Now that his hit show is leaving the
air, Eric McCormack should have more time to spend in his
beloved Vancouver.
After eight seasons, five
Golden Globe nominations, and an
Emmy for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Eric McCormack is saying
farewell to Will Truman, the funny, foppish foil to Debra Messing
in the hit series
Will & Grace. The classically trained
actor now has time to reflect, looking beyond the fictional New
York apartment where he roamed on
W&G and back to where
it all began - not in his hometown of
Toronto, but across Canada,
in Vancouver.
"I lived in Toronto until I was 30, but in 1992, I flew west to
Vancouver to visit a friend and to see what the work situation was
like - and I never left," he recalls. "I was sleeping on a buddy's
couch. And within a few months, I was a regular on a series and I
had done three movies of the week.
Vancouver was very fertile
ground at the time, particularly for American movies of the week
and a lot of Stephen J. Cannell series. It was sort of a banner
year for me, and from there I went to L.A. But Vancouver, from then
on, sort of became my home away from home."
In Vancouver, McCormack appeared onstage and landed his first
television films and series - including his role as Colonel Clay
Mosby on
Lonesome Dove: The Series - all of which set the
stage for his roaring run on
Will & Grace. Now, he, his
wife, Janet, and their three-and-a-half-year-old son, Finnigan, are
based in L.A., where McCormack and his wife are developing various
scripts and projects. This April, McCormack will star in a feature
film called
The Sisters, a modern interpretation of Anton
Chekhov's renowned play
The Three Sisters. This summer,
McCormack will star in the off-Broadway play
Some Girls,
written by Neil Labute. The play begins previews on May 17 at the
Lucille Lortel Theatre.
But every chance McCormack gets, he heads to the city where it all
began. Here's a sojourn into the woody and western Canadian city
where his career was born.
Tell us about your introduction to Vancouver. There's an
incredible fireworks competition every year in Vancouver, usually
starting during the first weekend in August. It's an international
thing. It's three different countries every year, and they each
have a special night where they put on, like, a 20-minute fireworks
show. So over the course of a two-week period, you'll have four
different fireworks nights. My wife and I met in
Calgary, where I
was shooting
Lonesome Dove. The first time we came to
Vancouver together, I had a small apartment downtown, and the cab
was coming over the
Burrard Street Bridge, and he had to stop. He
couldn't go any farther because the traffic was blocked off for the
fireworks. So we had to walk, with our luggage, a long way from the
Burrard Street Bridge to my little apartment. But we were walking
through the hundreds and hundreds of people who were lined up on
the hills watching the fireworks. And the only people moving were
my wife and me, and it was like we were the king and queen, and
everyone else was on bended knee, and we were just walking through
the crowd with the fireworks going off. It was a pretty cool way to
say hello to the city.
What should you know before you go? The thing about
Vancouver is that no one in the rest of
Canada really knows about
it; they don't talk about it. No one in Vancouver wants the rest of
Canada to come there. It's the best-kept secret - there's no
winter. I mean, I arrived on February 2, and people were in
T-shirts. It was just stunning. And the
Pacific Ocean is a big part
of the city. It's not like L.A., where the Pacific Ocean is only
really part of Santa Monica. In Vancouver, the ocean is part of the
whole city.
Give us the lay of the land. The layout of Vancouver, I
think, is unique to any other North American city. Like Manhattan,
it's surrounded by water. But then that water is not surrounded by
New Jersey; it's surrounded by mountains. The vistas are
incredible.
Stanley Park is larger than
Central Park in New York.
It is central to all of Vancouver. You can literally disappear in
Stanley Park in a way that you can't in Central Park, because it's
not so wide. If you were in the middle of it, you would think
you're in Alaska. It's surrounded by the ocean, with bridges on
all sides. It's called the Sea Wall - you can actually get a bike
or Rollerblades and go around the entire thing. It would take about
an hour and a half; it's a huge chunk of land. Downtown is directly
connected to it, and the mountains surround all of that.
What is your base in Vancouver? There's something new called
the Opus Hotel, which is a fun hotel to go have a drink at, but I
haven't stayed in a room there. When we were renovating, we stayed
at a really cozy place called the Wedgewood Hotel. They have a
beautiful restaurant in the lobby - very cozy. We've had a condo in
Kitsilano since '96, which is our little secret hideaway. It's a
lot of old, big houses, many of which have been converted into what
they call "stratas" - a big house that's been turned into four
condos, and they are completely their own landlords. So it's a lot
of young people in the neighborhood, a lot of first-time home
owners, a lot of great dog-walking streets. Big, old trees.
Kitsilano doesn't feel like a suburb in any way; it feels like a
part of the city - it's across the bridge from downtown - and with
the exception of Broadway and Fourth, it's mostly residential. It's
on an angle, almost sort of like
San Francisco, so from a lot of
places you have great views of the ocean or of downtown. There are
a lot of good little cafés - Sophie's, for instance, is in
Kitsilano. People tend to really
live in their
neighborhood.
Where would you start your day? Sophie's Cosmic Café.
Sophie's has a great ham-and-Cheddar omelet. The walls are covered
with weird old photos and weird toys and games from the '50s.
Sophie herself is always running around with a pot of coffee. She's
like a
Bette Midler character. She loves her job and loves kids,
and there's a big toy box there for kids to play in while they are
waiting for their breakfasts to come. It's got a real homey
feel.
Who's the first person you call when you get back to
Vancouver? Helga. She and I have been friends since high school
in Toronto. A lot of weird people came out of my high school. Helga
and I and David Furnish, who is
Elton John's partner, were in
theater class together. Helga and I went together to David and
Elton's wedding just before
Christmas, in
London. We've stayed
close to him. She and I have been friends for 27 years, and she
ended up going to Vancouver before I did. When I got there we sort
of reconnected, and she now lives four doors down from our place.
She's kind of a Kramer. She's the one who will burst in at any
moment for a cup of coffee. She takes care of our place when we're
away. And then we'll go over to Gabby and Gerry's. Gabby was in my
theater-school class in 1982, and we'll go to their place for a
barbecue. It's like our family - our unusual family.
But it's all about the great outdoors, right? On the other
side, from Stanley Park, if you were looking across to Kitsilano,
you would see a series of beaches. They are all beautiful, and they
are all quite swimmable in the summertime. I think probably the
prettiest is Locarno Beach. It's just
volleyball nets and an
incredible view of the mountains and of downtown. There's a weird
period of time, usually in the summer, where tides can come out for
what seems like a mile, and the sand becomes very soft and mucky.
It's just amazing to run around there in your bathing suit, and it
feels like you're walking on water. It's a really beautiful place.
Particularly when the tide is out, because we take our dogs there
when we are in Vancouver for longer stretches of time. To run
around in the muck with our dogs and our son is probably my
happiest time.
Where do you send friends for lunch? There's a place called
Market Grill, which has the best burgers in town. That's on
Granville Island, and that's my favorite lunch. It's a booth -
literally like a burger booth. Really fresh burgers and fries. It
has a great salmon burger and a great chicken-teriyaki burger. And
it's right on the water.
How would you spend an afternoon? The view from the Burrard
Street Bridge is just incredible - the view of the ocean, and the
mountains, and of downtown, of Kitsilano, of
Granville Island. One
of my favorite things is going over the Burrard Street Bridge,
particularly on a bicycle. Granville Island is a little island
underneath the Granville Street Bridge. It's where a lot of
personal boats are docked. There are places for kids to play,
restaurants, and a big fresh market - a farmers' market. There are
three different bridges going into downtown; Granville Island is a
great place to see all of them. Next would be South Granville,
which is Granville Street, from probably Third Avenue to Fifteenth
Avenue. It's 12 blocks of really interesting art galleries and
shopping and restaurants. There's a great shop called Liberty that
has hip home furnishings. We have a great table from Liberty. And
there's a great men's store on Broadway called Mark James.
What don't people know about the city? There's a real
artistic community in Vancouver, and the city is really connected
to the outdoors. It's not a town where you're stuck inside for
two-thirds of the year. There's a lot of rain, but it's not a
freezing-cold, snowed-in winter town, so what a lot of the local
artists are painting is the beauty that they've grown up around.
Another thing that people are into, but I don't do it much, is the
skiing. There are several mountains - Whistler being the most
popular for
skiing. There's tremendous life outside the city. But
when I'm there, I'm usually there for such a short time that I live
downtown, I live in Kitsilano, I live in Granville Island.
Where are you at cocktail hour? There's a brewery right on
Granville Island called Granville Island Brewing, and they make a
lager and a pale
ale that are both great. But my favorite drink in
town is very specific - the mojito - at a bar in
Yaletown called
George. It's fresh mint. It's beautiful; I've never had such a good
mojito as the one at George. I don't know what their secret is. And
by the fourth mojito I usually forget to ask. I'm usually under the
table. George's is a really hip little bar that doesn't feel so
dark and smoky. It's a really great little social place.
You spent five years at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and
performed in regional theaters across Canada. Where did you get
your start in Vancouver theater? I played Dracula at the Arts
Club Theatre in 1996. It's beautiful. The Arts Club actually has
two different theaters. There's one on Granville called the
Stanley, and the other one is actually on Granville Island. That
was always the fun of doing the show: Every night, I'd have to take
a little trip down to Granville Island. The Arts Club bar is right
next door - it's a great place to have a beer after the show.
How about dinner? Cru is pretty new. A buddy of mine was a
waiter there for a while. Great little meals, like macaroni and
cheese, and an amazing shortbread. Quattro is great Italian, and we
always have great service there. Glowbal is in Yaletown, which is
sort of the hip, up-and-coming neighborhood. Vij's is sort of what
they call "new Indian," not all the traditional curries and stuff.
It's more family recipes. And there are no reservations at Vij's.
You just have to line up and wait for it. You always see Vij. He's
a young, handsome guy. I think he's proud to bring some recipes to
some people who wouldn't traditionally get Indian takeout.
Do you have a secret place? Certainly tourists wouldn't know
about this place - it's called Bin 941. It's on Davie Street, and
when my friend Peter and I come from L.A., we always have to go to
the Bin, as we call it. Tiny, tiny little place; the bar has enough
room for about four people, and eating, you can seat maybe 20. But
the food is great - it's prepared in a little kitchen that
everybody can see. Go there for a glass of wine and some tapas, if
you can sneak in.
What's one spectacular memory of the city? My wife and I got
married on a boat with about 70 people on it. We sailed from
Granville Island out into English Bay, in between downtown and
Kitsilano, and right into the Pacific Ocean. As we were coming back
in, there were hundreds and hundreds of people on the beach
cheering and there were balloons. And we thought,
This is
amazing, and on our wedding day. What is this? And my brother
turned to me and said, "You know, only you would choose to get
married on Gay Pride Day."
He Said…
Eric McCormack's secret (and not-so-secret) hideaways in
Vancouver
LODGING
Opus Hotel, very expensive, (604) 642-6787
Wedgewood Hotel, very expensive, (604) 689-7777
DINING
Bin 941, moderate, (604) 683-1246
Cru, moderate, (604) 677-4111
Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar, moderate to expensive,
(604) 602-0835
Market Grill, inexpensive, (604) 689-1918
Quattro, moderate to expensive, (604) 734-4444
Sophie's Cosmic Café, inexpensive, (604) 732-6810
Vij's, moderate, (604) 736-6664
NIGHTLIFE
Arts Club Theatre Backstage Lounge, (604) 687-1354
Arts Club Theatre Company, (604) 687-1644
George, (604) 628-5555
Granville Island Brewing, (604) 687-2739
SHOPPING
Liberty, (604) 682-7499
Mark James, (604) 734-2381
ATTRACTIONS
Locarno Beach,www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/rec/beaches/locarno.htm
We Said… Our secret (and not-so-secret) hideaways in
Vancouver
LODGING
Granville Island Hotel, moderate, (604) 683-7373. While worth
every penny, this chic retreat goes for slightly more than our
bargain-basement budget usually allows - but it's just so darn
romantic, we can't help ourselves. We're suckers for its marble
floors, dreamy waterfront settings, and plush soaker tubs. The boys
like the on-site brewery too.
YWCA of Vancouver, inexpensive, (604) 895-5830. We know, we
know; we can't believe we're recommending a YWCA either. But the
reviews of this place were so good - TripAdvisor subscribers rank
it 14th out of 110 area hotels, just below a prestigious upscale
brand with a number in its name - we just couldn't ignore it. Fans
seem to love everything about it, from its entertainment-district
locale to guests' access to one of the best gyms in town.
DINING
Havana, moderate, (604) 253-9119. A trip to
Havana is a true
cultural experience. Not only are there exotic Nuevo Latino dishes
like chorizo and clam linguine, but there's an art gallery and a
theater out back. Unfortunately, once our tummies are full and
we're kicking back enjoying the skyline and one of Havana's
Cuban-cigar selections out on the all-weather patio, we have a hard
time getting back there.
Jade Dynasty, inexpensive to moderate, (604) 683-8816. Folks
flock to this surprisingly cozy
Chinatown spot for helpings of
things like spinach with snow fungus and water-chestnut cake, but
we opt for the dim sum to go. Why? It makes an ideal picnic lunch
at nearby Stanley Park.
ATTRACTIONS
Capilano Suspension Bridge, (604) 985-7474. This wire-cable overpass, the longest and highest suspended footbridge in the world, was once made of hemp rope and cedar planks. Consider that as you take that 450-foot walk across, teetering 230 feet above the Capilano River. Oh, and if heights aren’t your thing, just enjoy the lush rainforest surrounds.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, (604) 662-3207. The first full-size Chinese garden ever conceived outside the Asian territory, this fertile Shangri-la is further proof of Vancouver’s strong multicultural meld.
FRIDAYSATURDAY
SUNDAY
ONE SPECIAL DAY
Author