A handsome leading man whose brooding dark looks have been used to good effect whether playing a hero or a villain, Adrian Pasdar first caught the attention of astute moviegoers in his film debut as Chipper, one of the fighter pilots, in "Top Gun" (1986). The Massachusetts-born, Pennsylvania-reared son of divorced parents, Pasdar divided his youth between America (where his Iranian-born heart surgeon father practiced) and France (where his travel agent mother had settled). Excelling at high school athletics, he won a football scholarship to the University of Central Florida but a serious automobile accident at the end of his freshman year derailed his promising sports career. Returning home to recuperate, Pasdar eventually began an internship at the People's Light and Theatre Company before heading to NYC to attend the Lee Strasberg Institute. While still studying, he auditioned for and landed his first film role in "Top Gun". Other roles in subpar films followed before the talented actor achieved a breakthrough as a naive cowboy who succumbs to a beautiful vampire in the stylish cult hit "Near Dark" (1987). Although he seemed poised for bigger things, Pasdar opted to quit performing for a year and moved to Europe. When he did resume acting, he was cast as a yuppie photographer in the "American Playhouse" adaptation of Keith Reddin's play "Big Time" (PBS, 1989) and the title role in a fictionalized account of the life of the younger brother of gangster Al Capone in "The Lost Capone" (TNT, 1990). Although Pasdar's performances couldn't be faulted, he seemed consigned to acting in vehicles unworthy of his talents. One arguable exception was the British independent feature "Just Like a Woman" (1992) in which he essayed a transvestite who has an affair with a divorcee (Julie Walters). Pasdar earned strong notices for his turn as Gerald/Geraldine, partly because he sensitively handled the character's predilection without condescension. Still, the lack of roles and the perception that his career was stalled caused the actor to take another sabbatical.
Pasdar worked at a NYC diner as a waiter and cashier before returning to the big screen with an indelible role in Brian De Palma's "Carlito's Way" (1993). He offered strong support to Anne Bancroft in the PBS remake of "Paddy Chayefsky's The Mother" (1994) excelled as a playboy businessman discovering the true meaning of romance in the genial romantic comedy "The Pompatus of Love" (1995). The following year, Pasdar landed one the best roles of his career as an amoral businessman on the cult Fox TV series "Profit". While the show's dark tone was off-putting for the average viewer, critics raved. Pasdar clearly relished portraying the manipulative Jim Profit who would use any means (including murder and blackmail) to secure a position at the top of the business world. Due to low ratings, though, only six episodes aired.
A similar fate befell Pasdar's next series, the CBS drama "Feds" (1997), in which he was on the right side of the law as a US Attorney. He next co-produced and directed his debut feature "Cement" (lensed 1998), a crime drama about a woman who stirs up trouble between rival gangs. The choosy actor then once again attempted a regular series run playing an archeology professor who investigates paranormal phenomena in the drama "Mysterious Ways" .
