Michael McDonald (comedian)

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Michael McDonald
Michael mcdonald.jpg
McDonald in 2010
PseudonymMike McDonald
Birth nameMichael James McDonald
Born (1964-12-31) December 31, 1964 (age 60)
Fullerton, California, U.S.
Medium Stand-up, film, television
Years active1987–present
Genres Sketch comedy, improvisational comedy

Michael James McDonald (born December 31, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. [1] He is best known for starring in the sketch comedy show MADtv . McDonald joined the show during the fourth season (1998) and remained a member of the cast until the end of the penultimate thirteenth season, having become the longest-tenured cast member. [1]

Contents

Early life

McDonald was born in Fullerton, California. When he was 9 years old, he was a newspaper delivery boy who delivered the Fullerton News Tribune . He also worked at Naugles in high school. He graduated from St. Juliana Catholic Elementary School in Fullerton, and later went to Servite High School in Anaheim, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree. At one point, he taught swim lessons at Loara High School for Anaheim Parks and Recreation where he rose to assistant manager and worked with Gwen Stefani. [2]

After college, a friend took McDonald to see an improv comedy show at The Groundlings Theater. McDonald quit his job at the bank and enrolled in The Groundlings improv program. He was a member of the troupe from 1992 to 1997. During that time, he was also involved in writing and directing films for Roger Corman. [3]

McDonald made his television debut on Family Matters . He would guest star in such shows as Seinfeld (in two episodes playing two different parts), Just Shoot Me! , Scrubs and NewsRadio . He also made brief cameos in all three Austin Powers films. McDonald had a starring role with Will Forte and Nicole Sullivan on the short-lived MTV show Clone High as the voice of Gandhi.

Personal life

McDonald lived in Hollywood Hills, California until 2020. [4] [5]

Career

Something So Right

McDonald appeared as the lead Carly's assistant in the 1996 sitcom, first appearing in season one episode four, Something About a Family Photo. [6]

MADtv

McDonald joined the cast of MADtv in 1998, eventually becoming the longest-standing cast member in the show's history (10 seasons). [1] He performed several recurring characters, including Stuart Larkin, Rusty Miller, Marvin Tikvah, Sean Gidcomb, Bible Dude, the Depressed Persian Tow Truck Man, Fightin' Ron, and F. Michael McKrofsky of "Real M*********ing Talk" (replacing Andrew Daly's token white commentator on that sketch).

After 10 years on MADtv, McDonald left the cast, but was a contributing writer and director for the show's final season. McDonald was the last member of the cast to be hired in the 1990s, and the last cast member to have been born in the 1960s, and is the only cast member to have a "best of" clip show special dedicated to him.

Cougar Town

McDonald was also a writer, director, and producer of the ABC TV series Cougar Town . [1] He directed a number of episodes of the show, including "Letting You Go", "Everything Man", "When a Kid Goes Bad", "Stop Dragging My Heart Around", and "Don't Come Around Here No More". McDonald also wrote the episode "Wake Up Time".

Stand-up comedy

McDonald has toured at stand-up comedy clubs across the country. His stand-up comedy special Michael McDonald: Model Citizen premiered on Showtime on October 9, 2010. Filmed in Orange County at the OC Pavilion, it has been described as "Part stand-up comedy, part one man show, this special is for anyone who – like Michael – finds humour in the strange world all around us."

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991UncagedClean Cut John
1992 In the Heat of Passion Nick
Dance with Death Henry
Body WavesSquirrely
Final Judgement RainyVideo
Bloodfist IV: Die Trying NewscasterVideo
1993Full Contact-
1994 Bloodfist V: Human Target Jewelry Store ManagerVideo
Revenge of the Red Baron Psychiatrist
The Unborn II Welfare Worker #1
Leprechaun 2 Waiter
No Dessert, Dad, Till You Mow the Lawn Evil Hypnotist
In the Heat of Passion II: UnfaithfulBartender
The CrazysitterMr. Smith
1995 Carnosaur 2 Evac. Team Pilot
Bloodfist VI: Ground Zero CoreyVideo
Hideaway Young cop
Criminal HeartsTierney
Twisted LoveStoned kid
Bloodfist VII: Manhunt Running OfficerVideo
1996Baby Face NelsonReporter
Carnosaur 3: Primal Species Police Officer Wilson
1997 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Steve Harmon the Evil Henchman
Casper: A Spirited Beginning Sarcastic ProtesterVideo
1998 Casper Meets Wendy Spike-StretchVideo
Richie Rich's Christmas Wish MontgomeryVideo
1999 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me NATO Soldier
2000 Chump Change Dack
2002 Slackers Economics Professor
Austin Powers in Goldmember Royal Guard
2003 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Maitre d'
2004 Outing Riley Andy
2006MoonpieMitch Henderson
2013 The Heat Julian
2014MinutesJohn FeldmanShort
2015 Spy Patrick
2016 The Boss Bryce Crean
Ghostbusters Jonathan
2018 The Happytime Murders Ronovan Scargle
The Loud House: Clyde and His DadsHoward McBrideVoice, short
2021 Halloween Kills Little John
2024 Mother of the Bride Clay

Television

Television appearances by Lyric Bent
YearTitleRoleNotes
1987 Nightlife HimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.144"
Stand Up AmericaHimself
1992 An Evening at the Improv HimselfEpisode: "Episode #9.9"
Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation Disc JockeyTelevision film
1993 Family Matters ManagerEpisode: "Buds 'n' Buns"
The John Larroquette Show PhilEpisode: "The Past Comes Back"
1994 Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love Party GuestTelevision film
1995Sherman OaksJulesEpisode: "Golf, Dating, and the Devil"
Sawbones ProstituteTelevision film
Virtual Seduction Disoriented ManTelevision film
A Bucket of Blood DancerTelevision film
1995–96 Seinfeld Player #2/JesseEpisode: "The Understudy" & "The Wig Master"
Night StandRayEpisode: "So You Think You're a Lesbian" & "Clip Show"
1997 Ellen The GuyEpisode: "Alone Again... Naturally"
NewsRadio LeeEpisode: "Airport"
Night StandChuckie MacDougalEpisode: "Pushy Parents"
1998Instant Comedy with the GroundlingsHimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.1 & #1.2"
Just Shoot Me RegEpisode: "The Emperor"
The Drew Carey Show The Parking AttendantEpisode: "From the Earth to the Moon"
1998 National Lampoon's Men in White Secret Service AgentTelevision film
1998–2008 MADtv Himself/Cast MemberMain cast: season 4–13, guest: season 14
1999Banned in America: The World's Sexiest CommercialsHostTV special
2001 Passions The Face in the PoolEpisode: "Episode #1.516-#1.518"
2001–03 Invader Zim RoboDadVoice, recurring role
2001–09 Scrubs Mike DavisRecurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2, 6–8
2002 Greg the Bunny LeoEpisode: "The Singing Mailman"
2002–03 Clone High Gandhi Voice, main role
2005 Fat Actress Sam RascalRecurring role
2005–06 7th Heaven Edward JamesonRecurring cast: season 10
2005–09 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List HimselfRecurring cast: season 1–5
2006 Talkshow with Spike Feresten HimselfEpisode: "Michael McDonald"
Desperate Housewives StevenEpisode: "Silly People"
Lovespring International DrakeEpisode: "The Demuler"
2008 My Boys PaulEpisode: "Spit Take"
Hannah Montana Chef Duncan KeatsEpisode: "Don't Go Breakin' My Tooth"
2009 Pushing Daisies Galveston GusEpisode: "Kerplunk"
Kath & Kim NeilEpisode: "Home"
Head Case StanleyEpisode: "Twinkle, Twinkle..."
Reaper Mr. Elliott SprongEpisode: "To Sprong, with Love"
Rita Rocks Rob BooneRecurring cast: season 2
2011 Cougar Town Wayne Gibbons2 episodes
2012–13 Web Therapy Ben TomlundRecurring cast: season 2–3
2013 House of Lies Carl CriswellRecurring cast: season 2
Save Me RandallEpisode: "Heavenly Hostess"
2014 Community Ronald MohammedEpisode: "Basic Story"
2015 Newsreaders James JordanEpisode: "A Billionaire Goes to Hell; Sitcom Family"
2016–present The Loud House Howard McBride Voice, recurring role [7]
2017 Superior Donuts ManfredEpisode: "Painted Love"
Rhett & Link's Buddy System EnriqueEpisode: "Spa Trip"
2017–18 Nobodies Blaine KaineRecurring cast
2019 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Open Mic MCEpisode: "I'm in Love"
2020 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Adam JarverEpisode: "Ding Dong"
2022 God's Favorite Idiot LeviathanEpisode: "God, Satan and All the Good Smells"
What We Do in the Shadows Gustave LeroyEpisode: "Freddie"
2023 How I Met Your Father WarrenEpisode: "The Reset Button"
2024 Good Times: Black Again Elon Musk

Stand-up specials

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010Michael McDonald: Model CitizenHimselfTV special

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Persaud, Christine (May 29, 2019). "Where Are They Now? The Cast of MadTV". Screen Rant .
  2. ↑ https://www.ocregister.com/2008/10/05/comedian-michael-mcdonald-returns-to-orange-county/
  3. ↑ https://mediamikes.com/2010/10/interview-with-madtvs-michael-mcdonald/
  4. ↑ https://archive.triblive.com/news/michael-mcdonald-buys-new-home/
  5. ↑ https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-06-10/comedian-michael-mcdonald-lists-his-romantic-villa-in-hollywood-hills
  6. ↑ Something So Right Season 1 Episode 4, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2021-10-21
  7. ↑ Roshanian, Arya (July 18, 2016). "Nickelodeon's 'Loud House' to Feature Married Gay Couple". Variety .
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