 McCormack made his Canadian television debut in the 1986 movie The Boys from Syracuse . McCormack moved to Los Angeles , California , and made his US television debut in a 1991 episode of the CBS crime series Top Cops . He appeared in the 1992 theatrical film The Lost World , based on Conan Doyle 's novel of the same name and starred in The Lost World sequel , Return to the Lost World , also released in 1992 . By 1993 , he landed a recurring role as a detective in the crime drama Street Justice . Also in 1993 , McCormack appeared in the television movie Double , Double , Toil and Trouble , playing Mary @-@ Kate and Ashley Olsen 's father . 
