Just a Minute With: Eric McCormack in "Alien Trespass"

By Iain Blair

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Canadian actor Eric McCormack received his big Hollywood break in 1998 playing Will Truman in the hit U.S. television series "Will & Grace," a role that earned him five Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy.

But McCormack, 46, has enjoyed a diverse career in genres that include westerns such as "Lonesome Dove: The Outlaws Years," "The Music Man" on Broadway, sci-fi adventures such as "The Andromeda Strain," and his new comedy movie, "Alien Trespass."

McCormack spoke to Reuters about his new film and switching between movies and television.

Q: What was the appeal of this film for you? Are you a big science fiction fan?

A: "Not so much, though I end up doing a lot of it, oddly. But I love the period of it. It's set in the '50s, and I'm a big fan of that era. I basically love period stuff, whether it's Shakespeare or the '70s - anything that sets me somewhere else."

Q: You play dual roles in "Alien Trespass" - Ted Lewis, a nerdy, science teacher, and the charismatic alien, Urp, who takes over Ted's body. Did they pay you twice?

A: "I guess they should have. Except that when I'm Urp, I'm inside Ted's body, so I think they looked at it that way."

Q: You have a lot of scenes with Australian Jenni Bard, who is also making her motion picture debut as Tammy, the sexy blonde waitress at the local diner. How tough was that?