Eric Mccormack

Eric James McCormack was born on April 18, 1963, in Toronto, Ontario. He developed an early interest in theater, participating in high school plays at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and Sir John A. MacDonald Collegiate, where he was a classmate of Mike Myers and David Furnish. This early engagement solidified his ambition to pursue acting seriously. McCormack further honed his craft at the Ryerson Theater School in Toronto and the Banff Center for the Arts. He then spent five seasons with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, performing in classical productions such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Henry V,” and “The Three Sisters.” After his classical theatre training, McCormack transitioned to television and film, moving to Vancouver and later Los Angeles. His early work included roles in Canadian television and his American debut in the CBS crime series “Top Cops” in 1991. He also appeared in the theatrical films “The Lost World” (1992) and its sequel. Throughout the 1990s, he built a diverse portfolio with recurring roles in “Street Justice” and a significant part as Colonel Francis Clay Mosby in “Lonesome Dove: The Series” (1994-1996), which was later renamed “Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.”

McCormack achieved widespread recognition with his breakthrough role as gay lawyer Will Truman in the NBC sitcom “Will & Grace,” which premiered in September 1998. His portrayal earned him four Emmy Award nominations, including a win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2001, and five Golden Globe Award nominations. The show became a cultural phenomenon, running for eight seasons until 2006, and later revived from 2017 to 2020. During and after “Will & Grace,” McCormack expanded his career to Broadway, debuting in “The Music Man” in 2001 and starring in Neil LaBute’s off-Broadway play “Some Girl(s)” in 2006. He also took on significant roles in television miniseries like “The Andromeda Strain” (2008) and the TNT drama “Trust Me” (2009). His starring role as Dr. Daniel Pierce in the TNT crime drama “Perception” (2012-2015) further showcased his versatility, for which he also served as a producer. McCormack continued his prolific television career with roles in “Travelers” (2016-2018), “Atypical” (2019), “Slasher” (2023), and “The Other Black Girl” (2023). In 2010, he received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, followed by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018, honoring his extensive contributions to the entertainment industry.