Originally born in London, England, Adrian balanced his academic interests in literature and history with a physical prowess that found an outlet in soccer and dancing. His work as a choreographer and model took him throughout Europe, but a growing interest in acting
eventually brought him to the United States. His first role as a Russian dancer on the ABC drama The Colbys (1986-87) preceded a stint in the off-Broadway play Bouncers, in which Adrian played 13 roles, switching back and forth between characters.

His first film role soon followed in Last Rites (1988) opposite Tom Berenger and Daphne Zuniga. Adrian did a tour of duty as military man John Kincaid in the second season of the sci-fi series War of the Worlds (1989-90), as well as three episodes in the popular 1991 NBC revival of Dark Shadows. After a string of other TV guest appearances and roles in films such as Love Potion No. 9 (1992) with Sandra Bullock, producers of the Highlander films found the perfect actor to play the role of Duncan MacLeod on the small screen.

Adrian was able to explore new territory as an actor, and his determination to get the best out of himself and everyone around him was proven when he took the director's chair for the Season Four opener "Homeland," the only episode of the series filmed partly on location in Scotland. Three of the four episodes Adrian directed were voted in the top ten fan favorites and were included in the Best of Highlander DVD collection.

Since the final episode of the series aired in 1998, Adrian has remained busy with television and film work. He starred alongside Christopher Lambert in Highlander: Endgame (2000) and returned to television as the star and producer of Tracker (2001). Television guest appearances included Charmed and Relic Hunter; while film projects in recent years included The Breed, The Void, Code Hunter, Nemesis Game, Moscow Heat, Throttle and Tides of War.