Editing Eric McCormack (section)

==Early life==
McCormack was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Doris (1932–2006), a homemaker, and James "Keith" McCormack, an [[Petroleum industry|oil company]] financial analyst<ref name="solidified" /> who died from cancer in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=james-mccormack-keith&pid=117518163|title=James "Keith" McCormack Obituary|website=Toronto Star|access-date=March 21, 2017|archive-date=October 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031055556/http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=james-mccormack-keith&pid=117518163|url-status=live}}</ref> He is the eldest of three siblings.<ref name="people"/> McCormack has [[Scottish Canadians|Scottish]] ancestry.<ref name="Hendry2006">{{cite journal|first=Steve|last=Hendry|title=Will & trace; Exclusive Comedy Star Eric Hunts For His Scottish Family |date=August 27, 2006|journal=[[Sunday Mail (Scotland)]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=EricMcCormack|author=Eric McCormack|number=438919435949051904|date=February 27, 2014|title="@BDAnthony92: @EricMcCormack is it true that ur ancestry is Cherokee and Scottish?" No, the Cherokee stuff is made-up internet crap.}}</ref> While he was growing up, he was shy and did not play sports but was involved in theatre from an early age: "I was a bit of an outsider, but I discovered theatre very early on, which got me through."<ref name="night out">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/25/style/a-night-out-with-eric-mccormack-diva-for-a-day.html |title=A Night out with: Eric McCormack; Diva for a Day |last=Lee |first=Denny |date=June 25, 2000 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=July 30, 2009 |archive-date=January 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113050452/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/25/style/a-night-out-with-eric-mccormack-diva-for-a-day.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="hoggard">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/apr/15/familyandrelationships |title=What I know about women ... |last=Hoggard |first=Liz |date=April 15, 2007 |work=[[The Observer]] |access-date=July 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004033250/http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/apr/15/familyandrelationships |archive-date=October 4, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He later attended [[Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute]] in [[Scarborough, Toronto|Scarborough]], Ontario,<ref>{{cite tweet|user=EricMcCormack|author=Eric McCormack|number=931219659768053760|date=November 16, 2017|title=Never went to Leacock, went to Sir John A MacDonald. Wikipedia's has it wrong for years, I'm afraid. But thanks for...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2015/06/26/pride-grand-marshal-david-furnish-reflects-on-growing-up-gay-in-a-very-different-toronto.html|title = Pride grand marshal David Furnish reflects on growing up gay in a very different Toronto|website = [[Toronto Star]]|date = June 26, 2015|access-date = November 17, 2017|archive-date = November 17, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171117065303/https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2015/06/26/pride-grand-marshal-david-furnish-reflects-on-growing-up-gay-in-a-very-different-toronto.html|url-status = live}}</ref> where he was a classmate of both [[Mike Myers]]<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=32&v=x4zwXTQzRvg&feature=youtu.be |title=Mike Myers Interview on Conan in Toronto (Part 2 of 2) |date=2014-12-03 |last=Homer Thompson |access-date=2025-04-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and [[David Furnish]].<ref name="mclean" /> He enrolled in theatre classes there and performed in high school productions of ''[[Godspell]]'' and ''[[Pippin (musical)|Pippin]]''.<ref name="tcm">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=521395&apid=0|title=Eric McCormack|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=July 27, 2009|archive-date=October 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005021615/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=521395&apid=0|url-status=dead}}</ref> McCormack recalls that after performing in ''Godspell'', his feelings toward becoming an actor solidified and he decided to pursue a career in acting. "I remember after the first performance of that... I knew where to fit in. That was the beginning of my life as an actor. It changed me in that the concept of any other options disappeared. From that moment there was no question. I knew exactly what I was going to do. I'm lucky that way."<ref name="solidified">{{cite journal|first=Luaine|last=Lee|title='Will & Grace's' Eric McCormack returns in new TNT series 'Trust Me' |date=January 26, 2009|journal=[[The Oakland Tribune]]}}</ref>

McCormack graduated from high school in 1982<ref name="people"/> and enrolled at [[Toronto Metropolitan University|Ryerson University]] School of Theatre in Toronto to further develop as an actor.<ref name="actors">{{cite episode |title=[[Inside the Actors Studio]] |network=[[Bravo (US TV channel)|Bravo]] |airdate=2003-11-16 |series=10 |number=2 |minutes=60; 120}}</ref> He left Ryerson in 1985, several months before graduating, to accept a position with the [[Stratford Shakespeare Festival]] in [[Stratford, Ontario|Stratford]], Ontario where he spent five seasons performing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archives.stratfordfestival.ca/AIS/Details/people/8234 |title=Eric McCormack acting credits |website=Stratford Festival Archives |access-date=June 20, 2019 |archive-date=April 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404201334/https://archives.stratfordfestival.ca/AIS/Details/people/8234 |url-status=live }}</ref> "It was all I wanted, to be a classical actor for the rest of my life, but during the last couple of years I was there, I started to realise that it wasn't for me. Perhaps I didn't have to give my [[Hamlet]] before I died, that the world might be an OK place without my Hamlet, in fact."<ref name="mclean">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jun/09/broadcasting.tvandradio|title=Whatever you Will|last=McLean|first=Gareth|date=June 9, 2003|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=July 27, 2009|archive-date=December 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227072536/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jun/09/broadcasting.tvandradio|url-status=live}}</ref> He appeared in productions of ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'', ''[[Murder in the Cathedral]]'' and ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]''. He later performed with the [[Manitoba Theatre Centre]] in a production of ''[[Burn This]]'', as well as with Toronto's [[Royal Alexandra Theatre]] in ''[[Biloxi Blues]]''.<ref name="tcm" />