I remember my sister, mother and I collectively sighing when Julian Sands walks determinedly to Helena Bonham Carter in A Room With a View and kisses her in possibly the best, most romantic kiss ever captured in film. The fair haired actor with his strong nose and romantic accent seemed destined to become a movie icon of romance, but went, well, a different way.
Not unlike finding out a major high school crush is in jail, a drug addict, or some crazy suit and tie Republican, following Sands career has been a bit sad. Unlike Kyle MacLachlan, who can at least say that when he ventured into bad movies, did it with the very best bad movies out there (anyone remember the flailing fish sex scene in Showgirls?, cause I do!)
Sands instead made Warlock series (which to be fair I have not seen), used a Count von Count accent in a low budget movie starring Bridgette Nielson, and Boxing Helena. And instead of going Kyle's way and guest starring in a beloved HBO show (sorry but the MacLachlan/Sands comparisons just seem appropriate for some reason), Sands instead has stumbled in and out of Stargate SGI and Ghost Whisperer.
I can't explain why he never found success as a Hollywood hunk but in the hearts of my mom and I at least, he is the man who made romantic kisses in lace frocks and blooming fields a beloved daydream come true.
But what do you think?