Background
McGann was born in Kensington, Liverpool, Lancashire, to a metallurgist father and a teacher mother, Claire McGann.
McGann was born in Kensington, Liverpool, Lancashire, to a metallurgist father and a teacher mother, Claire McGann.
His most well known role is the lead role of Charlie Burrows, the "housekeeper" in the television comedy series The Upper Hand (1990–1996). He is also known as a television reporter on the British Broadcasting Corporation"s South Today programme, reporting on local events in the south of England. He was also a key character in Independent Television"s soap Night and Day, who had an affair with the underage main character Jane Harper before her disappearance.
His three younger brothers — Paul, Mark and Stephen — are also actors.
Together with Stephen and Mark, he starred in Tom, Dick and Harry, a play by Ray and Michael Cooney at the Duke of York"s Theatre, in 1995. Before this Joe got a big break in 1987, when he played the part of Personal Computer Gerry O"Dowd in the series Rockliffe"s Babies.
In 1992 Joe was the voice of Masklin in the television adaptation of Truckers, the first of Terry Pratchett"s three books in The Nome Trilogy. Joe featured as Grimes at the Chichester Festival Theatre in the 2003 stage musical adaptation (by Jason Carr and Gary Yershon) of the novel The Water Babies.
Joe starred as Nathan Detroit (alongside Claire Sweeney who played Mission Adelaide) in the United Kingdom tour of Guys and Dolls from September 2006 to February 2007.
He recently participated on 16 December 2007 playing one of the three Magi in British Broadcasting Corporation Three"s Nativity. A live performance of the Bible story of Jesus"s birth, set in modern day Liverpool. His main solo song was "Lady Madonna", singing to the newly-born Jesus who is lying in a shopping trolley in a public garage.
McGann appeared on tour with Fiddler on the Roof playing the paterfamilias, Tevye, in 2008 but left the show 2 months before the tour ended due to an arm injury sustained on stage.
In 2009, he appeared on British Broadcasting Corporation"s Celebrity MasterChef alongside Linda Barker and Ninia Benjamin and dropped out in the semi-finals. In May and June 2009, Joe appeared as Richard in "Lost Monsters" by Laurence Wilson at Liverpool"s Everyman Theatre.
As of 2011, Joe can be seen occasionally guest presenting STV"s daily magazine show, The Hour, alongside regular host Michelle McManus. In 2012 Joe was cast as Ray Say in a United Kingdom touring production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.
However he dropped out of the tour mid-way through with understudy Philosophy Andrews taking over his role for the remainder of the tour.
In October 2015, he joined the cast of Elf: The Musical, playing the role of Walter Hobbs at the Dominion Theatre. Joe has one daughter, called Lottie born in 1988. He currently lives in Glasgow, Scotland.