Before moderator Dan Carroll brought Adrian Paul out on the stage, he induced the audience to sing “Princes of the Universe,” the theme song to Highlander. The audience was more than happy to oblige, singing as many of the verses as we could remember. At the conclusion, Paul came onstage with a huge grin. “I think you know the song better than I do,” he quipped.
More than one audience member commented that Paul must actually be an immortal because he seems not to have aged in the 15 years since Highlander ended. He said that his kids keep him young, especially running around after his three-year-old daughter. He also said that he eats well and drinks a lot of water in addition to the physical conditioning he does.
Throughout the panel, Paul demonstrated his facility with accents. Raised in London with an Italian mother and a British father, Paul has a self-described “weird” accent. When talking about filming the series in France, Paul would slip into his French accent. Then, when talking about his character, Duncan MacLeod, he naturally slipped into a Scottish accent. He said that adopting an accent isn’t as difficult as most people think. Paul talked about reviewing some videos to brush up on his Scottish accent and being surprised to learn that John Barrowman is Scottish. Paul said that the secret to performing accents is to understand the different places in the throat and mouth where the sounds originate.
One audience member asked whether Paul enjoyed playing the current time or the flashbacks more. He replied that one of the things he enjoyed the most about the show was that he got to do something different with his character every week. Paul’s favorite flashbacks were the ones that placed Duncan in his homeland during his first years as an immortal.
Throughout the run of the series, several celebrities guest starred, and Paul said one celebrity he geeked out over the most was Roger Daltrey. There are several favorite celebrities he wished could have guest starred, including Sean Connery, Al Pacino, and Meryl Streep.
Paul also talked about the impact that playing Duncan MacLeod had on his own life. Duncan’s morality as a character inspired him to create his charity, The PEACE Fund, which stands for Protect, Educate, Aid Children Everywhere. According to the organization’s website, The PEACE Fund “focuses on small, under-funded and hard-working charities who are determined to make a positive difference to the lives of children living in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.”
As the panel wrapped up, moderator Dan Carroll jumped in for one last question, asking Paul what was the favorite convention he has attended. Paul responded without hesitation, “Dragon Con.” He went on to elaborate, “This convention has been so well run, and the people have been so kind to me. Thank you.”
