In this clip from the program Eye on Entertainment, Julian McMahon (1968–2025) is being interviewed by Melissa Hoyer on the beach (wearing sunglasses because of the glare and leftover eye make-up from a shoot that morning). He’s on the brink of his breakthrough and tells the story of doing a play in a 99-seat New York theatre – where there were some special guests in the audience.

As the son of a former Australian prime minister, McMahon grew up in the spotlight, but he was attracted to a more flamboyant form of fame. A sultry spot in a Levi’s commercial won him a part on the long-running soap Home and Away, and like so many Australian actors, he used it as a springboard for a career in America, first on the soap Another World, then in films, theatre and TV. He’ll be remembered for his work in the TV series Charmed, FBI Most Wanted and Nip/Tuck (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe), and for playing Dr Doom in two Fantastic Four films. His final role was as Scally, a Point Break-style surf-crew leader going head-to-head with Nicolas Cage’s deranged ex-pat in The Surfer. He died of cancer at only 56.