Julian McMahon’s most famous for playing plastic surgeon Christian Troy in “”Nip/Tuck.”” His latest role in thriller “”Premonition”” allows him to stop examining women’s breasts – except for co-star Sandra Bullock’s, that is. McMahon talks to us in a conference call about his attraction to darker roles, playing Bullock’s husband, and why “”Premonition”” will still give you warm fuzzy feelings.
Wildcat: Do you enjoy more dark or off-center roles – not the totally normal guy roles?
Julian McMahon: Yes, definitely. I’m always attracted to something that is a little kind of skewed, a little kind of off. But I like those characters that are a little more extraordinary than just everyday life. That’s what I kind of like playing, and that’s what I seem to have spent most of my career doing.
W: What’s the transition like for you, from TV to film and back and forth? What do you enjoy more?
JM: “”Nip/Tuck,”” it’s definitely a consistent grind. It’s a lot of hard work. We’re doing a seven-day work week, which means we have to get the episode in with seven days. We have mountains and mountains of dialogue, and it’s all very emotional. So you can’t just walk through it.
And then film – it depends on the film. The only thing about film is usually you just have a lot more time. I mean, “”Fantastic Four”” is a little ridiculous. You could do like two-eighths of a page a day and you’re happy with it. On the “”Premonition”” movie, you do maybe a page or two a day, but it’s still nothing compared to 10, 12 pages. The capacity of work is very different. They’re both fun, but at the same time, they are different beasts.
W: What were the challenges of filming such a psychological role?
JM: I think that all roles are psychological. Just because it’s been tagged as a psychological thriller doesn’t mean that it’s any more psychological for the actors than it would be when you’re playing other roles. I think all roles are psychologically involved. I mean, that’s the whole idea of an actor, is to look at a piece and kind of interpret it in your own way and evaluate it psychologically and emotionally and thoughtfully, and then come up with a character that is different from yourself.
W: How was working with Sandra Bullock?
JM: It’s wonderful. She’s everything you expect from what we’ve seen over many years, and she’s more. She really is a pretty extraordinary woman.
W: What did you guys do to develop chemistry?
JM: Absolutely nothing. It just comes or it doesn’t, you know? I feel like I have chemistry with anything. But then you’ve got somebody like Sandy, and you’ve got two personalities which just kind of play off each other. You can talk for hours and you can have a laugh, and you get each other’s sensibilities and understandings, and you kind of connect. And I think that’s where chemistry comes from, and it can’t be manufactured.
W: What do you hope audiences come away feeling or contemplating after seeing “”Premonition””?
JM: If you could walk away from that movie feeling like – it’s that whole appreciate – just appreciate what you have a little bit. I think that that is really an important message. Stop looking over there and just look at what’s right in front of you, and if you can, take a moment to appreciate what you have, because it’s important.
