Julian's Other Famous Family
by Glen Williams

Julian McMahon is silent for a moment when asked about his relationship with girlfriend Melissa's father, John Cornell.

Then he follows his reflective pause with unrestrained praise. "John is the closest thing I have to a father," he says of the man behind the success of Paul Hogan.

"He is a very warm person. The amount that guy gives to other is staggering. It seems the more successful he gets, the more he gives. John and I get along very well. He is just an incredibly approachable man."

Julian - whose late father Sir William McMahon was Prime Minister from 1971 to 1972 - is usually guarded when discussing the Cornells, but in a moment of complete openness he says he wants to give credit where its due.

"I think we should all be proud of John," he says. "What he has done for Australian is amazing."

Julian says he shares a very positive relationship with all the Cornells, including John's wife Delvene Delaney. Julian and Melissa have been together for almost two years now and he describes their relationship as "very supportive".

"It's the most serious relationship I've been involved with," he says. "It is great because Melissa and her family are involved in the business and she knows what it's all about."

"That's not to say we don't have different opinions and ideas about the industry."

Julian says Melissa is an encouragement and inspiration to him when they discuss what career moves he should make after he leaves Home and Away in March next year.

"Change is the most important thing for me at the moment," he says of his career. "I am not going to commit myself to another long term series for a while. I don't like the idea of doing on-going stuff. I like the idea of a new challenge coming along. I want to do more theater. I feel that being in the one series puts me in a rut and that I'm not learning. I have enjoyed playing Ben, but he has done all he can do. It was fun putting him together, but I now know him back to front. It's time to move on."

When Julian was finished with Home and Away, he plans to head to the US to try his luck as an actor. And he hopes his Australian experience will lead to theatrical opportunities.

Julian has been in the US before. He attended the noted Stanislovsky acting school there and worked extensively as a model.

But if acting work was slow coming, would he consider returning to the catwalks of Italy, where he also made a name for himself as a sought after model?

"I think its a difficult thing to go back to," he says. "I think people would see it as a step backwards. I know I would feel it was. Look, I want people to take me seriously as an actor. If I go back to modeling I'm going to be restricted by the 'heart-throb' and 'hunk' thing all over again. Those tags are very shallow and I certainly don't feel too privileged being labeled that way. I want to use my brain, I don't have to use my looks anymore - people know what I look like."

Julian's fresh zeal for acting has intensified since he starred opposite Georgie Parker in their version of the play Love Letters at the Sydney Opera House in October.

"It was such an honor to be asked," he says. "All the other people asked to perform are all mainly top-notch theater actors. It is certainly the highlight of my career. I hope the experience will open up doors to further theater opportunities. I'm going to be doing a lot of theater workshops and voice classes in the future."

Does the erratic lifestyle of an actor bother Julian? "I think the main thing when you are out of work is to maintain your sanity, your health and a clean mind. That is my basic philosophy - stay fit and healthy. It's such a basic thing. I don't drink very much, I don't smoke and I don't take drugs."

The idea of unemployment doesn't scar Julian too much.

"It would give me a chance to sit around the house an do normal things, like mow the lawn."