Paul McCrane

Paul David McCrane (born January 19, 1961) is an American film, television and theatre actor, as well as a television director and singer. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Montgomery MacNeil in the 1980 film Fame, Emil Antonowsky in RoboCop and Robert "Rocket" Romano on the NBC medical drama television series ER.

Early life

McCrane was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Eileen C. (née Manyak), a nurse, and James J. McCrane, Jr., an actor and writer. He has a brother, Jim, and three sisters, Maureen, Barbara, and Deirdre. His family moved to Richboro, Pennsylvania, where he lived until he moved to New York City after graduating from Holy Ghost Preparatory School.

Career

An early role, when he was just 17 years of age, is in a short scene in Rocky II, playing a wheelchair bound, multi-fracture patient who asks for Rocky's autograph on his head cast ("Hey Rocky...sign my head!").

With an abundance of red hair, McCrane portrayed the earnest Montgomery MacNeil in Fame. He was the lead vocalist on three songs in the feature film: "Dogs in the Yard", "Miles from Here" and "Is it Okay if I Call You Mine?" (which he also composed). He also had a solo in "I Sing the Body Electric".