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Paul McGann was born in Liverpool in 1959 into a Roman Catholic family, his father was a metallurgist and mother was a teacher. He was the second of the five surviving children of Claire McGann. He has three brothers who are also actors: Joe (24 July 1958), Mark (12 July 1961), and Stephen (2 February 1963). He also has a sister named Clare (9 September 1965).

After attending a Jesuit grammar school in Liverpool, he entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts on the advice of a teacher. Sadly, a dreadful experience with stage fright kept him off the stage for many years.

Paul suffered a knee injury while playing football (American soccer) with the production crew of "Sharpe" in 1991 which lost him the lead in that series, but quickly recovered from it, going on to play two roles in "The Three Musketeers" (1993).

In 1998 he once again graced the boards in Snoo Wilson's play Sabina in which he played famed psychologist Carl Jung. It ran at The Bush theatre from February 5 through March 14, 1998. 

Acting runs in the McGann family: his brothers Stephen, Mark and Joe are also actors.  All four appeared in "The Hanging Gale", a drama about the Irish potato famine. Brother Stephen instigated the project after doing research into his family's genealogy. 

In the US, he gained new fans when assumed the role of "Doctor Who" in a 1996 Fox TV-movie. Paul was signed to a five year contract to play the Doctor in a any series or television movie that might have been made during the following five years.

On the big screen, McGann has typically played cads or heroes. His first US role was as the soldier who kills the Japanese pilot befriended by Christian Bale in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" (1987). He was the rough, dashing officer Skrebensky in Ken Russell's "The Rainbow" (1988), a caddishly reckless banker romancing Rebecca De Mornay in "Dealers" (1989) and the contemptuous working-class father in "Tree of Hands/Innocent Victim" (also 1989).

Paul further demonstrated his acting ability in "The Monk" (filmed in 1990; released in the UK in 1992), in which he was a priest pursued by a woman during the Spanish Inquisition. McGann followed this role with a supporting role in David Fincher's dark "Alien3" (1992) and the rough 'n' tumble remake of "The Three Musketeers" (1993).

1996 saw Paul record the part of Benedick on a new musical of "Much Ado", based on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". The musical is by Bernard J Taylor.

He currently resides in Bristol, England with his wife Annie Milner (whom he met at "Much Ado" in Basingstoke -- she was the assistant stage manager) with their two sons, Joseph and Jake (ages 9 and 7). According to the Vegetarian Society, Paul is reportedly a vegetarian.