Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor, martial artist and director best known for the title role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series Highlander: The Series. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation.

Early life Paul was born in London, the first of three brothers, to an Italian mother and a British father. He attended St Mary's Grammar School (as was) in Sidcup, Kent, where in his time in 6th Form, he established something of an empire based in the school library selling first so-called "stales" from the baker's in Sidcup High Street, progressing to a selection of biscuits. Paul first became a model, then a dancer and choreographer. As a teenager, he was a capable footballer and made several appearances for Cray Wanderers in the London Spartan League between 1976 and 1978. In 1985, Paul moved to the United States to pursue careers in dance and modeling.

Paul spent time in the theatre, appearing in numerous plays, and has stated that these, along with an early television appearance on Beauty and the Beast (1987), helped to shape his acting abilities.

Career Paul's first role was on the ABC television series The Colbys in 1986, as ballet dancer Nikolai "Kolya" Rostov. This was followed by guest appearances on various television shows, including the aforementioned Beauty and the Beast (1987), two episodes of Tarzán (1991), Murder, She Wrote (1992), Relic Hunter (1999), and as himself in WWE SmackDown (1999). He also appeared in a January 2003 episode of Charmed and in the Off-Broadway play Bouncers (1987), as well as in the television films Shooter (1988) and The Cover Girl Murders (1993), the latter of which starred Lee Majors.

Paul's first film appearance was in the 1988 film Last Rites, which starred Tom Berenger. He starred in the remake Masque of the Red Death, a re-telling of the Edgar Allan Poe tale. He also appeared in Sheena Easton's "Days Like This" music video as her love interest and Duran Duran's "My Own Way" music video as a dancer.

In 1989, he appeared in a regular role in the second season of the television series War of the Worlds as John Kincaid, three episodes of the 1991 Dark Shadows remake as Jeremiah Collins, and made a pilot for CBS Television for a series called The Owl (1991). In 2001, he starred in Tracker.

In 1992, Paul was cast in his most widely known role of Duncan MacLeod in the syndicated television series Highlander: The Series, which first aired in October 1992. He would portray the role on and off for the next 15 years, also starring in the big screen sequel Highlander: Endgame (2000), and the television film Highlander: The Source, released on the Sci-Fi Channel on 15 September 2007.

Other films in which he has starred or co-starred are Dance to Win (1989), Love Potion No. 9 (1992), Dead Men Can't Dance (1997), Susan's Plan (1998), Merlin: The Return (1999) as Lancelot, Convergence (1999), The Void (2001), The Breed (2001), Storm Watch (2002), Nemesis Game (2003) Throttle (2005), and Phantom Below (2005). In 2006, he co-starred in the horror film Séance and in Little Chicago. A year later, Paul appeared as Ananias Dare in the Sci-Fi Channel original film Wraiths of Roanoke (2007).

Also in 2007, Paul played the lead role in the TV movie Tides of War as Commander Frank Habley, a gay officer in charge of a submarine that infiltrates North Korean waters where he instinctively discovers a secret stealth North Korean submarine and destroys it. The fleeting moments of Commander Habley and fellow officer Tom Palatonia's (played by Mike Doyle) relationship come to an abrupt end due to a fire aboard the submarine where Tom is killed while fighting the blaze. Tides of War also costars Matthew St. Patrick of Six Feet Under fame as Lieutenant Commander Steven Barker.

In 2008, Paul began voice acting the character of Patrick O'Brien in the animated War of the Worlds television show. He starred as Sir Francis Drake in the Sci-Fi Channel original film The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake (2009), the futuristic thriller Eyeborgs (2009), and the thriller-drama The Heavy (2010). In 2012, Paul did a character voice-over in the Malaysian animated science fiction film War of the Worlds: Goliath. Paul starred in the 2013 science fiction film AE: Apocalypse Earth, a post-apocalyptic action-adventure film.

In 2015, he made a guest appearance as Commandant Leitner in Strike Back. In March 2019, he joined the CW series Arrow in a recurring role, playing a villainous character named Dante.

Personal life Paul married actress Meilani Figalan in 1990. The couple divorced in 1997. Paul married long-time girlfriend Alexandra Tonelli in 2009. They have three children, a daughter born in 2010, and two sons born in 2012 and 2020.

Since the late 1980s, he has studied a range of martial arts, including Taekwondo, Choy Li Fut, and Hung Gar Kung Fu, and has been featured on the covers of Impact (three times), Inside Kung Fu, Karate International (four times) and Martial Arts Insider.

Filmblips Paul is also involved in the development and production side of the entertainment industry. In 2008, he joined with Zoltan Furedi and founded Filmblips, an independent film and television media production company.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Last Rites Tony1989 Dance to Win Billy James Masque of the Red Death Prospero 1992 Love Potion No. 9 Enrico Pazzoli 1997 Dead Men Can't Dance Shooter 1998 Susan's Plan Paul Holland 1999 Convergence Brady Traub / Young Brady2000 Highlander: Endgame Duncan MacLeod Merlin: The Return Lancelot2001 The Breed Aaron Gray The Void Professor Steven Price 2002 Storm Watch Neville2003 Nemesis Game Vern Alien Tracker Cole Also executive producer 2004 Moscow Heat Andrew Chambers2005 Throttle Gavin Matheson Little Chicago Frank Newcome 2006 Séance Spence2009 Eyeborgs Robert J. "Gunner" Reynolds The Heavy Christian Mason Nine Miles Down Thomas "Jack" Jackman 2011 Cold Fusion Colonel Jack Unger 2012 War of the Worlds: Goliath Patrick O'Brien Voice role2013 AE: Apocalypse Earth Lieutenant Frank Baum Dante's Hell Animated Ulysses Voice role2014 Black Rose Matt Robinson Apocalypse Pompeii Jeff Pierce Outpost 37 General Dane Voice role2015 Touched Brad Kids vs Monsters Greg Lovett 2016 The Secrets of Emily Blair Roizman2017 The Fast and the Fierce Coleman Christmas Crime Story David Carlisle 2018 Snap Shot Alden Flower 2019 Wild League James ParkerTBAWildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost HorseParker NicholsPost-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1986–1987 The Colbys Nikolai "Kolya" Rostov 19 episodes1988 Shooter Ian Television film Beauty and the Beast Dmitri Benko Episode: "Ashes, Ashes" 1989–1990 War of the Worlds John Kincaid 20 episodes1991 Dark Shadows Jeremiah Collins 3 episodes The Owl The Owl Television film1992 Murder, She Wrote Edward Hale Episode: "Danse Diabolique" Tarzán Jack Traverse 2 episodes 1992–1998 Highlander: The Series Duncan MacLeod 117 episodes 1993 The Cover Girl Murders Patrice Television film 1995 Phantom 2040 Gunnar Voice role, 2 episodes 2001 Relic Hunter Lucas Blackmer Episode: "Vampire's Kiss" 2001–2002 Tracker Cole / Daggon 22 episodes, also executive producer 2003 Charmed Jeric Episode: "Y Tu Mummy También" 2005 Phantom Below Commander Frank Habley Television film2007 Highlander: The Source Duncan MacLeod Wraiths of Roanoke Ananias Dare 2009 The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake Sir Francis Drake2013 Deadly Descent: The Abominable Snowman Mark Forster The Confession Dylan Bennett2015 Strike Back Commandant Leitner Episode: "5.9" Stormageddon Brian McTeague Television film 2017 12 to Midnight Father Templain Episode: "Red Sneakers" 2019 Arrow Dante 3 episodes2022S.W.A.T.Peter GallowayS5/E18 - "Incoming"

Music videos Year Song Director(s) Notes 1981 "My Own Way" Russell Mulcahy 1988 "Eyes of a Stranger" Wayne Isham "Days Like This" Brian Grant

Stage Production Year Role Theatre Notes Bouncers 1987 Ralph Minetta Lane Theatre

References

External links

Paul's Twitter Peace Fund Radio