JULIAN McMAHON

Julian McMahon is the charming new D.A. on Charmed who has set his sights on Phoebe, and [the] Charmed Ones.

The WB: Without giving too much away, what can you tell me about Cole's future?

Julian: Firstly I think that the major crux of Cole's story is the love story between him and Phoebe.  That said, Cole was sent there on a mission, and to achieve his mission he's going to whatever lengths he has to.  His connections to the powers that be run really deep...

The WB: How does it feel to play a bad guy?

Julian: Well, we don't know he's totally a bad guy do we?  It feels really good actually.  His character has been so different so fun to play, every day I go into work I'm almost playing a different character.  Besides what happens in the scene there are so many different layers.

The WB: Does working on a show that uses special effects change the way you approach a scene?

Julian: Yes, it definitely adds an element of creativity that isn't there without it.  Like with my shadow, I wanted to really create a relationship between Cole and his shadow and wanted the shadow to have its own personality.  Even the shimmering thing when I appear somewhere else adds to the scene.  Every time I shimmer I want it to be different to fit the scene.  It's a wonderful thing to do, not negative in any way.

The WB: How do you feel about the subject matter of the show?

Julian: It scares me (laughs).  I'm kind of a believer in anything.  The show takes it pretty far, but I love that kind of thing.  Some of it I buy into realistically like spirits and energies and even witches.  The show takes it a step further, but the fantasy world is a good place to be.

The WB: What are the main differences between filming a soap opera and a weekly show?

Julian: The first thing I'd say is time, the amount of time you spend on set in a soap is limited because you're using three cameras and there are a lot of characters.  On Charmed the story lines are spread between three or four characters not twenty or thirty and you're only using one camera.  I like working with one camera better, you get to concentrate more on the details.  On a daytime soap you do an episode a day so it's a whole different concept.

The WB: What made you decide to go from studying law to modelling?

Julian: To be honest, at the time I was a little bored with studying.  I think that whole studying thing is weird, you do it for years and years just to go study more.  I needed a break from that.  When modelling came along it was really exciting.  I was meeting really great people and making a lot of money.

The WB: Do you ever regret leaving school?

Julian: No, not for one second.

Back to the top