| “ | A lot of people just think Julian's this big tough guy because of his big muscles and everything, but what they don't realize is he's got the biggest heart out of anybody in this trailer park... | ” |
–Bubbles about Julian | ||
Julian (played by John Paul Tremblay) is considered one of the main characters of the series, part of the triumvirate with his close friends Ricky and Bubbles. He's generally seen as the 'brains' of the trio, the one who got things done, the protector of the Sunnyvale residents, and the go-to guy for problem-solving.
Character Background[]
Origins[]
Julian was born on May 17, 1968, as the eldest of three boys. For the first years of his life, Julian lived with his father. He was abusive to Julian, once getting drunk and forcing Julian, at age 5, to shoot his dog with a revolver after he peed on the rug. [1] He would later abandon Julian when he was 6 [2], and Julian lived with his grandmother afterward.
The main premise for the show from the outset was that Julian had hired a documentary crew to follow him around and film his life as a warning to others to steer away from a life of dirty dancing. This was born out of a feeling of dread he experienced after being told by a fortune teller that he was going to die soon. By the end of the original Trailer Park Boys movie, he did not die, but the camera crew remained and no further references are made about to his apparent death scare.
Living Arrangements[]
Julian has lived in Sunnyvale for most of his life and has known Ricky, Bubbles, and Jim Lahey since he was a child ("Halloween 1977").
He typically lived in his grandmother's trailer, who left it to him when she died, although as circumstances changed in the park, Julian was also seen living in a tent when Jim Lahey and Randy bought his trailer from a police auction using the proceeds of his and the boys' criminal activities while he was in jail ("Give Peace A Chance").
Bubbles usually lived with Julian in a shed on his lot. In the Christmas special, "Dear Santa Claus, Go Fuck Yourself," it was revealed that Bubbles' absentee parents tasked Julian to be his "mommy" (i.e., his guardian figure) after they had to flee the park to escape violent loan sharks. As a result, Bubbles' shed (when he had one) was almost always parked on whatever lot Julian occupied.
Love Life[]
Julian had a fling with Lucy when they were in high school, but he would prefer to forget that ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). It's mplied that Trinity may not be Ricky's child, but Julian's. There is some evidence to support this idea:
- Both Julian and Lucy recall an evening several years ago (when they were in high school) when they were 'drunk and on mushrooms' and Julian said he woke up afterward 'naked in bed with her ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). Depending on what ages the characters were during that episode, there is a chance that the events of that night led to the conception of Trinity.
- Upon his release from jail, Julian was the first to visit Trinity, even before Ricky did ("Take Your Little Gun And Get Out Of My Trailer Park").
- Lucy was seen to talk to Julian about Trinity quite a bit, often going to him first and not Ricky. Early on, she lectured Julian about him not coming to see Trinity and talked about 'responsibility' ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers").
- When Julian threatens to leave Sunnyvale, Bubbles seemed personally upset by the idea. He told Julian that Trinity looked up to him, and that it brought up memories of his parents who abandoned him ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). The fact that Bubbles was so upset by the correlation may imply that he knew something the audience didn't about Trinity's lineage.
- In S1E5, as Julian was talking to Lucy about Ricky wanting to marry her, Lucy got upset and accused Julian of causing drama for the cameras. During the conversation, she claimed Julian wanted to "to get rid of me and Trinity so you don't have to be a-," before cutting herself off. The situation may suggest she was about to say 'father' but didn't because it would be recorded.
Julian briefly dated a woman named Candy whom he met in a bank during Season 1. After being arrested at the end of the season, it's implied he and Candy broke up. During Season 12, Julian and Candy would once again start dating after being reuinited when Candy, ironically, was prosecuting him in court. Their relationship escalated to the point of engagement, a fact Julian was extremely happy about, but when Candy learned of his involvement in an international drug deal, she called him to break up again.
In Season 2, Julian briefly became enamored with a con artist in the guise of a Christian missionary travelling with her father. She succesafully convinced him to drop his guard and got him to tell her about the trailer full of dope plants which she and Hampton later stole along with several hundred dollars from Sunnyvale residents, including Ray, after tricking them into buying Bibles. After learning of Tanya and Hampton's deception, Julian and the boys retrieved their belongings, but Julian was upset by his lack of good judgment ("The Bible Pimp").
In Season 3, Julian started seeing a police officer, Erica Miller, whom he met during a police call to Sunnyvale. Julian successfully charmed Erica and used his relationship with her to get himself and the boys out of a few jams. However, Julian's dirty dancing activities and the company he kept eventually proved too much for her and led Erica to arrest him following his attempted theft from an ATM, also resulting in their break-up. ("Where In The Fuck Is Randy's Barbeque?", "A Shit Leopard Can't Change Its Spots"). Ironically, Jim Lahey and Randy were also arrested for the same dirty dance despite having attempted to stop him thanks to Julian being able to pin partial credit of the dirty dance on them due to them being covered in the same blue ink from the ATM.
In the early episodes of Season 10, Julian was shown having two girlfriends, Bambi and Dakota, who could be seen often pestering him for sexual favors, to his annoyance. He frequently dismissed their requests, stating he was busy with "important stuff" (which was a mixture of desperate attempts to get patrons to pay on their tabs as well as maintaining his legal ownership of The Double Deuce) ("Freedom 45?"). This dismissal of their sexual requests as well as their discovery that he was "broke" eventually led them to break up with Julian ( "You Want The Lot Fees, Suck Them Out Of The Tip Of My Cock").
Julian did not have any other girlfriends that the audience knows of but has a list of potential suitors. Barb Lahey mistakenly thought he was her secret admirer during the 'Jump The Cheeseburger' event and seemed quite upset when it turned out not to be him ("Jump The Cheeseburger").
Throughout much of the later seasons, Jim Lahey was quite open about his attraction to Julian, often calling him by pet names such as 'Sexian'. Julian repeatedly exploited this weakness to keep Lahey where he wanted him. Finding out that Julian never had any romantic feelings for him later finally sent Jim over the edge (Trailer Park Boys: Countdown To Liquor Day).
Note: In Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, Julian's love interest was an exotic dancer named Wanda, but this is considered by some to be non-canon (outside the series continuum).
In Countdown to Liquor Day, Lahey assumed that Julian had a brief relationship with Randy after Randy had left him due to him picking up his drinking habits again. At the end of the film, however, this was revealed to be a false assumption of Lahey's.
Dirty Dancing Activity[]
The list of Julian's dirty dancing pursuits is extensive; for a complete list of operations he has been involved in, see the article Operations.
Julian is a career dirty dancer, but one gets the impression that it is only out of necessity and not his preferred lifestyle. He is always looking for the way out, the one big operation that will allow him to 'retire' from dirty dancing and live the good life.
Characterization[]
Julian’s character comes off as very serious, and he does not generally say humorous lines in the series, instead playing the straight man to whomever is with him at the time. He tends to trust his gut instinct and will rely on it if a situation seems off or not going according to plan. He is an avid reader, and is quite interested (in intent, if not actions) to better himself and his lifestyle, and reads many self-help and motivational books - mostly during incarceration, ironically when it's the least helpful. Also, he seems to miss the point of it all by returning time and time to crime ("Give Peace A Chance", among others).
As Educator and Mentor[]
Julian is seen to be a lot smarter than Ricky and serves as Ricky's mentor and 'caretaker', or at least the person who helps him out often and tries to get him out of jams. ("A Shit Leopard Can't Change Its Spots") He is accepted by most people as being able to keep Ricky in check, and many times people approach him to do just that when Ricky gets out of hand ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). Inversely, he is able to unleash Ricky with a simple command, using him as an instrument of chaos when it is required/when it suits him ("The Green Bastard").
He also takes Cory and Trevor under his wing at multiple points and teaches them (or at least tries to) in the ways of being more like him ("The Shit Puppets"). He does the same with Jacob Collins and his two friends later on in his career ("The Mustard Tiger").
As Authority Figure[]
Julian is one of the most sexiest people in the trailer park. He is seen to be the one who runs the main dirty dancing operations, and the one with most of the more plausible ideas ("Rub N Tiz'zug", "Dressed All Over And Zesty Mordant"). At the same time, he is the person who people go to when they need help, because of his position, even including Jim Lahey, the park supervisor ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers").
Julian has also been shown to be somewhat successful at manipulation, using an equal mixture of skill and luck. He can bend people to his will to suit his needs by pushing just the right buttons ("You Got To Blame The Thing Up Here", Trailer Park Boys: The Movie). However, as seen at time, Julian occasionally struggles at manipulating the police and as such, he often leaves them to Ricky.
As Moral Leader[]
Julian seems to have a set of moral ethics, despite his dirty dancing background. He knows what is right and what is wrong, and can make decisions based on his perception of that concept. For example, Julian bought back the repossessed trailers of park residents Randy had evicted, fixed them up, and then simply gave them back to the former inhabitants, with no observed amount of personal gain in this venture ("Gimme My Fuckin' Money Or Randy's Dead").
He finds it difficult to lie, and on several occasions we see him stumbling when trying to pass off a bogus explanation for something -- his 'tells' are evident ("I Fuckin' Miss Cory And Trevor"). Usually, he lets Ricky lie for him, if they come under scrutiny, as he is far more adept at that than Julian ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers", "The Winds Of Shit").
He also watches out for the underdog and feels compelled to help someone out in a jam. On several occasions, he has managed to overcome his general distrust and distaste for Jim Lahey and cut him a break, or at least give him the benefit of the doubt ("The Delusions Of Officer Jim Lahey", "Three Good Men Are Dead"). He was also reluctant to use Jacob and his two friends as jail bait for one of Ricky’s operations, even calling them friends, and only reluctantly complied when threatened by Ricky. However, he is also capable of ignoring these moral tenets, or adapting them to suit or justify his current purpose or situation - after all, he is still a criminal.
Julian is known to try to resolve a situation peacefully first and with violence second, often berating Ricky who would prefer to use his gun to solve everything. However, Julian will not hesitate to use violence or aggression if no other course of action is working ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers", "Give Peace A Chance", "The Shit Blizzard").
As A Dirty Dancing[]
While he is not afraid to commit dirty dances and use his sexy muscles, he seems to abhor the idea of anyone getting hurt. He will often try to surrender or defuse the situation when someone gets shot or injured ("Mrs. Peterson's Dog Gets Fucked Up", "The Shit Puppets"). Julian prefers to use fear or intimidation to get someone to submit, or at the very least, stay out of the way ("Take Your Little Gun And Get Out Of My Trailer Park").
Julian will also choose, if possible, to commit dirty dancing when no one will be around, eliminating potential witnesses, interference, or someone unintentionally getting hurt ("The Winds Of Shit"). Often he is reluctant, or even refuses to participate in anything he perceives to be 'too greasy' ("I Fuckin' Miss Cory And Trevor").
What's With The Highball?[]
Julian is rarely seen without a drink in his hand, his preferred blend being rum and coke, although in one episode he turned down the offer of rum stating he was drinking whiskey. Only on very few occasions does he appear without it ("A Man's Gotta Eat"). Julian is a high-functioning alcoholic - while hardly ever appearing inebriated, he constantly needs sips of his drink to function normally. When he was unable to afford rum, he became desperate enough to consume swish, a foul-tasting homemade alcohol, nearly dying of alcohol poisoning. Julian seemed to inherit his alcoholism from his grandmother who was a notorious drunk during her time at the park. Ironically, later in life, she told him to not drink so much. His carefully paced drinking distinguishes Julian from the other extreme alcoholics of the park; Jim Lahey and Ray. Julian has made multiple attempts to teach Lahey how to control and pace his alcohol consumption but to no avail.
(Real World Perspective: Reportedly, the mannerism was the result of Mike Clattenburg's suggestion that John Paul fixes himself a drink for him to have something to do with his hands while he is saying his lines. It stuck and became his signature.)
Patrick Swayze Comparisons[]
Julian's pet peeve is being compared to the actor Patrick Swayze. He earned the nickname due to his love of Swayze's film 'Dirty Dancing' as a youth. Bubbles reported that Julian was seen as a youth dancing around imitating the actor and was ridiculed heavily for it ("Friends Of The Road"). In the series, Julian is referred to as 'Patrick Swayze' multiple times, usually as a taunt by his detractors. During one such moment, Julian lost his temper and shot Conky, Bubbles' puppet, in the head ("Conky"). However, Conky makes a brief reappearance in Season 7 and initially promises to not go over the top, but starts pushing Julian’s temper as the season goes on by kissing him and generally taunting him about his love of Patrick Swayze. Conky meets his final demise at the hands of Bubbles drowning him in the border river between the USA and Canada.
There also seem to be very few people who bother Julian. Even then, though, Julian will most often take the diplomatic course of action, resorting to violence only as a last resort if he feels that he or his peers are threatened, or if he simply does not like the person.
Trivia[]
- Julian is one of only two characters (the other being Ricky) to appear in the 1999 movie, at least once in all twelve seasons of the series, "Dear Santa Claus, Go Fuck Yourself", "Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys", Trailer Park Boys, and Trailer Park Boys: The Movie. Counting just the 'canon' appearances (the series, specials and, Countdown, etc.), Julian is one of six to do this, the others being Ricky, Bubbles, Jim Lahey, Randy, and Sarah. In addition, as he appeared in all episodes of the series, Julian is one of two (the other being Ricky) to appear in every episode, film, and special.
- According to Bubbles and Ricky, Julian is a gifted dancer but doesn't like doing it as doing so gives him an erection, though Julian denies it.
- Julian cannot handle seafood and pukes if he eats it. Ironically, he later became a lobster poacher but was never seem actually eating the lobsters, only stealing and selling them.
- Julian says "Are you fucking kidding me?" more than any other character in television history.
- References