Julian McMahon
with Jon Warech

There are a lot of perks to being a plastic surgeon—beautiful women, high-class toys and immeasurable popularity. Being the star of Nip/Tuck, FX’s new hit drama about South Beach Botox-boys, Julian McMahon now has similar perks afforded to him— but the down-to-earth actor is simply happy with mastering his trade.
The popular new series has millions of fans glued to their TV sets every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. to FX, the channel formerly known for its reruns of Beverly Hills 90210. The station now makes the switch from the spoiled, rich Beverly Hills kids to spoiled, rich South Beach adults. But, with intense plot twists in the drama-filled world of plastic surgery, Nip/Tuck is making Julian McMahon a star.
McMahon plays Dr. Christian Troy, who enjoys every minute of the flashy, pretentious, plastic surgeon life. His partner Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) can’t always handle the heat, but McMahon’s character keeps nipping and tucking at his personal life to make sure the business stays intact.
“It’s a great character,” said the Australian-born McMahon. “He lives a crazy life, but there is a tune I admire. He’s brutally honest, but when he is challenged he takes on the challenge.”
For McMahon, deciding to take this role was no challenge. After reading over the first scripts he loved the concept of the show and admired the way it was written. After short stints on TV dramas Charmed and Home and Away and soap opera Another World, McMahon was excited to take on a starring role in a hit series.
“I felt like it was an extraordinary show,” said McMahon. “I knew the end result would be a good one. But it was a wait-and-see game. The success wasn’t anything anyone could predict.”
Without really knowing the future of the show, when Nip/Tuck was picked up after the pilot both writers and actors had to scramble to get the shows produced. They worked long hours on a fairly low budget to pump out the first season. When filming ended in October, it was followed by a three-week promotional tour and only two months off before filming the next season with a plot that will be a surprise for everyone.
“[The final episode] is not ‘cliffhangerish’ but there are a couple of facets of the show that will make viewers want to come back next season and find out what’s there,” said McMahon, who can’t wait to read next year’s scripts. “I pretty much know that I’m coming back and I’m pretty happy with that.”
Joining the cast of Nip/Tuck allowed McMahon to work with creator/producer and part-time director Ryan Murphy, a former journalist-turned-screenwriter who struck gold with this sexy new drama. It has proven to be a winning team throughout the first season, and McMahon, who has great respect for Murphy, knows the chemistry will continue to grow.
“He comes up with the most brilliant angles,” said McMahon who turned 35 in July. “He has a way of delving into it with a kind of heart and soul, but yet it’s shocking at the same time. It’s done so articulately.”
McMahon rarely has any criticisms of the show and especially of his character. He wouldn’t change his character in any way, and truly respects the work the writers have done.
“This year has been such a treat,” said McMahon. “I love the places the story goes. I love to be along for the ride. I like the fact that they are so ‘out there’.”
While McMahon doesn’t know if he could handle the task of writing himself, he likes the idea of working behind the scenes. He tried a few years back to put together a film, but couldn’t get it off the ground. This year the challenge resurfaced when a friend of his turned a bunch of vignette plays about life in Los Angeles into a feature film called Meet Market. McMahon signed on as producer of the film staring Elizabeth Berkley, Susan Egan, and, of course, himself. Finished in January, McMahon and director/writer Charlie Loventhal, are now trying to bring the production to the public.
“The whole business fascinates me,” McMahon said. “The film really turned out quite well. We have to go out now and sell this thing. The reality is you might never see it. Even if I fail, at least I learned something. Inevitably you are going to get something out of it.”
While he says working in production can help make someone a better actor, it has also helped him get a grasp on the business as a whole. Surprisingly, production on Meet Market and on Nip/Tuck was fairly similar. With low budgets and tight deadlines, there was a lot of daily grind to produce both.
“We were shooting 8 to 10 scenes a day because we had to get the job done,” said McMahon of his new film, for which he worked long hours behind the scenes. “I think that gives you a great insight as an actor in a way. A lot of time as an actor you are out there on your own but you have to understand you’re a piece in the puzzle.”
In the puzzle that is Nip/Tuck, McMahon plays an integral role. His character, Dr. Christian Troy, is busy every week with everything from butt implants to using his career to pick up ladies to riding on his yacht, appropriately named “The Boatox.” As a fan of TV, McMahon watches shows like Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm— HBO shows that he feels are bringing television to a new level.
“The bar is constantly raised,” said McMahon. “We have to come up to meet it. I think HBO puts great stuff out there. They challenge everyone to do better.”
The success of the show has led to big changes in McMahon’s career and everyday life. It’s a great time for McMahon though, who talked to Southern Vanity on his way to filming the Craig Kilborn Show— one of a number of stops on his first talk-show tour and a “trippy” experience he thoroughly enjoys.
“[My life] has changed in dynamic,” said McMahon. “People come up to you and say they love the show, but on a personal level it is great to work on a project you are proud of. It’s a personal challenge that is being fulfilled.” Stay Tuned...