Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks had their biggest hit with the album “Fly” and now her husband is getting a chance to fly himself.
Adrian Pasdar is one of the stars of the upcoming NBC series “Heroes” and plays Nathan Petrelli, a politician who tries to reconcile his desire for higher office with the ability to fly.
Pasdar says most of the flying scenes were shot in a few days with the help of the folks who set up aerial stunts for “Fear Factor.”
And fear was definitely a factor for him.
“There was no airbag and me and [fellow cast member] Milo Ventimiglia were five stories up and I’m on one cable and he’s on the other.”
Some might think that two actors might turn the stunts into a friendly competition but Pasdar says nothing could be further from the truth.
“In order for it to be a competition, there has to be a winner and a loser and it wasn’t like that. Milo and I had to be calm, balanced and focused.”
Although the cast and crew of “Heroes” are at Comic-Con trying to get advance buzz for the show among the comic crowd, Pasdar doesn’t believe the producers will make the flying sequences a major plot point.
“They’re handling it with jurisprudence,” he says.
But flying wasn’t the thing that attracted Pasdar to the show. It was the politics.
“I see my character as `Kennedyesque’ – as if Joseph Kennedy never died. He’s been groomed to be a leader since he was young and feels he’s entitled and deserves it. It’s going to be fascinating how he reconciles his passion for politics with his ability to fly.”
“Heroes” will debut in September and air on Monday nights.
– DAVID MOYE