"Julian McMahon Woos Audiences as Charmed's Half-Demon Attorney"
by Pamela Harland

While Julian McMahon's role as the half-demon/half-human Cole Turner/Belthazor on the WB series Charmed calls for him to erase all signs of his native Australian accent, there are certain situations in which the actor's "Down Under" -speak does tend to reveal itself.

"Give me a couple of beers and a few mates and I can swing it," laughs McMahon.

McMahon has been acting in the States for the last 16 years, primarily playing Americans on shows like the short-lived The Profiler. However, it wasn't until he was cast as Charmed 's mysterious Cole, who courts Alyssa Milano's witch character when he isn't making a living as a lawyer (I know- a demon lawyer, the jokes are endless), that his life began to change in a very big way.

"It's a great role to play," says the 33-year old Sydney native. "The diversity in the character is just so huge. I get to play so many kinds of different roles inside of one role. It's been a gift. I'm never bored."

It seems that fans aren't bored with the hunky actor either. Charmed is doing well for the WB, which lost the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer to UPN last year. (Apparently, one network wasn't big enough for two shows based on similar concepts. Both have a slayer/witch falling for a vampire/demon, and in both cases the leading lady eventually has to choose between following her destiny or sacrificing all that is meant to be in the name of love.) Ask McMahon, however, and he'll tell you he's never even seen "Buffy" and insists he has no idea who David Boreanaz (Buffy's love interest Angel, who now has his own show) is - despite having shared the same network with both series.

"It's not my job to know other things about other shows," says McMahon. "That's not what I do. I've got enough things to do and I hardly have time to watch my own show."

Still, when the idea of taking the lead in his own series a la "Angel" is broached, McMahon admits he would be flattered by the opportunity.

"I would consider it an honor to be asked to do something like that, but I would take into consideration what it is I wanted to do with my career and if that kind of fit into it."

What little time McMahon does have he spends with former Charmed co-star Shannen Doherty. It's no secret the actress left the series on a less than amicable basis, part of the reason being her inability to get along with Milano. But does the fact that McMahon dates Doherty while he works all day pretending to date Milano make for some real life friction? You'd think so but McMahon says otherwise.

"I have no conflict doing the show for any reasons whatsoever," says McMahon firmly.

Conflict does, however, constantly surround his character Cole who can't seem to completely break free of this dark side, despite the fact his demon-half was exorcised this season.

"Things are not going to stay the way they are," promises McMahon. "There is more to come."

And as long as the audience is there, they'll be much more of McMahon to come.

"I do the best I can with what I have and hopefully that is good enough," he says.