Will & Grace
Season 1 SABC3 (*193) 12:00 & 12:30 Comedy
Eric McCormack has been living with his gay lawyer character since he was cast as Will in ’90s sitcom Will & Grace (1998-2006 and the revival, 2017-2020), but he didn’t get acceptance right away from the gay community. “I walked into this role and was met with tension. Everyone (the viewers) knew that I am straight and have a child with my wife Janet. I never claimed to be anything else. But I was told, ‘You don’t know what we (the gay community) needs.’ I think that we proved them wrong, because we’ve got the awards, recognition from movements and viewer support,” says the 57-year-old lead star.
Eric met his wife on the set of the 1 Western TV series Lonesome Dove (1994-1995). He played Colonel Francis Clay Mosby and Janet was third assistant director. They married in 1997 and have an 18-year-old son named Finn. The couple live in Tolouca Lake in 2 California but spend the winters up north in Eric’s home country Canada. “I love escaping to that winter wonderland. There’s something fabulous about snow and skiing and trying not to be eaten by bears,” says the actor.
He’s an advocate for animal rights 3 and supports charities around the world. Eric has rescued four dogs and two cats, admitting that he really wants to bring home a pot-belly pig.
4 Like his character Will, Eric loves to cook, revealing that “I make the best grilled cheese – the secret is using at least three cheeses”.
He studied acting at Ryerson University 5 in Toronto and to earn cash in res, he became a pool hustler. “I was unbeaten for three years,” says Eric.