Julian Tucks Into New Role

Aussie actor Julian McMahon is the star of the controversial new drama series in the United States that has everyone talking.

Set in the sexy world of Miami, Nip/Tuck, which will be shown in Australia on the Nine Network, features the former Charmed star as Dr. Christian Troy. He is a plastic surgeon who has a practice with his best friend from medical school, Dr Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh), and happily exploits his position.

TV Week's Jenny Cooney Carrillo chats exclusively to Julian in Los Angeles.

Is this the reason you left Charmed?
I got bored of being on Charmed, not through any fact but that you get bored after a while on anything. Two days before I finished, I read this script and told my agent and manager I had to do it. A lot of people wanted this role. I was someone the producers didn't know very well, so I had to fight for it. It was a fantastic process. I felt light I fought a great battle and I won.

How do you feel about the graphic side of Nip/Tuck - the sex and the surgery?
It's sex and surgery every week, but with a lot of heart and soul and depth! I don't do that kind of stuff without a good reason, but I think they're tallying up how many people I have sex with. In one recent episode we shot, there were about six, so it's hilarious! The funny thing is they are integral to the storyline, so it works really well.

And how did you feel about doing the surgery scenes?
The prosthetics are amazing. The first surgery I did was a butt implant. I had a blade with a blood tube thing - and as soon as I started slicing down on the skin and pressing this knife to get the blood out, I started getting a little nauseous. So you really almost feel like you're in it, and that's why you don't have to do much performance-wise.

How do you think Australians will react?
I don't know how much the plastic surgery is going to pull them in, but it's not really a show about plastic surgery - it's a show about people. The Australian audiences have been pretty supportive as far as my work has been concerned over the past eight years. There is such a sweet part of my soul that gets touched when I hear my show has down well back in Australia, and I feel like the public have really supported me. I hope that continues.