American motion-picture actor of the 1930s and '40s.

The son of a utility company executive, McCrea graduated from Pomona College in 1928 and worked as a stunt man and bit player in Hollywood before playing his first leading role in 1930, in The Silver Horde. He appeared in 38 more films during the 1930s, among which were The Most Dangerous Game (1932), Private Worlds (1935), These Three (1936), Dead End (1937), Wells Fargo (1937), and Union Pacific (1939). Among his most important roles were those in the comedies Primrose Path (1940), Sullivan's Travels (1941), The Palm Beach Story (1942), and The More the Merrier (1943). Other notable performances were in Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent (1940) and Buffalo Bill (1944). After 1946 McCrea acted almost exclusively in westerns, chief among which were The Virginian (1946), Colorado Territory (1949), The Outriders (1950), and Stranger on Horseback (1955). His last major film appearance was in the classic western Ride the High Country (1962).

McCrea's typical screen persona, that of a dependable, even-tempered man speaking in a resonant American twang, suited him to star in a great variety of films ranging from romantic comedies to serious dramas and action-adventure films.