I was going through boxes the other day -- trying to figure out what to chuck, to make space, because I don't live in a TARDIS (wish I did!), whaddayaknow ... so that's what happened to the Highlander paperbacks that came out in the Days of Yore, and which I used to mail order from the States because no way could you get them here.Highlander was my favorite show back in 2000-ish, and Adrian Paul s still one of my all-time favorite actors. But when you live in this country (yeah, yeah, I come from a land downunder) you get used to living on a solid diet of A-list shows, movies and actors, because that's all the local networks buy. Anybody who isn't on the A-list will vanish off the radar. So let me see if I can do a little bit to put him back on Australia's radar!
Even for Highlander -- I used to have a mate in Canada who taped it offair for me and mailed me VHS videos, because it wasn't on here! Even now, it's not available on DVD (and before anyone leaves a comment to say, "Yes it is, it always has been," let me qualify this ... it's NOT available on Region 4 DVD, and our machines do a pretty cruddy job of playing American DVDs, which are coded Region 1, even if one could afford the high price of shipping them into the country, which -- right now, at least -- I can't).
So I lost track of Adrian Paul, big time, after about 2000, and here it is, 2011 already, and I'm wondering, "I wonder if Adrian retired?"
Ha! Good God, it's only at times like this when you realize how faaaaaar away Australia really is, and how hard you have to work (how much you have to spend!) to keep up with even the simplest little things such as, "I wonder if Adrian Paul retired?"
No, AG. The man didn't retire ... he never stopped working, he has a boatload of credits, and not only that, he still looks damned good at almost 52 (birthday = May 29).The better question is: Why is this man not A-listed? He had the smoldery looks to blow the doors off anybody but Johnny Depp, (in fact, there's something about Christian Bale which reminds you of Adrian, and something about Adrian that reminds you of Sean Connery) plus a "weight" to his on-screen personality and performance that rivalled Brad Pitt, plus all the athleticism needed of today's action heroes, and a flair for comedy, to boot. *sigh*
So there's the answer to one question (Adrian Paul is still working, busy as a team of beavers), and another one for which there ain't no good answer, because the A-list is full of folks who have no more talent, half the looks and a quarter the athleticism. Go figure.
Anyway -- check out his IMDB list for the full catalog of credits (including Sir Francis Drake, whom he portrayed in 2009 for TV!), and here's the official site, which makes interesting viewing. Now, I'm off to work in a little while, but I'm taking an old Highlander paperback with me, and the next time I'm on a break, it'll be a blast from the past!
Have some more pictures, before I go...
