Actor and director Paul McCrane joins Still Here Hollywood with Steve Kmetko for a funny, honest, and surprisingly deep conversation about building a career by leaning into the roles people remember most.
Paul talks about intentionally pivoting into “bad guy” parts, his first reaction to reading RoboCop, and the night a massive explosion on set got a little too real. He also looks back on ER and what it was like joining the biggest show on television, plus how the stability of a long-running series can change your life outside the job.
The conversation goes beyond credits and into craft. Paul breaks down why self-tape auditions can feel like sending your work into a void, why in-person collaboration matters, and what directing taught him about managing pressure, people, and performance. He also shares one of the most valuable lessons of his career: how a brutal review early on forced him to learn how to truly do the work, and how Jason Robards showed him real generosity in the process.
If you love behind-the-scenes stories, acting talk that’s actually useful, and Hollywood history with some bite, this one’s for you.
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00:00 Intro, Paul McCrane from ER and RoboCop
00:42 What Paul would be doing if he wasn’t acting today
01:09 Songwriting, music, and creative curiosity
01:19 Becoming “the bad guy” on purpose
02:41 First reaction to the RoboCop script
03:18 The infamous RoboCop explosion story
06:11 Did he expect RoboCop to become iconic
06:28 How RoboCop reshaped his career
07:55 Why he became an actor, his father and backstage magic
08:27 Other careers he could have pursued
09:06 Turning the interview back on Steve
10:10 Fame, the movie, and early terror on set
11:44 Shooting Fame on the streets of New York
12:33 Did he ever consider quitting acting
14:03 Patreon break, then critics and insecurity
16:30 Retirement, insecurity, and why actors do this
18:38 Chevy Chase, SNL, and success myths
19:03 ER and staying close with the cast
20:43 Why Paul hates self-tape auditions
22:07 The danger of isolation in modern acting
28:33 How ER changed his life and stability
29:29 Fame, perspective, and avoiding distortion
31:20 Philadelphia roots and football fandom
31:37 “Paul McCrane dies at the end” reel
32:15 What the ER set was really like
34:33 Is he happy with his career
36:11 What fans recognize him for most
37:27 Directing vs acting, what he loves more
43:04 Overthinking, directing pressure, and communication
44:06 The role that taught him the most
46:38 The New York Times review that crushed him
50:00 Jason Robards’ advice and generosity
55:21 Learning to survive criticism
56:50 Memorizing ER medical dialogue
57:01 The origin of the famous RoboCop line
58:25 Final thoughts and wrap
Paul McCrane interview
Paul McCrane podcast
Paul McCrane Still Here Hollywood
Paul McCrane Steve Kmetko
Paul McCrane actor interview
Paul McCrane RoboCop
RoboCop behind the scenes Paul McCrane
RoboCop explosion scene story
Paul McCrane villain RoboCop
Paul Verhoeven RoboCop cast stories
Paul McCrane ER
Dr Robert Romano ER
Paul McCrane ER helicopter scene
ER behind the scenes Paul McCrane
ER cast reflections
Paul McCrane Fame movie
Fame 1980 behind the scenes
Paul McCrane Fame audition story
Fame movie cast interview
Paul McCrane acting advice
Paul McCrane directing career
Actors on self tape auditions
Why actors hate self tapes
Directing vs acting Paul McCrane
Career longevity themes
Character actor Hollywood career
Villain roles in Hollywood
How actors survive bad reviews
Jason Robards acting advice
Broadway failure lessons
Culture + philosophy hooks
Why actors feel insecure
Human connection vs technology acting
Why collaboration matters in film
Modern acting industry problems Show Credits
Host/Producer: Steve Kmetko
All things technical: Justin Zangerle
Executive Producer: Jim Lichtenstein
Music by: Brian Sanyshyn
Transcription: Mushtaq Hussain
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Publicist: Maggie Perlich: [email protected]
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