Courier Times
 |
|
| He's no doctor, but he plays one on TV. ER's evil doctor Robert Romano is Richboro native Paul McCrane in real life. | |
"What I love about my character is that he is an antagonist. While most of the other characters on the show are sympathetic, Romano's job is to introduce tension and create conflict," McCrane said.
McCrane, who began playing Dr. Romano as a recurring character in 1997, is signed for the next two years after this season.
However, things weren't always this rosy for him.
Before landing as a regular on "ER," McCrane's credits included the forgettable sitcom "Champs" and the infamous Steven Bochco musical-drama "Cop Rock" of 1990.
"When we were making 'Cop Rock,' I knew people would either love it or absolutely hate it," McCrane said. Unfortunately for McCrane, it was the latter, and the show was canceled after 11 episodes.
After that, it was mostly television movies and guest TV appearances, including a memorable spot on "The X-Files" in 1993, before arriving in the "ER" in 1997.
McCrane, whose father acted in Philadelphia theater including the Walnut Street and Wilma theaters, was immersed in the business at an early age, working in the stage crew for his father's shows.
One of his first professional jobs was as a patient in "Rocky II" in 1979.
After graduating from Holy Ghost Prep in Bensalem, McCrane moved to New York City, where he immediately began working on Broadway.
McCrane then landed the role of Montgomery in the hit 1980 movie "Fame." He wrote the song "Is It Ok If I Call You Mine?" which he performed in the film. The song also was on the soundtrack album.
After "Fame," McCrane was offered "lots of gay roles," since the character of Montgomery was homosexual, a pretty big risk in the pre-"Will and Grace" days of the early '80s. In that decade, some of his noteworthy films included "Hotel New Hampshire" in 1984 and "Robocop" in 1987.
However, most of his work was on Broadway as McCrane starred in "The Iceman Cometh" in 1985, "Six Degrees of Separation" in 1989 and "Three Sisters" in 1991.
McCrane moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1992.
Once in L.A., he began working in television movies and miniseries as well as in the film "The Shawshank Redemption."
McCrane said he usually works two to four days of the "ER" eight-day shoot per episode, which gives him plenty of time to spend with his wife of two years, jewelry designer, Dana Kellen, and their 4 1/2-month-old son, William Thomas.
McCrane visits his family in the area, which includes his parents, an older brother and three younger sisters, a few times a year. He even got to take some of his nieces to the Emmy Awards a couple of years ago. Plus, he still keeps in touch with his friends from the area and has attended every Holy Ghost Prep Class of '78 reunion.
"I know this sounds like a cliche, but I really miss soft pretzels, Tastykake, and cheesesteaks," he said.
The Los Angeles resident also misses "Bucks County in the fall, especially Tyler State Park."
"This is a spectacular time in my life," McCrane said. But he is well aware of the roller coaster existence of an actor. "When you become an actor, you are a gambler.
"It's like playing roulette. You hope your number comes up."
Laura Nachman can be reached at her web site "Brady Residence," at www.geocities.com/bradylady or by e-mail at [email protected].
Wednesday, November 22, 2000