The 'Fame' gang: Paul McCrane
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Paul McCrane in 2009.
By Fred Prouser, Reuters
Paul McCrane in 2009.
•Character: Montgomery MacNeil, a sensitive and insecure actor/singer and neglected son of a stage-star mother who grapples with his homosexuality.

•Memorable line: "Never being happy is not the same as being unhappy, is it?"

•Before Fame: "I grew up in Pennsylvania, starting acting when I was 15, mostly in theater in and around New York. I moved to Manhattan in 1978, and was in a Broadway show and another at the Public Theater. Then I auditioned for the role and got it."

•During Fame: Gritty New York City of the time was practically a character itself in the film. "In the beginning sequence, my character walks down the street, and you see people fighting, you see the porn theaters, and now with the Disneyfication of 42nd Street and Times Square, it's all changed."

•After Fame: "The effect was pretty sudden and pretty strong. I went from being an unknown actor wandering the streets of New York, to a recognizable face wandering the streets of New York, and that was kind of fun and strange. I got offered every sensitive and fragile role that came down the pike for a few years after." Married with two children and living in Los Angeles, the busy actor is best known as the hateful Dr. Robert Romano on the series E.R. (1997-2003). "For the last five years, I've been directing episodic TV, and doing some occasional acting. I'm currently working on a new drama on ABC, The Forgotten with Christian Slater, and I'll be directing Miami Trauma for CBS and (the revamped) Lie To Me on Fox."

Age: 48

•What you might not know: "A fair number of people, especially gay men, tell me the film and the character were important for them, because at the time there weren't openly gay characters on screen. So that's very gratifying to hear."

Why Fame endures: "It's probably because the film had so much exuberance. Whatever its strengths and weaknesses, it has a lot of energy and youthful exuberance and fun, and for a lot of people it captured the era. What I'm surprised about is how many people still recognize me, after 30 years and with much less hair — which has turned (from striking ginger) more brown."

•Remake reaction: "I don't know much about it. I was invited to the premiere screening, but I can't go because I'm working. But I'll probably see it."

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