Jeff McCracken (born September 12, 1952) is an American actor, director and producer.

Early life and education

Born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, McCracken graduated Evanston Township High School in 1970. He served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, where he attained the rank of sergeant. McCracken earned a Bachelor of Arts a degree in creative writing from Goddard College.

Career

After studying at the

Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is a full-time professional conservatory for actors in New York City. First operational from 1915 to 1927, the school re-opened in 1928 and has been active ever since. It is the birthplace of th ...

in New York City he began his acting career on Broadway and

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

, including '' Breakfast with Les and Bess'' by

Lee Kalcheim Lee Kalcheim (June 27, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American screenwriter.Smith, Liz"Off the Grapevine" ''Toledo Blade'', March 30, 1978, p. TV-7. Retrieved on May 30, 2013. Television Kalcheim has written numerous television shows ...

. As a member of the Circle Repertory Company he appeared in ''Confluence'' by Lanford Wilson, John Bishop and Beth Henley. He also had roles in films, including '' The One Man Jury'' (1978), ''

Stranger in Our House ''Stranger in Our House'' is a 1978 American television horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Linda Blair, Lee Purcell, Jeremy Slate, Jeff McCracken, and Jeff East. It is based on the 1976 novel '' Summer of Fear'' by Lois Duncan. ...

'' (1979), ''Kent State'' (1981), '' Running Brave'' (1985), and '' Waiting for the Light'' (1990). He appeared in television series, '' Bay City Blues'' and ''

Hawaiian Heat ''Hawaiian Heat'' is an American drama television series. It starred Robert Ginty and Jeff McCracken. The series aired on ABC from September 14 to December 21, 1984. Overview It starred Robert Ginty and Jeff McCracken as two Chicago cops who ...

'', as well as guest starring in other series such as: '' JAG'', ''

thirtysomething ''Thirtysomething'' is an American drama television series created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for United Artists Television (under MGM/UA Television) and aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991."The 'don't trust ...

'', '' The Hitchhiker'', ''

St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...

'', '' The Torkelsons'', '' All is Forgiven'', '' LAX'', and ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent criticism ...

''. McCracken developed and co-produced the feature film ''

Quiz Show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

''. He was production executive on '' Pastime''. While at the Walt Disney Company he developed, produced and directed television shows '' Boy Meets World''; '' Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane''; ''

Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

''; and '' You Wish'', as well as developing and overseeing production of '' The Torkelsons'', '' Maybe This Time'', '' Misery Loves Company'', '' Where I Live'', and ''Singer and Sons''. In all he has directed over seventy episodes of television, including '' NYPD Blue'', '' Boy Meets World'', ''

'', '' Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane'', '' Still Standing'', '' The Trouble With Normal'', ''

Suite Life of Zach and Cody ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series aired on Disney Channel from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award three times and was also n ...

'', and '' Smart Guy''. His artwork has appeared in the magazine ''The Guide Artists''. He taught for several years at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, becoming an associate professor in 2008, and in 2016 he was a teacher at the

New York University Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

Personal life

McCracken lives in Washington, Connecticut with his wife, Janet Taylor McCracken, who is a food editor. They have three children.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCracken, Jeff 1952 births American male film actors Film producers from Illinois American male stage actors American male television actors American television directors Television producers from Illinois Chapman University faculty Living people Male actors from Chicago Evanston Township High School alumni People from Evanston, Illinois