HE’S FANNING THE FLAMES OF BURNING DESIRE
“If nothing changes, nothing changes.”
–Actor-turned-firefighter-turned-actor Jack McGee warns Q of the consequences of lacking the courage to make the necessary adjustments in life.
“Life is all about change, about accepting change when it comes,” said McGee, 55, an actor since he was 8.
The South Bronx native had to alter his life when he realized that acting alone couldn’t help to pay his bills. So, after jobs in construction and steelwork, McGee became a firefighter for 10 years starting in 1977. That was a job that “enabled me the opportunity and flexibility, with the hours and steady income, to pursue the acting career,” he said.
While fighting fires, McGee appeared in “Night Court,” “L.A. Law,” “Perfect Strangers” and the movie “Turk 182!”
“I knew I was ready to move on,” McGee said, when he changed his life forever by quitting the force in 1987 to become an actor full time.
He has since appeared in a string of TV shows and movies, including the made-in-Chicago firefighter flick “Backdraft.” He currently co-stars in the firefighter drama “Rescue Me” with Denis Leary (9 p.m. Wednesdays, FX).
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