Julian McMahon: Why He Left His Biggest Franchise
julian mcmahon of nip/tuck fame left the success of cbs fbi – most wanted to pursue other acting endeavors.
by rick gonzales | published
julian mcmahon is no stranger to television and feature films. The 52-year-old actor has been around a time or two, most notably gaining fame with his work on the fabulous television series nip/tuck. but nip/tuck isn’t all he’s known for. he has worked at cbs on a popular series.
julian mcmahon leaves his series fbi: most wanted
When Julian McMahon was offered the chance to star in the crime drama series FBI: Most Wanted, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. In 2020, he said via amomama, “When you get something from Dick Wolf, it’s not something you just casually look at.” For three seasons, McMahon played Jess Lacroix, head of the FBI’s Most Wanted unit.
but in january 2022, word broke that julian mcmahon would be exiting the series, with dylan mcdermott of practice fame taking his place. McDermott will reportedly not be playing Lacroix, but an entirely new character.
The most specific reason offered for McMahon’s departure was the actor’s statement citing “additional creative pursuits.” he added that this was not a sudden decision, but one that he and the show’s producers had been discussing for months. Hopefully, McMahon will find another great role in his absence.
In total, McMahon appeared in 43 episodes of the series. during its final season, the show had over eight million viewers per episode, an extremely strong number in this era of broadcasting.
He is the son of the former Prime Minister of Australia
Julian McMahon was born in Australia, the son of Australia’s 20th Prime Minister, Sir William McMahon. Having grown up in Australia, it’s only fitting that Julian McMahon got his start in Australian film and television. however, prior to that, mcmahon was a model.
losing interest early on with his studies in law and economics, he jumped into a modeling career that saw him travel and model in major fashion capitals such as london, new york, milan, paris and rome.
It was also during this time that Julian McMahon began to dabble in the film side of the business, appearing in commercials. he turned his business experience into his first television appearance on the Australian soap opera The Power, The Passion.
it was a brief stint, but it propelled him into his next series, this one titled home and away, another Australian soap opera. This role was significant for Julian McMahon on a personal level, as one of his co-stars was singer, actress Dannii Minogue, sister of pop singer Kylie Minogue, who would eventually become his first wife.
julian mcmahon had a role in another world and profiler
Mcmahon’s first break on the American television screen came in 1993 when he joined the cast of the popular (at the time) soap opera Another World. After a brief interlude (of almost three years), Julian McMahon found himself back on camera as Detective John Grant on the hit TV series Profiler. The series, which also starred one of the Goonies’ Fratelli brothers, Robert Davi, brought McMahon some well-deserved attention as it ran for four seasons.
while mcmahon’s star was on the rise, profiler was winding down. Have no fear though, because Julian McMahon already had his next project lined up. this would be in the witch business, delighted. His first appearance as Cole Turner on the hit show came during the series’ third season and McMahon would last for four in all, with a return appearance in the show’s seventh season, its 150th episode.
one of the reasons for his early departure could be that his next big project was the one that really made a name for himself.
nip/tuck made julian mcmahon a star
nip/tuck was the most important. The series was created by Ryan Murphy, who would go on to create such massive hits as New Normal, Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Pose. The series tells the story of two talented but flawed plastic surgeons who run the McNamara/Troy Plastic Surgery Center.
julian mcmahon played dr. christian troy, who seemed to be more on edge than his counterpart, dr. Sean McNamara, played by Dylan Walsh. the series was well known for its graphic plastic surgery content, as well as its many adult themes (i.e. lots of sex). but it was an immediate success, which lasted six seasons.
played doctor doom in the fantastic four
with most of his attention focused on nip/tuck, julian mcmahon was still able to move on to other projects during his nip/tuck days. Most notably, he was the villain Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in the 2005 film Fantastic Four and later reprized the character in the 2007 film follow-up Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Also during this time, he was seen in a premonition and imprisoned.
after nip/tuck julian mcmahon was in red
with the success of nip/tuck, you’d think julian mcmahon would have more on his plate. perhaps the fact that he was so successful in the TV series is the reason he wasn’t seen much after the end of the show. he could afford to be a little more selective.
followed nip/tuck with the bruce willis-morgan directed film freeman red, which also co-starred helen mirren, mary-louise parker and karl urban. Things slowed down significantly for McMahon after Red, as he appeared in only a handful of features. these included faces in the crowd, baiting, fire with fire, and paranoia.
on the television side of things, where mcmahon seems to be in a better position, he’s come full circle on the series. He then found some time in Hunters, Dirk Gentle’s Holistic Detective Agency and finally Marvel’s Runaways playing Jonah AKA Magistrate, the bad guy we love to hate.
has been married three times
Julian McMahon’s personal life has been quite active considering three marriages as such. As mentioned above, McMahon was briefly married to Dannii Minogue but divorced after just 18 months.
His second marriage, to Brooke Burns, lasted only a little longer, long enough for the couple to see the birth of McMahon’s only child, Madison. To McMahon and Burns’ credit, they have raised their daughter together with seemingly no conflict or issue. they have agreed and continue to agree on how to properly raise the now 19 year old college student.
It was Madison who helped her father propose to his longtime girlfriend (and now wife number three) during a trip to Paris. Julian McMahon, who at the time had been dating model Kelly Paniagua for 11 years, planned to pop the question when they got to Paris. But after discussing the matter with his 14-year-old daughter, McMahon abruptly changed his mind and posed the question right there on the plane. Fortunately, Paniagua said yes, and six months later the couple were married in a ceremony on Lake Tahoe, California.
fbi: most wanted gave him a cbs hit
since 2019, julian mcmahon has been a part of the cbs fbi family. Mcmahon made his FBI debut in an episode titled Most Wanted, which ended up being a backdoor pilot for McMahon’s entry on the series FBI: Most Wanted. McMahon appeared in 43 episodes before his fate was sealed in a shocking twist that took fans by surprise.
Series writer and executive producer David Hudgins explains McMahon’s departure, one that McMahon had requested. “In the writers room, we discussed a lot of different scenarios, but ultimately we keep coming back to this idea that it kind of serves the premise of the show, which is that in Most Wanted we’re hunting down the most dangerous of the dangerous. . right?” hudgins said via cinemablend.
“These are the most wanted guys. it is an extremely dangerous job. and you know, there’s always a risk at work, of getting hurt at work. and so we felt like honoring that, that this was the way to go and that this outing was done in a heroic way. I mean, he dies [to] save the woman they’re rescuing.”
As for McMahon, the end of his character, Special Agent Jess Lacroix, came at his own request. Mcmahon felt it was time to move on and work on other projects. “Over the past several months, the producers of FBI: Most Wanted and I have been in discussions regarding my departure from the show in favor of additional creative pursuits and the transition of my character Jess Lacroix,” McMahon said earlier this year in a statement to deadline.
“These ongoing conversations have given us the opportunity to orchestrate a smooth and productive way for me to leave the show.” smooth and heartbreaking for sure.
What may be more shocking, though probably not, is who has been chosen to be mcmahon’s replacement in the series. Dylan McDermott was brought in to replace McMahon in what may, to some, be a surprising move. Before moving on to FBI: Most Wanted, McDermott had been seen on Law & Order: Organized Crime as bad boy Richard Wheatley.
Of course, both shows are from the mind of creator Dick Wolf, so in that sense they’re technically connected, but McDermott’s character, Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott, is definitely not Wheatley.
As for Julian McMahon, his wish was granted and he’s moving on. Next up for the former victor von doom/doctor doom is a movie titled justice. Set in 1866 Victoria Goldfields, the film will see McMahon play an Irish settler who teams up with a Chinese miner to exact revenge on those who murdered his family.
