DR. ROBERT "ROCKET" ROMANO, Chief of Staff: A familiar face around County General, abrasive and duplicitous surgeon Dr. Robert Romano causes trouble wherever he goes.

After two seasons in the recurring role of Dr. Robert Romano on "ER," Paul McCrane became a series regular in the drama's sixth season. While McCrane loves his role, he hopes he is nothing like the character, whom he describes as "gleefully malicious."

Born and raised in Philadelphia, McCrane began to study guitar in his early teens, and his teacher encouraged him to pursue a music career. However, primarily interested in acting, McCrane soon landed his first role in John Guare's "Landscape of the Body" at the New York Shakespeare Festival. Numerous other Broadway and off-Broadway roles followed, including "The Iceman Cometh" and "Six Degrees of Separation."

McCrane studied with a number of teachers, most extensively with the noted Uta Hagen. He first surfaced on the big screen in 1980 and has appeared in such films as "Fame," "The Hotel New Hampshire," "Robocop," "The Shawshank Redemption" and the soon-to-be-released "The Last Producer," directed by Burt Reynolds. He also has an extensive television credit list, including appearances on "From the Earth to the Moon," "The X-Files," "The Practice" and regular roles on "Cop Rock" and "Under Suspicion."

A gifted musician and songwriter, McCrane plays guitar and piano. At the age of 16, he wrote the song "Is It Okay if I Call You Mine?" for his girlfriend, and it was later used in the film "Fame."

McCrane now lives with his wife, Dana Kellin, a successful jewelry designer, in Los Angeles. His birthday is January 19.