Editing Eric McCormack (section)

===Early work===
McCormack made his Canadian television debut in the 1986 movie ''[[The Boys from Syracuse (film)|The Boys from Syracuse]]''.<ref name="tcm" /> McCormack moved to Los Angeles and made his US television debut in a 1991 episode of the [[CBS]] crime series ''[[Top Cops]]''.<ref name="tcm"/> He appeared in the 1992 theatrical films ''[[The Lost World (1992 film)|The Lost World]]'', based on [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Conan Doyle]]'s [[The Lost World (Conan Doyle novel)|novel of the same name]] and in its sequel, ''[[Return to the Lost World]]'', also released in 1992.<ref name="tcm"/> By 1993, he landed a recurring role as a detective in the crime drama ''[[Street Justice]]''.<ref name="people">{{cite news|url=https://people.com/archive/will-power-vol-50-no-15/|title=Will Power|last=Lipton|first=Michael A.|date=October 26, 1998|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=July 27, 2009|archive-date=March 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307082317/http://people.com/archive/will-power-vol-50-no-15/|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in 1993, McCormack appeared in the television movie ''[[Double, Double, Toil and Trouble]]'', playing [[Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen]]'s father.<ref name="renamed_from_1993_on_20101220232705">{{cite journal|title=On The Cover The Olsen Twins Star in a Halloween Treat|date=October 24, 1993|journal=[[Newsday]]|page=03}}</ref>

He played the role of Colonel Francis Clay Mosby in 42 episodes of the [[Western (genre)|Western]] television series ''[[Lonesome Dove: The Series]]'' (1994), which was later renamed ''[[Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years]]'' (1995).<ref name="people" /><ref name="actors" /> McCormack commented that it was a "fantastic role".<ref name="mclean"/> In an interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2003, he admitted to auditioning "two or three times" for the part of [[Ross Geller]] for the situation comedy ''[[Friends]]'', which ultimately went to [[David Schwimmer]].<ref name="mclean"/> In 1995, he appeared in the television film ''[[The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1995 film)|The Man Who Wouldn't Die]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/473989/the-man-who-wouldnt-die|title=The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1995)|access-date=February 11, 2011|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|archive-date=February 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219004554/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/473989/Man-Who-Wouldn-t-Die-The/|url-status=live}}</ref> He was cast in the 1997 made-for-television movie ''[[Borrowed Hearts]]'', where he portrayed a selfish businessman who learns to love, and in the HBO film ''Exception to the Rule'', in which he played a cheating husband.<ref name="mclean"/>

Also in 1997, he had minor roles in the comedy shows ''[[Townies]]'', ''[[Veronica's Closet]]'', and ''[[Ally McBeal]]''.<ref name="tcm"/> Originally, McCormack was scheduled to appear as a series regular in the [[NBC]] sitcom ''[[Jenny (TV series)|Jenny]]'', but was fired after the pilot due to the network cutting his character.<ref name="pbs">{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/archive/200805/20080523_mccormack.html|title=Eric McCormack|last=Smiley|first=Tavis|date=May 23, 2008|work=[[The Tavis Smiley Show]]|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service]]|access-date=July 27, 2009}} {{dead link|date=April 2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In addition McCormack had a recurring role in season five of the comedy series ''[[The New Adventures of Old Christine]]'', in which he played a therapist and love interest for [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]]'s character, Christine.<ref name="Porter2009">{{cite news|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/casting-call-susan-sarandon-john-goodman-eric-mccormack.html|title=Casting call: Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Eric McCormack|last=Porter|first=Rick|date=July 13, 2009|publisher=[[Zap2it]]|access-date=August 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717040612/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/casting-call-susan-sarandon-john-goodman-eric-mccormack.html|archive-date=July 17, 2009}}</ref>