filmline International Presss Ki