Bob Mclean

Biography

As a child, Bob often escaped his home life by imagining himself participating in the lives of his favorite TV or comic book characters. He was always drawn to colorful people and unusual situations. First, it was cowboys and rodeo people he met while competing in horse shows. Then, it was rebellious juvenile delinquents and the local police. At the age of 14, Bob ran away from home in Detroit and went to California. It was the first of several such trips. He looked for work among the migrant farm workers and a travelling circus but was told he was too young. He found a job at the famous Nu Pike amusement park in Long Beach and rented his first apartment nearby in an area known as "the Jungle", where he witnessed a fatal knife fight. It was also on this trip that Bob first saw a professional film crew at work. He can still describe the action being filmed. Bob hitch hiked across the U.S. several times while still in his teen years. He stood cold and alone on pitch black mountain roads and learned what it means to be afraid of bears. He caught rides with long haul truckers, travelling salesmen, and tourists. When his older brother was paralyzed in a car accident, Bob was his physical aide until his death 5 years later. All of these people affected Bob deeply with their stories and life journeys. Parts of them have appeared in many of the characters he has played. Bob began acting and modeling in Detroit, Michigan while he was attending Wayne State University. He used the income to help pay for rent and tuition during the school year and worked in pipeline construction during the summer. Bob moved to California after his brother's death. With no backup plan and little money, he lived in his car, slept on the beach, and finally found work in construction. He graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara with a degree in drama, moved to Los Angeles, and has performed in films, TV, soap operas, commercials, industrial films, voice over, and looping. One credit of which Bob is very proud is his membership in The Mighty Carson Art Players where he performed numerous times with the great Johnny Carson. Bob lives in Santa Monica with his wife of 28 years and a cat who oversees the household.