Eric James McCormack is a Canadian-American actor who portrayed Will Truman in Will & Grace.
Will Truman[]
Casting[]
Having played gay characters several times in his career on theater and film, McCormack did not have a problem with portraying Will and thought his character could become a "poster boy for some gay movement", like how Ellen DeGeneres became a spokesperson with her character in Ellen.[1] He auditioned in December 1997[2] and John Barrowman, who is openly gay was also one of the frontrunners for the role. McCormack was officially cast in January 1998. Prior to auditioning, McCormack had a callback for the role of Ross in Friends.[3]
Being the first actor to be cast, McCormack admitted thinking he was perfect for the role. "At the end of the audition, Max Mutchnick, co-creator and executive producer of the show said 'That was perfect. Just to let you know, you never have to be more gay than that.'"[4] He explained that when he first read the script, "what hit me immediately was that this was me. I mean, sexual orientation aside, Will was so much like me. He's a great host, he's relatively funny and he has great friends and he's a good friend to them ... the gay issue just wasn't really a big thing."[5]
Portrayal[]
For his portrayal of Will Truman, McCormack gained international acclaim and the role was met with positive reactions for its "revolutionary" portrayal of a successful and likable gay character.[6]
Awards & Nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Viewers For Quality Television Awards | Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series | Nominated |
| OFTA Awards | Best Actor in a New Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Viewers For Quality Television Awards | Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| OFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Won |
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Sean Hayes, Debra Messing, and Megan Mullally) | Won | |
| Teen Choice Award | Television Choice Actor | Nominated | |
| TV Guide Awards | Actor of the Year in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| OFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | |
| 2002 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, Messing, and Mullally) | Nominated | |
| OFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, Messing, and Mullally) | Nominated | |
| OFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2004 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, Messing, and Mullally) | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (with Hayes, Messing, and Mullally) | Nominated | |
| Gold Derby TV Awards | Comedy Lead Actor | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Gold Derby TV Awards | Comedy Lead Actor | Nominated |
Notes[]
- McCormack is the third member of the main cast to win an Emmy for Will & Grace. He won in 2001, following Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally in 2000. Debra Messing completed the list in 2003.
- McCormack made a special guest appearance on Debra Messing's police drama series The Mysteries of Laura in February 2015.
Media[]
Photos[]
Videos[]
External links[]
- Official website
- Eric McCormack at the Internet Broadway Database
- Eric McCormack at the Internet Movie Database
- Eric McCormack at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
References[]
- ↑ Pergament, Alan (December 15, 1998). "New Time, Fine Line For Will & Grace". The Buffalo News. pp. C5.
- ↑ Will & Grace: Premiere || Eric McCormack - "Will Truman" Interview || SocialNews.XYZ
- ↑ Episode 0. Just Jack & Will with Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack
- ↑ McLean, Gareth (2003-06-09). "Whatever you Will". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ↑ Thompson, Kevin (1998-09-21). "He's Gay, She's Not". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1D.
- ↑ Gene Wang (February 22, 2017) Original run of ‘Will & Grace’ was revolutionary but problematic; reboot needs to portray queer characters fairly and realistically. The Daily Orange. Retrieved September 9, 2017