After a 20-year acting career, Adrian Pasdar has finally found fame. Since landing a cameo in 1986’s Top Gun, the 42-year-old has flirted with stardom with guest turns on Desperate Housewives and Judging Amy and supporting roles in such films as Secondhand Lions and Carlito’s Way.

He also attracted the spotlight because of his marriage to Natalie Maines, the outspoken lead vocalist of the Dixie Chicks.

Despite his impressive resume - and his marriage to controversy magnet Maines - Pasdar remained on the outskirts of celebrity. But then he signed on to play oily politician Nathan Petrelli in Heroes and suddenly Pasdar was flying high - literally!

In his Heroes role, Pasdar plays a New York Congressional candidate who has the ability to fly. Over the course of the season, fans have also learned that his character has an illegitimate child (Hayden Panettiere), a superpowered younger brother (Milo Ventimiglia) and a shady connection to a treacherous tycoon (Malcolm McDowell).

Off screen, Pasdar’s life is more routine. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to an Iranian-American father and German mother, Pasdar seemed destined for a career as a pro football player.

After a car accident ended that dream, Pasdar dropped out of university and entered the world of theatre as a sound and light technician.

He eventually ended up on the stage and later auditioned for a role in Top Gun. Director Tony Scott was so impressed with the 19-year-old's performance, he wrote the role of ‘Chipper’ just for him.

In this exclusive interview, Pasdar talks about the ambiguity of his Heroes character:

Did you base your character in Heroes on any real political figures?

I treat the character of Nathan as a conglomerate. I’ve taken the best and the worst of politicians that I have come across in my personal life.

Although Nathan has not been defined as a Republican or Democrat, I'm sure an argument can be made for (him being a Republican).

But I haven’t really based this guy on anybody in particular. He’s just based on the most morally liquid characters that I have run across.

Are you given warning about upcoming plot twists?

I do manage to pull some information from the producers or the writing staff prior to the scripts being released. Sometimes I don’t.

What can you tell us about next season? How does your character develop?

There is going to be a story of redemption and he is going to have to pay for his sins and for the people he’s aligned himself with. I think you're going to find he ends up in an unexpected place, given the choices that he has made in the last three minutes of the finale.

How do you explain the show’s phenomenal success?

Although the show combines fantasy with reality, we are facing an uncertain future and that situation isn’t lost on the writers. I think they are using it to their fullest advantage.

In this fantasy world, humans are given super powers in order to fight the evils that are presented to us.