Adrian Paul
Adrian Paul
Saturday
Suddenly the room darkens and a very familiar voice declares "I am Duncan MacLeod. . . ." and images begin to light up a screen on stage. Images of an immortal rising from a battlefield, his questioning gaze fixed upon a figure who is descending towards him "Who are you?" In the background a monologue fills in some details, that for centuries we have lived by one rule, that there can be only one,. . .but that now an evil has risen that will take two to overcome. Shots flash of fight scenes, of Duncan falling from a window, of him kicking someone in the chest (incredible kick), of a man with magnetic blue eyes (who I later, after promptings from Mistress Wanderer, recognize as Jurgan from La Femme Nikita) staring into the camera, buildings burning,. . .incredible music,. . .a sword stabbing down,. . .and suddenly it's over and I realize that I am on the edge of my seat,. . .that I'm breathing hard,. . .that my soul has risen into my eyes and I no longer am searching for that piece of my life that has felt so absent as of late,. . . .I can not find that passion in myself right now,. . .but Highlander can bring it to me.
The lights flood and Adrian appears with a blue jacket and black jeans,. . .that man always looks great,. . .but,. . .he really looks great this time, so fit and trim. And suddenly I remember his energy,. . .the charisma he brings into a room,. . .and my eyes and thoughts are riveted on him.
He smiles and says that he expects we'll want to talk about the movie, and tells us that it took 3 ½ months to shoot and is basically in post production now. What he brought for us wasn't even a trailer, just some snippets put together before filming was even half over.
And questions begin (and it was so funny as every actor had this hard time getting used to questions coming from both sides,. . .they'd tease the questioners by turning from side to side as if it were tag,. . .or get surprised when suddenly a question came from the other side of the room)
Q: I was in the sword fighting class for just a few hours today,. . .and I'm beat! How did you do it for 6 years?
A: Well, I studied and I worked very very hard. Just as in anything in life, sometimes there are brick walls and you have to look past them to what you really want and keep going.
Q: Was there any horse back riding in the movie?
A: Yes,. ..and I haven't fallen of yet.
Q: What are you doing now?
A: There are some things coming up,. . .but I hate to say any of it now I've just finished a scripts and am looking to sell it. When new stuff comes up just check the Peace website and it will be there.
Q: (something about the martial arts)
A: The style I use is Kung Fu Hung Gar, there is a kata in the movie that took 6-8 months to put together, and I'm not sure how much of it will be shown, but it takes a lot to put these things together. (does a few demo moves with mic in hand)
Q: How is your shoulder?
A: It is better,. . .but it hasn't healed yet.
Q: What do you see yourself doing in 5-10 years?
A: I would like to be making or producing movies that mean something, and I'd like for the PEACE fund to be international.
Q: What is the most difficult emotional state for you to find as an actor?
A: What is actually hardest is the character himself, why he is who he is, what has molded him into talking the way he talks, or the way he walks.
Q: What is the PEACE fund working on?
A: currently they are working to get children excited about schools, but I'd like to start a project called kids-for-kids soon as well.
Q: What was it like fighting yourself in Deliverance?
A: Because this is television, there was not a lot of time to learn the fight, so I had to do it on the cuff, and I had to learn both sides which was (mimics himself fighting both sides) a bit like that.
Q: (something about filming in Romania and the sad tone he has mentioned Romania in)
A: Romanians are a good people, with big hearts. They have been put through so much. People don't have heating or water and it's winter over there. It's very hard.
Q: What actress would you like to play opposite of?
A: Sophia Loren, Katherine Zeta Jones,. . it's a long list.
Q: How did you find peace?
A: I find moments to pray, to just sit there and think of good moments. Sometimes I do something I enjoy, like martial arts, and then I don't think about anything but what I'm working on.
Q: Where do you consider home?
A: I call the world home. I've been traveling so much. I like England and America.
Q: What would be the most complex part about playing a woman?
A: The walk,. . .even when a guy walks like a woman, . . .he's still walking like a guy. And thinking like a woman *roles his eyes* You see,. . .men have one hormone,. . .testosterone and women have this hormone that triggers off this hormone that is then affected by this hormone,. . .it's very complex. And their voice is hard to.
Q: When you started Highlander, did you feel it was a spiritual show?
A: I always thought from the first movie I saw and the scene on the beach with Ramirez when they feel the stag's life that it had a spiritual side. The essence of it grew in the series.
Q (Big John): How did you recreate your energy with Christopher after seven years?
A: That's a good question. We are friends, but there was this bizarre way that things happened. As if by chance we'd just get off the horse together, or look at each other at the same time. We really wanted to show their growth and create two different fighting styles between them.
Sunday
First the trailer again,. . .which leaves us all applauding like mad,. . .and I'm breathing hard yet again.
Adrian appears, this time in a black jacket and after a moment comments that it's too early for all the flashes and puts on sunglasses (which come off a short time later).
Q: What do you think of the way the Evil Duncan treated Dominique? Was it the best she's had or. . .?
A: *sputters about for a moment* It is too early for this,. . . . . . whatever I say I'm dammed if I do and dammed if I don't,. . . I plead the fifth.
Q: What is you're favorite guilty pleasure
A: chocolate
Q: We've heard that you're on a special diet for training,. . .can you tell us about it?
A: I was training for 15-20 hours, and it was a matter of getting my body what it needed, a lot of protein and carbs, but not after 5 p.m., as then the body can't use it.
Q: How can we help the Peace fund?
A: Pray. *pause* We need help in ideas. I'm trying to increase the funding and the size, looking at corporate sponsors.
Q: Could Duncan take Conner's head?
A: I plead the 5th,. . .but I would not fight him, I would walk away,. . .but I guess you'll have to see!
Q: (something about Invisible City)
A: It might happen, it's about a bodyguard in Hong Kong who is drawn into saving two people and learns that he has to do the right thing.
Q-Elizabeth: First, I just want to say that I think you're really hot.
AP: I should have known
EG: If Duncan and Amanda were to have a baby,. .would it be immortal?
AP: what do you mean,. . .they cant have babies
EG: but if they could. . .
AP: (gets in an argument with her over the logic)
EG: boy or girl?
AP: boy
EG: and can I have a kiss?
AP: Oh, alright.
Elizabeth hops up on stage, kisses him on the cheek, they keep playing and he tells her to leave him alone, and she starts trying to catch him in her scarf.
Q: What was the most dangerous fight sequence?
A: 'Loads of 'em' I think the first quickening, with the hermit in the cave, I didn't know where things were coming from. And in the Beast below, up on the roof, and the actor had had a bit of wine and split my finger open to prove it.
Q: A lot of us growing up thing we're too fat or too tall,. . .when did you realize that women thought you were gorgeous?
A: I honestly don't know
Elizabeth shakes her head, 'please!' and walks off the back of the stage behind a curtain,. .he follows her and suddenly there's a whole slew of 'interesting' sounds coming from behind the curtain before he jumps back out on stage.
Q: In Not to Be, the scene with Tessa, where did the tears come from?
A: You have to make it real, and then it happens.
Q: How do you keep from losing yourself in all of your giving?
A: There is a peace of mind in doing what you want to do, but I don't always stay sane. When I'm really down I just realize that at some point something good is going to happen.
Q: You once mentioned the book 'Anatomy of the Spirit', and that you got a lot out of it,. . .I looked and?
A: You didn't get it? Well, basically what I pulled from it is that you can damage yourself with thought, that there is a connection with the mind, body and the spirit. If it all works together it equals a healthy being.
Q: Has it been hard to leave the emotions after a shoot?
A: In Comes a Horseman,. . .after the scene with Methos,. . .we didn't talk to each other for a while, it was very hard.
He actually took a few more questions than time had been set aside for,. . .and once again I was so enthralled by him, by what he shares of himself, he said some things that really hit home for this Westermaid who's been flailing through life as of late.
The Gathering 5
(created March 27, 2000)