McMahon, Julian

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Julian McMahon

Actor

Born Julian Dana William McMahon, July 27, 1968, in Sydney, Australia; son of Sir William (prime minister) and Lady Sonia McMahon; married Dannii Minogue (a singer and actress), January 2, 1994 (divorced, 1995); married Brooke Burns (an actress), December 22, 1999 (divorced, 2001); children: Madison (from second marriage). Education: Attended University of Sydney, studied law.

Addresses: Agent—Agency for the Performing Arts, 9200 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 900, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Home —Hollywood Hills, CA. Management— Louise Spinner Ward, Talent Entertainment Group, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Career

Actor on television, including: The Power, the Passion, 1989; Home and Away, 1990-91; Another World, 1992-94; The Profiler, 1996-2000; Will … Grace, 1998; Charmed, 2000-03, 2005; Another Day (movie), 2001; Nip/Tuck, 2003—. Film appearances include: Wet and Wild Summer!, 1992; Magenta, 1996; In Quiet Night, 1998; Chasing Sleep, 2000; Fantastic Four, 2005. Executive producer of film Meet Market, 2004. Stage appearances include: Home and Away, England; Love Letters, Sydney, Melbourne, Australia. Model, c. 1987-89.

Sidelights

The epitome of the phrase tall, dark, and handsome, Julian McMahon began his career as a model in his native Australia, and later began his acting career in a couple of Australian soap operas, before coming to the attention of American audiences through his stint on the daytime serial Another World. Within months of his first appearance, fan clubs sprouted around the county. He later won a supporting role on the hit show, The Profiler. Mc-Mahon's breakthrough role was on the WB's Charmed. His popularity grew when he took on the role of Dr. Christian Troy on the F/X Channel show, Nip/Tuck. He also had a starring role in the 2005 hit film Fantastic Four.

McMahon (pronounced Mc-Man) was born on July 27, 1968, in Sydney, Australia. His father, Sir William McMahon, was prime minister of Australia in the early 1970s. His mother, Lady Sonia, was an attaché to fashion mogul Yves St. Laurent. Adding to the family were his older sister, Melinda, and his younger sister, Debbie. Though his parents were leading society figures, and McMahon and his sisters led a privileged life, his parents still insisted on the children having chores to do. In addition to cleaning his room, he also rode the bus to his private school, and, as he told Tom Gliatto of People, "I had a paper route at nine. I took the trash out…."

McMahon went through a rebellious stage during his teen years, clashing with his parents on many things. Influenced by various bands including the Cure and Kiss, he once asked his parents if he could add a slit in his tongue like a snake's. He attended the University of Sydney for a year, but he told In-Style 's Ellen Lieberman that "It was too much studying and too intense." He was offered a modeling campaign, and soon worked with various designers and ad campaigns, including Calvin Klein, Coca-Cola, and Levi's. He also traveled the world, getting modeling jobs in Rome, Milan, Italy, and Los Angeles. His decision to drop out of college caused a rift with his parents, but they were able to reconcile before his father died in 1988.

McMahon's high visibility as a model led to a Levi's commercial that showed him pulling on a pair of jeans. Industry types took notice. Because of the commercial, he was given the opportunity to play a medical student on The Power, the Passion, a soap opera that aired in Australia in 1989. With his interest in modeling waning, McMahon jumped at the chance. He explained his reasons for turning to modeling and then acting in an interview with Paul Fischer at Dark Horizons.com: "It was almost an escapist kind of attitude that I had of getting away from stuff that I didn't feel like I wanted to do, then after [acting] for a number of years I developed such a passion for it that it actually became something I realized I wanted to continue doing and hopefully do for as long as I could." He later joined the serial, Home and Away, that also showcased rising stars Heath Ledger and Guy Pearce.

While on the show, McMahon began dating singer and fellow soap star Dannii Minogue, younger sister of pop sensation Kylie Minogue. Their relationship deepened, and because of his family lines and her star status, the two were hounded by the press. They were married as helicopters flew around capturing the event on film.

McMahon also performed in the musical stage production of Home And Away in London, England. He was a hit, and again, the couple was chased by the press and adoring fans. In addition to doing Home And Away on stage, McMahon also appeared in the Australian production of the play Love Letters, both in Sydney and Melbourne. He made his big-screen debut in Wet and Wild Summer!.

McMahon decided to move to the United States to further his acting career. His wife, who was building her singing career, stayed in London. Despite his looks and his resume, McMahon could not find work, mainly because of his accent. He studied with an accent coach and soon won a role on the soap Another World, portraying sexy gardener Ian Rain. Within months of his introduction on the show, though not on the same level as his time on the Australian soap operas, fan clubs devoted to him sprang up around the country. However, on the personal front, his bi-continental marriage was on the rocks. He and Dannii grew apart and divorced.

With this increased exposure on the soap opera, McMahon landed a role as an FBI agent on NBC's drama The Profiler. Although it received critical acclaim, the show was cancelled in 2000. McMahon kept working, picking up bit parts in various films including Magenta, In Quiet Night, and Chasing Sleep. He also guest-starred on the NBC sitcom Will … Grace. In 2000 McMahon won a recurring part on the WB's hit show, Charmed. He played Cole Turner, a demon who falls in love and marries Phoebe Halliwell, one of three sister witches, played by Alyssa Milano. McMahon stayed with the show for two and a half seasons, through the 100th episode of the series when his character was vanquished by the witches.

Throughout this period, McMahon also met and married actress Brooke Burns, who starred on the syndicated show, Baywatch, and on the short-lived reality game show, Dog Eat Dog. The couple soon had a daughter, Madison. They later divorced, but remained on good terms. McMahon spoke of his personal life to InStyle's Lieberman, "I love being a dad. I love the fact that I'm going to go home today and my kid … is going to jump into the pool with me…. Brooke and I see a lot of each other. There's no animosity. It's beautiful."

In 2000 McMahon campaigned for a role on the new drama show, Nip/Tuck, which aired on the F/X Channel. He told England's Birmingham Post, "I think it's one of those things where it hasn't been done before…. I think it's an extremely well-written show. " Nip/Tuck, created by former Entertainment Weekly journalist Ryan Murphy, follows the lives of two Miami-based plastic surgeons as they change people's lives while their own lives stay in a constant state of turmoil. McMahon joined the cast as the hedonistic and amoral Dr. Christian Troy. His character sleeps around, and is deceitful and very narcissistic. While McMahon may be nothing like his character, he told Fischer on DarkHorizons. com, "I can relate to him because I can identify with the kinds of journeys that he went through. I always felt like Christian made many mistakes in life and had to kind of figure out how to get the best out of them and I feel like I've had a similar kind of past. "

From the beginning, the show was a hit among viewers. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker described Nip/Tuck as "a great soap opera disguised as very good prime-time trash. " While many critics of the show decried its glamorization of plastic surgery, as well as its extremely graphic surgery scenes, more and more viewers tuned in each week. Thanks to the show, McMahon has people clamoring to get his attention, and many think of him as the doctor he portrays. He told Denise Martin of Daily Variety, "I've had people run up and hug me and scream at me and ask for boob jobs and butt jobs. It's really quite overwhelming, which is great, because you know you've struck a place in people."

As a result of its growing popularity, Nip/Tuck won a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2005. Mc-Mahon was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Dr. Troy, but lost to Ian McShane, who starred on HBO's Deadwood. The nomination came as a shock to McMahon, but he told Brad Pomerance of TelevisionWeek, "These awards can mean so much to people by elevating their status. And I like the fact that newcomers can break through. It's wonderful. "

Nip/Tuck's shooting schedule allowed McMahon the chance to take on the role of Dr. Victor Von Doom in the 20th Century Fox release of Fantastic Four, based on the comic book of the same name. The film also costarred Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, and Chris Evans. This was McMahon's second portrayal of a person people either loved to hate or begrudgingly loved. He told In-Style's Lieberman, "When you play bad guys, you need to ingratiate yourself with the audience." He relished playing the role because, as he told Fischer at Dark Horizons. com, "To me it was just taking on a great character, having been a comic book and cartoon fan of the Fantastic Four, knowing about Victor Von Doom since I was a five- or six-year-old kid, so it was kind of more about taking on that kind of responsibility then it was taking on a villain. "

Fantastic Four opened with favorable reviews, though many diehard fans of the comic would have seen the film anyway. It was a major hit, opening at number one in its first weekend. Since its opening the movie has grossed more than $150 million in the United States alone. The film also did well overseas.

In his personal time, McMahon enjoys collecting classic books, watching rugby matches, and tuning into the Discovery Channel to watch programs on FBI crimes. He also likes cooking and has prepared both American cuisine, such as pot roast as well as exotic gourmet meals. He also like to play all types of sports. In addition to spending time with his daughter, McMahon also enjoys playing with his two dogs that he rescued while taping The Profiler.

Unlike his characters, McMahon is considered by many to be a nice guy. His cast mate on Nip/Tuck, Joely Richardson, described him to People's Gliatto: "He's very loud—a big joker." In the same article, series creator Murphy stated, "Julian is like a nerdy 12 year old. He's always in his trailer playing video games. Julian's not a ladies' man at all. " Actress Amy Carlson, who appeared on Another World with McMahon, told Gliatto, "Julian is chivalrous, has wonderful etiquette and style in his soul. You can tell he was raised proper. " McMahon has not allowed his celebrity to go to his head. His only splurges have been a Mercedes Benz 560 SEL and a housekeeper.

McMahon also found time to return to Charmed to appear in its 150th episode. He will play the lead in his next film, Prisoner, which was in post-production in September of 2005. His fans also wait for the start of Nip/Tuck's third season. Though his dropping out of school caused a rift, McMahon's greatest fan is his mother. With his uncanny ability to choose great roles as well as the talent and looks to keep McMahon in the spotlight, many would challenge his mother's position as his biggest fan.