Talented Aussie actor thriving on a challenge

SEE a challenge and go for it! That's the motto of ex-patriot Australian, Julian McMahon.

The former Sydney University law student and model, who comes from a political family background, has made his home in Los Angeles for the past six years. Now, he's a household name in Australia again.

With established American actors Ally Walker (While You Were Sleeping) and Robert Davi (Die Hard), McMahon is a star of Channel 7's new suspense-thriller, The Profiler.

The series, which screens at 8.30pm on Wednesdays, is winning its prime-time slot for NBC in the US, where it's established in the top 20 programs. In addition, it's gaining a cult following in Australia and has been touted by some as "even better than the The X-Files". McMahon, now a resident of Hollywood, plays Federal Task Force Detective John Grant.

The Aussie actor was in-between seasons when he visited his home town recently for Seven Network commitments and to catch up with his family.

Certainly, success didn't fall into the lap of the former star of The Power, The Passion, Home and Away (where he had an 18-month stint) and later the US-made film Exchange Life and the daytime soap, Another World.

But he's "had a ball" along the way, while learning and perfecting his craft.

High on the list of McMahon's priorities was mastering the American accent, so necessary in the US film industry.

And having to endure the gruelling elimination process of countless auditions for a part in the Profiler, didn't daunt him.

"I love trashing myself," he chuckled. "It's all part of the career