Why Jim From Premonition Looks So Familiar
The 2007 Sandra Bullock-fronted sci-fi film "Premonition" presents a terrifying notion to audiences. It centers on Linda Hanson (Bullock), who mysteriously gains the ability to perceive her husband's impending death in a car accident. What follows is a race against time to save her husband Jim from doom, and figure out how she is able to foresee the future. The film debuted in 2007 and is currently finding a new audience as it is available to stream on Hulu.
Members of the audience who have seen "Premonition" will likely note that Jim Hanson looks extremely familiar. That is because the character is played by 53-year-old Australian performer Julian McMahon, an experienced and well-known character actor with numerous film and television roles on his resume. With that in mind, let's dive in and take a look at some of McMahon's biggest and best roles over the course of his lengthy time in Hollywood.
Julian McMahon was a half-demon on Charmed
One of the earlier noteworthy performances on Julian McMahon's resume is his performance as Cole Turner on "Charmed." A hit fantasy series for The WB during that network's heyday, "Charmed" followed a group of powerful witches living their lives in San Francisco. In the series, McMahon's Cole Turner is a half-human, half-demon lawyer in love with Alyssa Milano's Phoebe.
Julian McMahon served as a series regular on "Charmed" for a large portion of the shows run on The WB. He regularly appeared on the show during Season 3, Season 4, and Season 5, at which point he was seemingly destroyed. However, McMahon would return to the show in a guest appearance during its seventh season. Additionally, Cole Turner also appeared in the "Charmed" tie-in comic series (with Julian McMahon's likeness, of course). Though "Charmed" was rebooted in 2018 and continues to air, neither McMahon nor the character of Cole Turner has made an appearance yet, though the actor did tell TV Guide that he would be open to it.
Julian McMahon performed plastic surgeries on Nip/Tuck
Following his time on "Charmed," Julian McMahon then went on to appear in what arguably could be his career's defining small screen performance: Dr. Christian Troy in FX's "Nip/Tuck." A profoundly complicated plastic surgeon, McMahon portrayed Troy as a hard-drinking, womanizing man with a very dark past and no qualms about misusing people for his own personal gain or personal pleasure. Over the course of the series, Troy worked alongside his partner and friend Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) as a plastic surgeon in Miami.
"Nip/Tuck" ultimately proved itself to be a crucial early success for FX as the network broke into original programming. Following the success of "The Shield," the medical drama quickly became a hit among viewers and paved the way for other series like "Rescue Me" and "Justified" to follow in its wake. In total, "Nip/Tuck" ran for six seasons between 2003 and 2010 and arguably helped define an era of prestige television during its run.
Julian McMahon battled the Fantastic Four as Dr. Doom
Julian McMahon has long excelled at playing charismatic villains, and one of his most notable of the bunch is his performance as Victor Von Doom — better known as Doctor Doom — in 2005's "Fantastic Four." An origin story for both the Fantastic Four team as well as Doctor Doom, the film sees McMahon's villain become obsessed with power when he gains superpowers in the same cosmic storm that creates Reed Richards' team.
This version of the character was dramatically different from his more complex and nuanced comic book portrayal, drawing criticism from fans. Nonetheless, McMahon's performance was excellent in its own right, and the movie was successful, so a sequel was quickly put into production, hitting theaters just two years later. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" debuted in theaters in 2007, but it was not as well-received as its predecessor. McMahon once again reprised his role as Doctor Doom, but his role was dwarfed by the larger presences of Galactus and the Silver Surfer.
The original cinematic incarnation of "Fantastic Four" was put on ice when "Rise of the Silver Surfer" disappointed, and Marvel's First Family was (unsuccessfully) rebooted eight years later when Josh Trank's "Fantastic Four" hit theaters. In that version, Toby Kebbell played the role of Doom. That movie also did poorly, so all eyes are on the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot, spearheaded by "Spider-Man: No Way Home" director Jon Watts. Could a new (and more accurate) Doctor Doom be far behind?
Julian McMahon was the Vice President in RED
In 2010, Julian McMahon appeared in yet another franchise starter. This time, he portrayed Vice President Robert Stanton in the film "RED." Centering on a group of aging spies and assassins, the film follows Frank (Bruce Willis) as he is brought out of retirement when an assassination attempt threatens his peaceful life. McMahon's pedigree for villainous roles initially makes Robert Stanton appear to be the clear bad guy of the film, but he is ultimately revealed to be a red herring, and it turns out that Richard Dreyfuss' Alexander Dunning is, in fact, the true villain of the plot.
Ultimately, "RED" proved to be a surprise hit at the box office when it debuted back in 2010. As such, a sequel was quickly greenlit and debuted in theaters three years after the original. However, Julian McMahon did not reprise his role as Stanton for "RED 2." The sequel proved less successful than its predecessor and ended the prospect of a "Red 3", effectively capping the film version of this comic adaptation at two installments. A TV version of "RED" was announced in 2015, as reported by Deadline, but that project does not seem to have gone anywhere.
Julian McMahon solves crime on multiple FBI series
Currently, audiences can catch Julian McMahon in his role as Jess LaCroix on CBS' "FBI" franchise. As the title suggests, the various series under the "FBI" banner follow agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation as they fight crime and take down some of the nation's most notorious criminals. McMahon was introduced as LaCroix on "FBI" in a backdoor pilot for what would go on to become his own spinoff series, "FBI: Most Wanted." The series follows a small team of agents as they hunt down criminals on the FBI's infamous Most Wanted list. "Most Wanted" is currently in the midst of its third season on CBS.
Though he is committed to one of the three "FBI" series, Julian McMahon has made numerous appearances across all three "FBI" shows. Like the "Chicago" franchise on NBC, these procedurals consistently cross over with one another, allowing characters from each show to mingle and play off of each other. In fact, with "FBI: International" (the latest iteration of the "FBI" brand) now airing, it seems reasonable to assume that LaCroix could continue to make appearances on the show following his brief arc at the beginning of the season.