also this week:
Adrian Paul Photo Gallery

Adrian Paul
interviewed by Frappa Stout for USA WEEKEND

Q: Your new show "Tracker" started this season. How did you decide on another sci-fi show?
A: Please don't put it into that category. Please.

Q: But it's about aliens. . .
A: The high concept has elements of sci-fi, but the show is not really about that. It's about relationships, with comedy. It's like "Moonlighting," with special effects.

Q: But you still fight?
A: I really wanted to do something less violent. My character doesn't really have a weapon as such. But I still use my martial arts.

Q: How does your new role compare to that of immortal Duncan MacLeod in "Highlander?"
A: He's very different -- he's more of an innocent than Duncan, and that's what I really like about him. He's constantly asking "Why are we doing this? Why do we have that? I don't get this." It's kind of bizarre -- Duncan had an opinion on most things.

Q: As executive producer, do you have input into the behind-the-scenes work as well?
A: Everything. And our most interesting look is something I came up with, called hyperspeed. It's like stop-action photography. It gives us the sense that we are dealing with a slightly altered reality.

Q: Sort of a "Matrix" kind of thing?
A: Yes, we're kind of doing that -- and on the budget that we have! But it's like anything -- I believe that if you organize something correctly, you can get it done in a very efficient way. And I think we are improving as we go. I think the show will get into its groove much faster than "Highlander" did.

Q: Do you still do "Highlander" events?
A: I did two conventions this year: a "Highlander" convention and a gaming convention -- that's where it stays with me. "Highlander" was a great thing for me. Although, I really decided when I was doing this show that I was going to try and enjoy some time, rather than literally work for four or five years and not realize what else was going on around me. You have to balance everything.

Q: What do you do on your days off?
A: Sleep. But really, I try to just spend some time relaxing, either trying to do some martial arts or going to a restaurant, just do stuff that is normal.

Q: Do you still take classes in martial arts?
A: It's funny, because I didn't have time during the first six shows, which is about the first three months I was there [filming in Toronto], to really spend a lot of time doing my martial arts. I did a little, but not as much as I would have liked to. So I've really gone back to that now. I'm trying to deal more with energy stuff, which is where I base a lot of the stuff Cole does in the series.

Q: Do you play other sports at home in Los Angeles?
A: I love volleyball; I play on the beach. And I play golf, but I haven't played in about two years because I had shoulder injuries after doing the film ["Highlander: Endgame"]. I love to ski but I can't really ski at the moment, because if I injure myself I can't do anything.

Q: You're such a cult hero. People must recognize you on the street.
A: Sometimes.

Q: Any funny fan stories?
A: I have so many fan stories. I like the one where people come up to me and say, 'You're that guy, aren't you?' and I say, 'What guy are you talking about?' Usually they get it. But in Las Vegas recently, I got that a fair amount. They'd say, 'You're, um, are you an actor? Can I have your autograph?' and I'd say, 'It depends if you know what guy I am.' But I remember years ago when I was doing "Highlander," people would say, 'You're um, you're um,' and if I'd turn around and say, 'Yeah, "Highlander,"' they would reply, 'No, "Renegade!"' You kind of look like an idiot after that. So I decided to let them say it first to save face.

Q: At conventions, do you dress in a cloak?
A: No, I'm Adrian Paul, I'm not Duncan McLeod. Some people realize that, some don't. It's something I do, it's not something I live by.

Q: You first started in modeling?
A: In school, I was in plays and I studied Shakespeare when I was 12 or 13. I was a sports guy and loved playing soccer, but I was at a rugby school -- I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I started modeling at 21 because I was entered into a magazine competition by my girlfriend at the time. From there, I started doing fashion shows and choreographing and studying dance.

Q: What kind of dance?
A: Jazz, funk ... I did a lot of street-dance stuff when I started, then took lessons in jazz and ballet. I enjoyed the lifestyle, traveling from one city to another, doing some shows, learning street moves with some of the boys I worked with.

Q: What were the street moves at the time?
A: It was all locking and popping. Some of the stuff I see people doing today, I think, 'Oh yeah, I did that move.'

Q: Do you still dance?
A: Not really. I do it in clubs, but not very often. That's about it.

Q: Were you always into fashion, or did that come with the territory?
A: I always liked clothes. To me, putting clothes on is kind of becoming a different character, whether you want to feel funky one day or classy another, the clothes I put on kind of make me feel that way. Being a Gemini, you know, it kind of helps.

Q: Who's your favorite designer?
A: I don't have a favorite. I have designers I like. I like Dolce & Gabbana, I like Calvin Klein, I like DKNY, and then I like stuff I just find at any store, just to wear hanging out. I like hanging out in jeans, sometimes a little funky, sometimes leather, sometimes not. Jeans and a T-shirt.

Q: What trends do you follow?
A: I'm into the suedes and leathers lately. I just bought a nice leather jacket from Kenneth Cole, and I got it in on the sale.

Q: Black?
A: No, forest green.

Q: Do you shop alone?
A: No, my girlfriend is an image consultant and loves to help me shop. She loves to go to place after place. I like to recycle my clothes. You know, I'll find stuff that I wore years ago and I'll say, 'Oh yeah, this looks good now.' It all comes back in style.

Q: You must not spend a lot on your clothes, then?
A: This is what happens: you go into places where you're used to buying things. I got hammered on something recently. I couldn't believe I did it, but I gave the guy the credit card and he rang it up before I really looked at the price. I thought I was buying a $50 belt, and it was $250! If I had known that, I wouldn't have bought it. I just think that sometimes, that's a waste of money.

Q: You used to work as a bartender?
A: Yeah, I've worked as a lot of things. I worked in a bank when I first left school. Then I worked at a pharmaceutical company, doing a lot of computer inputting. Then I worked getting people jobs at an employment company. Then I sold windows, then I worked as a bartender, and then in a restaurant ... I've done a lot of different things.

Q: What was your best drink?
A: Oh, a pint of Guinness. It was in a pub in England, so it's a slightly different thing. Mixing drinks wasn't really in then. I actually worked in the theater district in London, and I remember when "Jesus Christ Superstar" was right around the corner from us, and all the cast members would come in after they finished a show.

Q: What do you and your girlfriend do for fun?
A: Go to Vegas.

Q: To do some gambling?
A: Yeah, we do a little gambling. In Toronto, I went to a spa for a weekend. We go Rollerblading or horseback riding, or just go shopping. When you're working on the set, you're spending time on your own for a while, so when you get together, you really want to spend quality time.

Q: Does she also live in L.A.?
A: No, she does not live here. But that's all I can tell you.

Q: Any pets?
A: No. I used to have dogs, but my ex-wife has those.

Q: You're now 42. If you were immortal like your "Highlander" character, what age would you want to be? What was your best age?
A: In my 30s. As you get older, you learn a lot more and understand things more. It's like the old adage: 'I wish I knew what I know now back then, and had the body I had back then so I could enjoy it.' The 30s are pretty cool -- you're still able to do everything, but you're a little smarter than you were in your 20s -- or hopefully. That's the idea.