Adrian Pasdar began his acting career in the movie Top Gun, when he was cast as Chipper alongside Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer. He's also starred in Secondhand Lions with Michael Caine and Carlito's Way, opposite Al Pacino and Sean Penn. On the small screen Pasdar has guest-starred on The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, as well as having recurring roles on Desperate Housewives and Touched by an Angel. He has also written and directed a short film titled Beyond Belief and directed the feature film Cement, starring Chris Penn. He currently stars in NBC's Heroes as Nathan Petrelli, a man who is running for political office and trying to keep his secret power hidden from the public. Review Graveyard caught up with Pasdar as Heroes was about to start broadcasting on the Sci-Fi Channel...

ReviewGraveyard: How do you feel about Nathan? There seems to be some underlying ambiguity about his character?

Adrian Pasdar: It's close to playing a Richard III-type character but in a modern dimension. All I need is a physical kind of abnormality to befall me, like hump or a limp then I would have a really Shakespearean experience!

I don't think he is necessarily concerned whether he is good or bad. I do think that there is a dark side that has to be dealt with, but the people who think they are good will probably turn out the other way on this show.

It wouldn't do me any good to speculate as to how I'm going to end up. I think there is both good and bad in this character which is interesting to play.

I am as much a fan who is along for the ride as the public are with this character and where he ultimately is going to go.

RG: Would you agree that your character is defined more by his relationships than his superhero power?

AP: Yes, I find these relationship dynamics are more interesting to play than the perceived super power - they have written that very well. The relationships that I share with my mum, with Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), with my wife and with Niki [Ali Larter], all those elements are angling together toward defining who Nathan Petrelli is to himself and his potential constituency. Ultimately, when you're in the game of politics and you're a man like Nathan Petrelli, there is only one seat that you want and that's behind a desk in the Oval Office.

As we take this journey, we may find ourselves in the White House and that should make these relationships even more interesting.

RG: Were you excited by the prospect of flying in the show?

AP: Yes, although I was a little hesitant in the beginning. I was excited to read about the character's power but, when they describe the stunts in the scripts, you worry that it's going to look cheesy.

However, after seeing what the special effects team has been able to pull off every episode, it's really exciting because they take it to the next level. I know that they're going to do something that I can't even imagine. It's really fun to be a part of that. They write it with the enthusiasm of a child which is the best thing that you can have in this business.

RG: Has anything happened to you to make you think this show is going to be a real phenomenon?

AP: Yes, it's the water cooler conversations, which are certainly a measure of success. There's a real sense of involvement in the American culture with this series. At this point we're happy to be able to contribute in a positive way. It is a positive show about people being confronted with an extraordinary situation and how they deal with it.

People don't tend to recognise me yet. I've had conversations with people about the show and then I'll see them realise that I am in it. It's really fun to hear people talk about what might be coming up, what's happened and who is going where, it's fun to be a part of that.

RG: What has surprised you the most during production?

AP: The biggest surprise is that it's all gone off without a hitch. Everything has gone according to plan. The plan was to deliver a quality television programme with excellent special effects and well drawn characters. Those three goals have been met but you can never predict what the audience is going to like. All you can do is deliver your best and I think everybody here has realised the potential of this story and they have done their best to achieve this result.

RG: Finally, were you a comic book fan when growing up?

AP: My favourite was the Silver Surfer when I was growing up. He didn't really have many super powers other than surfing around on his board, certainly not as many as other superheroes. But I really like the philosophy behind him, he travels fast and he travels alone. That always appealed to me as a kid.

RG: Thank you for your time.

With thanks to Julie Warmington at Holler

Heroes will begin broadcasting on the Sci-Fi Channel from February 2007.

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