TV Week 06/09/97 by Caron James

The two cop show stars find they have a lot in common… despite being a world apart!

THEY both play cops in successful TV drama series onthe Seven Network, but Tasma Walton and Julian McMahon are a world apart.

Tasma stars as Dash McKinley in the Australian-made, top-rating series Blue Heelers, while Aussie-born Julian has cracked the big time in the U.S. with his new series Profiler.

When Julian returned to Australia recently to do publicity for Profiler, he and Tasma enjoyed meeting to compare notes at a TV WEEK shoot.

Both actors ahve demanding schedules on their respective series, with Blue Heelers in production 10 months a year to produce 42 episodes, and Profiler up to nine months to make 22 episodes.

While Blue Heelers has a five-day turnaround for each episode, Julian works for eight days on each instalment of Profiler.

“We work 18 to 20 hours a day.” Julian says.

“You’re joking!” Tasma replies. “I whinge about 10-12 hours! When do you sleep?”

Julian admits he gets by on four hours a night.” and the odd nap on set when I can. It kind of suits me anyway.” he says.

“After eight hours at work you’re into overtime (pay), so you can double your money.”

While money, fame and experience are the rewards of a primetime show in the U.S., Julian also says there’s a downside.

“I have no life at all outside work.” he says. “I just work and sleep. At the end of absolutely dead. When you’ve been sleeping four hours a night, you can’t suddenly go to sleeping eight.”

Tasma says that sort of lifestyle isn’T for her. “I couldn’t do it.” she says. “I’m an eight-to-10 hours a night girl.”

To keep up his grueling work demands, Julian has to make sure he keeps fit and healthy. “It’s hard work, but I try to exercise every day.” he says. “You’ve got to.”

Tasma and Julian discovered they have more than work in common.

“Julian’s a friend of my boyfriend (actor Danny Roberts).” Tasma says. “And I keep coming across other friends of mine who also know Julian.”

Danny and Julian worked together on Seven Network soap The Power, The Passion in 1989.

Julian says: “That was my first job in TV, so it was pretty trippy. I loved it.”