Adrian Paul Hewett Bio
Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor, martial artist and director best known for the title role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series Highlander: The Series. Born in London to an Italian mother and British father, he trained in dance, theatre and martial arts before breaking into television in the late 1980s. Paul’s career spans stage, screen and voice work, including regular television roles, feature films and animated projects. He is widely recognized for his action-oriented performances, athleticism, and his long-standing humanitarian work, notably founding the Peace Fund in 1997 to aid children in need. He continues to act and direct across diverse genres, maintaining a dedicated international following and a reputation for professional discipline and versatility.
Early Life and Background
Adrian Paul Hewett was born on 29 May 1959 in London, England, as the first of three brothers. His father was British and his mother was Italian, giving him a multicultural upbringing in the British capital. He attended St Mary’s Grammar School in Sidcup, Kent, where during his time in the sixth form he developed an entrepreneurial spirit, running a small business selling baked goods from a local baker’s shop. As a teenager, he showed athletic promise as a footballer, making several appearances for Cray Wanderers in the London Spartan League between 1976 and 1978.
Paul first entered the entertainment industry as a model before transitioning to dance and choreography. His training encompassed dance, theatre and martial arts, skills that would later define his on-screen persona. In 1985, seeking broader opportunities, he moved to the United States to pursue careers in dance and modeling. He spent significant time in theatre, appearing in numerous plays, and has stated that these stage experiences, along with an early television appearance on Beauty and the Beast in 1987, helped shape his acting abilities. Throughout his career, his diverse training background has contributed to his versatility across action, drama and martial arts genres.
Path to Celebrity
Paul’s journey to celebrity status began with a series of formative experiences in entertainment and martial arts. Since the late 1980s, he has studied a range of martial arts disciplines including Taekwondo, Choy Li Fut and Hung Gar Kung Fu. His martial arts expertise earned him features on the covers of Impact (three times), Inside Kung Fu, Karate International (four times) and Martial Arts Insider, establishing him as a recognized figure in the martial arts community.
His entertainment career started with modeling and dance work, leading to his first television role on the ABC series The Colbys in 1986 as ballet dancer Nikolai Rostov. This appearance opened doors to guest roles on various television shows including Beauty and the Beast in 1987, establishing his presence in the American television industry. His early career combined stage work such as the Off-Broadway play Bouncers in 1987 with television appearances, building a foundation for his breakthrough role in the 1990s.
Adrian Paul Hewett Career
Early Career (1986–1992)
Following his debut on The Colbys in 1986, Paul continued building his acting resume with guest appearances on television shows including Tarzán in 1991 and Murder, She Wrote in 1992. His first film appearance came in the 1988 film Last Rites, which starred Tom Berenger, providing him with exposure in major feature productions. In 1989, he took on a regular role in the second season of the television series War of the Worlds as John Kincaid, marking his first sustained television character work.
He appeared in several films during this period including Dance to Win in 1989, establishing his presence in both television and film. His dancing background also led him to appear in music videos, notably as the love interest in Sheena Easton’s Days Like This music video and as a dancer in Duran Duran’s My Own Way. In 1991, he appeared in three episodes of the Dark Shadows remake as Jeremiah Collins and made a pilot for CBS Television for a series called The Owl. These diverse experiences in television, film and music videos helped him develop the versatility that would later serve him in action-oriented roles.
Breakthrough (1992–Present)
The defining moment of Paul’s career came in 1992 when he was cast as Duncan MacLeod in the syndicated television series Highlander: The Series, which first aired in October 1992. The show became a major hit and ran for multiple seasons, with Paul portraying the role on and off for the next 15 years. He also starred in the big screen sequel Highlander: Endgame in 2000 and the television film Highlander: The Source, released on the Sci-Fi Channel on 15 September 2007.
Beyond the Highlander franchise, Paul has maintained a steady career in both film and television. He appeared in Love Potion No. 9 in 1992, Dead Men Can’t Dance in 1997, Susan’s Plan in 1998 and Merlin: The Return in 1999 as Lancelot. In 2001, he starred in the series Tracker and appeared in The Void and The Breed. He appeared in a January 2003 episode of Charmed and in 2006 co-starred in the horror film Séance and in Little Chicago.
Notable Works and Milestones
Throughout his career, Paul has demonstrated remarkable range across genres. In 2007, he appeared as Ananias Dare in the Sci-Fi Channel original film Wraiths of Roanoke and played the lead role in Tides of War as Commander Frank Habley. He began voice acting in 2008 as Patrick O’Brien in the animated War of the Worlds television show and starred as Sir Francis Drake in The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake in 2009. His filmography continued with Eyeborgs in 2009, The Heavy in 2010, AE: Apocalypse Earth in 2013 and War of the Worlds: Goliath in 2012. In 2015, he made a guest appearance as Commandant Leitner in Strike Back, and in March 2019 he joined the CW series Arrow in a recurring villainous role as Dante.
Adrian Paul Hewett Family
Adrian Paul Hewett has been married twice. He first married actress Meilani Figalan in 1990, and the couple divorced in 1997. In 2009, he married his long-time girlfriend Alexandra Tonelli. Together they have three children: a daughter born in 2010 and two sons born in 2012 and 2020. His family life has remained relatively private despite his public career, though he has shared aspects of his personal life with fans over the years.
Personal Life
Beyond his acting career, Paul has dedicated significant time to humanitarian efforts. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organization, which works to aid children in need around the world. This initiative reflects his commitment to making a positive impact beyond the entertainment industry. He continues to be actively involved with the organization, combining his public profile with meaningful charitable work.
His martial arts training remains an important part of his life, with ongoing practice in Taekwondo, Choy Li Fut and Hung Gar Kung Fu since the late 1980s. This dedication to martial arts has contributed to his distinctive on-screen action performances and has helped maintain his physical fitness throughout his career. In 2008, Paul expanded his involvement in the entertainment industry by co-founding Filmblips with Zoltan Furedi, an independent film and television media production company focused on developing new content and supporting emerging talent in the industry.