After two seasons in the recurring role of Dr. Robert Romano on “ER,” Paul McCrane became a series regular in the drama’s sixth season (1999-2000). While McCrane loves his role, he hopes he is nothing like the character whom he describes as “gleefully malicious.” He asserts, “You can’t just hate him. Well, you CAN really hate him, but there’s something that’s sort of attractive in how much you want to strangle the guy.”

Born and raised in Philadelphia, McCrane began to study guitar in his early teens and his teacher encouraged him to pursue a music career. However, since he was primarily interested in acting, McCrane soon landed his first role in John Guare’s “Landscape of the Body” at the New York Shakespeare Festival. Numerous other Broadway and off-Broadway roles followed, including “The Iceman Cometh” and “Six Degrees of Separation.”

McCrane studied with a number of teachers, most extensively with the noted Uta Hagen. He first starred on the big screen in 1980 in “Fame,” and has been seen in “The Hotel New Hampshire,” “Robocop” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” He recently completed production on the independent film “New Suit.”

McCrane also has an extensive television credit list, including appearances on “From the Earth to the Moon,” “The X-Files” and “The Practice,” balanced with regular roles on “Cop Rock” and “Under Suspicion.”

A gifted musician and songwriter, McCrane plays guitar and piano. At the age of 16, he wrote the song “Is It Okay If I Call You Mine?” for his girlfriend, and it was later used in the film “Fame.”

McCrane lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Dana Kellin, a successful jewelry designer, and their baby. His birthday is January 19.