Acting wasn't the only road open for Paul, but he decided to get serious about it when he turned down an offer to play professional basketball in Sweden. After landing roles in a few television movies, he got a couple of big breaks: a part on the long-running daytime hit, Santa Barbara and then the lead role in the big screen comedy Soapdish, in which he played Sally Field's (ed.-on screen) husband. Although Paul took some time away from filming to appear in repertory theater, TV once again beckoned when Aaron Spelling hand-picked him for the memorable role of John Sears, the keg house man with attitude on Beverly Hills 90210 . After leaving Beverly Hills, Paul moved west-not to Malibu, but to the wild west with a two year stint on the series, Lonesome Dove.

However, little did Paul know ~ even with so many credits under his belt ~ that it would be a 60-second Diet Coke commercial that would bring him world wide recognition. Directed by Jeremiah Checkick ( Benny and Joon and the upcoming Avengers), the ad has Paul carrying a case of soda into an office full of panting secretaries. After he opens a can and chugalugs the contents, one of the sexy secretaries catches the last drop as it rolls down the side of the can and places it between her lips. The spot was originally slated to appear only in Europe but became a smash when it suddenly debuted in the U.S. during the 1997 Academy Awards.

Was he shocked to see the ad on American TV? "Well, yes, considering I was trying to find the polarized strands of the fountain of youth by regenerating DNA particles. And I had just found a cohesive pattern I thought I would share with the world but...then I stopped. I saw myself on TV," he says and bursts out laughing. "Actually, I was chopping carrots and saw the ad and went, 'Wow. That's me.' And then the phone rang until 4:00 A.M."

Paul says the best part about being in the entertainment industry is meeting people at work. "You meet nice people, you meet interesting people - and pretty girls."

But even when you look as good as he does, it's not always easy meeting that special person. "You can run across the room to a scorching creature who's sending out vibes and the minute you talk to her, she puts up these incredible boundaries," he says with a shiver. "Some women sort of test you to see if you're cool enough or hip enough. But once I know I'm being tested - I've always hated tests - I do an about face and head for the caviar."

Don't worry, (ed.- Paul). There are plenty of playgirls who would gladly give you a passing grade!

~by J. Tarshis
Playgirl
July 1998