"Last Exorcism" was one of the freak breakout hits of the summer with its $20 million opening weekend, leaving its star and chief demon exerciser, Patrick Fabian, in a whirlwind he has not seen in his lengthy Hollywood career.
Yes, even more of a whirlwind than his passionate kiss as a pirate on "Xena: Warrior Princess."
Prior to nailing the role of the Rev. Cotton Marcus in "Exorcism," Fabian proudly billed himself a "veteran TV support actor" for 18 years in Hollywood. He's done pretty much everything in terms of appearances.
"But I've never been the belle of the ball before," he tells PopcornBiz. "It feels great to be recognized."
The careful observer, and many ardent fans, actually will recognize Fabian from one of his countless appearances. He's had runs in many television favorites, including a stint as the mouthy Professor Larsky at the fictional California University from "Saved By the Bell: The College Years."
"When I came to Hollywood I thought I was going to be the cool silent type, I thought I was going to be MacGyver," he says. "Instead I ended up being this know-it-all in the plaid suits."
Even today, he is recognized for that "Bell" character for the beloved show. "That's never gone off the air," he says. "I did that 15 years ago and for some people that's all that I am."
He's also known for playing the character Taymon in "Star Trek: Voyager." Just one episode. "But I still get mail all the time, people hunt me down and get me to sign stuff from 'Star Trek,' " says Fabian. "The power of that show just amazes me."
But perhaps his juiciest gig might have been with "Xena," famously shot in New Zealand.
"One of my favorite acting jobs ever," says Fabian. "They fly you first class to the end of the Earth, they let you dress like a pirate, you beat up the bad guys and you kiss Lucy Lawless. Tell me where the flaw is in that?"
Yes, he is one of the few that actually got to smooch Xena on the show. Fabian is firmly of the belief that he is one of two characters that got that far.
"Xena was stingy with her affection," he says. "To be honest it was just one kiss. But it was a good one."
The downside: Xena's possessive fans aren't too happy about it. "I didn't know how proprietorial they were."
Fabian recalls he attended a Xena convention where he did his best to win over a table of female fans who were extremely begrudging of the fact that he had smooched their beloved Xena.
"After 15 minutes of working on them, one of them finally said, 'You know, we decided you're okay after all,' " says Fabian. "I thought, there's my gold star, I can die happy now."
