| Michael McDonald | |
| Birth Name: | Michael James McDonald |
| Birth Date: | 31 December 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Fullerton, California, U.S. |
| Medium: | Stand-up, film, television |
| Genre: | Sketch comedy, improvisational comedy |
| Pseudonym: | Mike McDonald |
| Active: | 1987–present |
Michael James McDonald (born December 31, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for starring in the sketch comedy show MADtv. McDonald joined the show during the fourth season (1998) and remained in the cast until the end of the thirteenth and penultimate season, having become the longest-tenured cast member.
McDonald was born in Fullerton, California. 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. 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.
Later on, McDonald would guest star in such shows as Seinfeld (in two episodes playing two different parts), Just Shoot Me!, Family Matters, 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.
McDonald appeared as the lead Carly's assistant in the 1996 sitcom, first appearing in season one episode four, Something About a Family Photo.
McDonald joined the cast of MADtv in 1998, eventually becoming the longest-standing cast member in the show's history (10 seasons). 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.
McDonald was also a writer, director, and producer of the ABC TV series Cougar Town. 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".
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 humor in the strange world all around us."
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Uncaged | Clean Cut John | ||
| 1992 | In the Heat of Passion | Nick | ||
| Dance with Death | Henry | |||
| Body Waves | Squirrely | |||
| Final Judgement | Rainy | Video | ||
| Newscaster | Video | |||
| 1993 | Full Contact | - | ||
| 1994 | Jewelry Store Manager | Video | ||
| 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: Unfaithful | Bartender | |||
| The Crazysitter | Mr. Smith | |||
| 1995 | Carnosaur 2 | Evac. Team Pilot | ||
| Corey | Video | |||
| Hideaway | Young cop | |||
| Criminal Hearts | Tierney | |||
| Twisted Love | Stoned kid | |||
| Running Officer | Video | |||
| 1996 | Baby Face Nelson | Reporter | ||
| Police Officer Wilson | ||||
| 1997 | Steve Harmon the Evil Henchman | |||
| Sarcastic Protester | Video | |||
| 1998 | Casper Meets Wendy | Spike-Stretch | Video | |
| Richie Rich's Christmas Wish | Montgomery | Video | ||
| 1999 | NATO Soldier | |||
| 2000 | Chump Change | Dack | ||
| 2002 | Slackers | Economics Professor | ||
| Austin Powers in Goldmember | Royal Guard | |||
| 2003 | Maitre d' | |||
| 2004 | Outing Riley | Andy | ||
| 2006 | Moonpie | Mitch Henderson | ||
| 2013 | The Heat | Julian | ||
| 2014 | Minutes | John Feldman | Short | |
| 2015 | Spy | Patrick | ||
| 2016 | The Boss | Bryce Crean | ||
| Ghostbusters | Jonathan | |||
| 2018 | The Happytime Murders | Ronovan Scargle | ||
| The Loud House: Clyde and His Dads | Howard McBride | Voice, short | ||
| 2021 | Halloween Kills | Little John | ||
| 2024 | Mother of the Bride | Clay |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Nightlife | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.144" | |
| Stand Up America | Himself | |||
| 1992 | An Evening at the Improv | Himself | Episode: "Episode #9.9" | |
| Disc Jockey | Television film | |||
| 1993 | Family Matters | Manager | Episode: "Buds 'n' Buns" | |
| The John Larroquette Show | Phil | Episode: "The Past Comes Back" | ||
| 1994 | Party Guest | Television film | ||
| 1995 | Sherman Oaks | Jules | Episode: "Golf, Dating, and the Devil" | |
| Sawbones | Prostitute | Television film | ||
| Virtual Seduction | Disoriented Man | Television film | ||
| A Bucket of Blood | Dancer | Television film | ||
| 1995–96 | Seinfeld | Player #2/Jesse | Episode: "The Understudy" & "The Wig Master" | |
| Night Stand | Ray | Episode: "So You Think You're a Lesbian" & "Clip Show" | ||
| 1997 | Ellen | The Guy | Episode: "Alone Again... Naturally" | |
| NewsRadio | Lee | Episode: "Airport" | ||
| Night Stand | Chuckie MacDougal | Episode: "Pushy Parents" | ||
| 1998 | Instant Comedy with the Groundlings | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.1 & #1.2" | |
| Just Shoot Me | Reg | Episode: "The Emperor" | ||
| The Drew Carey Show | The Parking Attendant | Episode: "From the Earth to the Moon" | ||
| 1998 | National Lampoon's Men in White | Secret Service Agent | Television film | |
| 1998–2008 | MADtv | Himself/Cast Member | Main cast: season 4–13, guest: season 14 | |
| 1999 | Banned in America: The World's Sexiest Commercials | Host | TV special | |
| 2001 | Passions | The Face in the Pool | Episode: "Episode #1.516-#1.518" | |
| 2001–03 | Invader Zim | RoboDad | Voice, recurring role | |
| 2001–09 | Scrubs | Mike Davis | Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2, 6-8 | |
| 2002 | Greg the Bunny | Leo | Episode: "The Singing Mailman" | |
| 2002–03 | Clone High | Gandhi | Voice, main role | |
| 2005 | Fat Actress | Sam Rascal | Recurring role | |
| 2005–06 | 7th Heaven | Edward Jameson | Recurring cast: season 10 | |
| 2005–09 | Himself | Recurring cast: season 1-5 | ||
| 2006 | Talkshow with Spike Feresten | Himself | Episode: "Michael McDonald" | |
| Desperate Housewives | Steven | Episode: "Silly People" | ||
| Lovespring International | Drake | Episode: "The Demuler" | ||
| 2008 | My Boys | Paul | Episode: "Spit Take" | |
| Hannah Montana | Chef Duncan Keats | Episode: "Don't Go Breakin' My Tooth" | ||
| 2009 | Pushing Daisies | Galveston Gus | Episode: "Kerplunk" | |
| Kath & Kim | Neil | Episode: "Home" | ||
| Head Case | Stanley | Episode: "Twinkle, Twinkle..." | ||
| Reaper | Mr. Elliott Sprong | Episode: "To Sprong, with Love" | ||
| Rita Rocks | Rob Boone | Recurring cast: season 2 | ||
| 2011 | Cougar Town | Wayne Gibbons | 2 episodes | |
| 2012–13 | Web Therapy | Ben Tomlund | Recurring cast: season 2-3 | |
| 2013 | House of Lies | Carl Criswell | Recurring cast: season 2 | |
| Save Me | Randall | Episode: "Heavenly Hostess" | ||
| 2014 | Community | Ronald Mohammed | Episode: "Basic Story" | |
| 2015 | Newsreaders | James Jordan | Episode: "A Billionaire Goes to Hell; Sitcom Family" | |
| 2016–present | The Loud House | Howard McBride | Voice, recurring role[1] | |
| 2017 | Superior Donuts | Manfred | Episode: "Painted Love" | |
| Rhett & Link's Buddy System | Enrique | Episode: "Spa Trip" | ||
| 2017–18 | Nobodies | Blaine Kaine | Recurring cast | |
| 2019 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Open Mic MC | Episode: "I'm in Love" | |
| 2020 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Adam Jarver | Episode: "Ding Dong" | |
| 2022 | God's Favorite Idiot | Leviathan | Episode: "God, Satan and All the Good Smells" | |
| What We Do in the Shadows | Gustave Leroy | Episode: "Freddie" | ||
| 2023 | How I Met Your Father | Warren | Episode: "The Reset Button" | |
| 2024 | Elon Musk | [2] |