More Mr. Nice GuyAs the half-demon Cole Turner on The WB's Sunday-night supernatural drama "Charmed," Julian McMahon smolders romantically, wreaks havoc, cavorts shirtless and gobbles scenery like roasted peanuts.
But as the angelic White Lighter Leo Wyatt, Brian Krause heals people, runs errands, wears comfy sweaters and polo shirts, and does whatever his witchy wife, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), says. But that's OK with Krause.
"In a way, I'm the guy," says Krause, relaxing before starting work on the show's sets in California's San Fernando Valley. "In a way, I'm not. My role is very different from, say, Julian's, since he is the leader of his own world. He's a little more action-based, because he is the bad guy."
"I like what Leo brings to the show. As a father, I like putting out the good message that Leo does. So my active role is to basically tend to the moral issues of the show, make sure that everybody's walking the right line and making good choices."
"By me being active, it's by spreading the word of good. Of course, I'd love to be more physically active, help in the vanquishing of demons, do all the stunts. I don't know if it'll grow into that."
"But our show's basically about the three women and seeing them overcome everything as sisters, so I'm just thankful that Leo is a part of it all, and I'm Leo."
Now in its fifth season, "Charmed" has seen its main characters, the magical Halliwell sisters, grow and change (and in the case of eldest sister Prue, played by Shannen Doherty, go down in the line of duty). The Charmed Ones -- now consisting (in descending order of age) of Piper, Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and long-lost half-sister Paige (Rose McGowan) -- are charged with defending the mortal realm against natural and supernatural enemies.
Watching over them is Leo, who died in his 20s while fighting in World War II and went on to become a White Lighter, whose duty it is to protect good witches. In Leo's case, he's taken it a step further, having fallen for, wed and impregnated Piper. (It's sort of a Halliwell tradition, as their mother's affair with a White Lighter produced Paige.)
While the sisters possess numerous and evolving magical abilities, Leo's main contributions are healing powers, being able to "orb" from place to place, and his line of communication to the all-knowing but often spectacularly unhelpful Elders.
"It's a great role," Krause says. "When I think about it, I get to do so many different things. I'm undercover, basically, as this human handyman, and I'm also an angel."
Despite Krause's athleticism and blond-hair California looks, Leo is not the coolest dude in the room. "He's old-fashioned," Krause explains. "It's nice to play a good guy who is morally upstanding and trustworthy and happy, has emotions and character, as opposed to being bad and trying to deceive people."
"They look at me like I'm the dorky one, but eventually, everybody's going to want a Leo in their lives. Whether it's your father, your husband, your brother or your boyfriend, I think everybody wants and needs a Leo in their lives. The Cole character is fun and exciting and daring, but doesn't lend itself to a lifetime of happiness."
If Leo's a dork, so be it. "That's how Leo is," Krause says. "Leo is a dork. Leo does not fit in. He's from the '40s, and here he is in the year 2002, and he doesn't get it. He's always trying to fit in. I'm a dork. I am. Me and my girlfriend talk about it. She says she's the nerd, and I'm the dork, and we fit."
"It's like, behold your dorkness. I love it."
At least, it's different from many other roles Krause has had. "Usually, I've been cast as the jock jerk. You know that guy. Every other role I've had has been more towards the jock jerk. I think it actually says that in the breakdown, 'Looking for jock jerk, a.k.a. Brian Krause.'"
"So I grew up with a bunch of John Wayne fans, watching Westerns all the time, living a country lifestyle. I would love to do a Western -- a TV show or a feature film, either one of them."
Krause just loves the idea of resurrecting a kind of hero seldom seen today. "I grew up a big John Wayne fan, a big Robert Redford fan. Both guys are very much men, very much endearing, moralistic characters. They've never been the bad guys or somebody that you wouldn't want to be your dad, your brother, uncle or friend."
"Those are the type of roles I would like to go for, but it's the type of thing where they're not made popular, nor are they chic or hip or cool. You don't see them on the cover of any magazine, but there's definitely something to them."
If the "Charmed" producers are listening, Krause is eager to reveal just how long Leo has been a dork. "Leo's been around basically since the '40s as a guide, so I'd like to do an episode where, basically, here's Leo in the '50s, with the hair, cigarettes rolled up in the sleeve, pocket protector. Then we see Leo in the '60s, tie-dye, longer hair, trying to be a hippie."
"It'd be classic. In the '70s ... then the '80s, definitely Members Only jacket. It would be funny, just to show how he never fit in."
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