Michael McDonald (actor)

Infobox actor

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name = Michael McDonald
caption = Michael McDonald in Beverly Hills
birthdate = birth date and age|1964|12|31
birthplace = Fullerton, California
occupation = Actor, comedian
yearsactive = 1987-present

Michael James McDonald (born December 31, 1964) is an American comedian and actor formerly starring in the sketch comedy show "MADtv". McDonald joined the show during the fourth season (1998) and currently holds the record as the longest serving cast member. It was announced that he will not be returning for the fourteenth season of MADtv. While on the show, he developed many memorable characters.

Michael is still a contributing Writer and Director on MADtv as of 2008, and is known to have had directed several episodes of NBC's Scrubs. Namely, the episodes he has guest-starred on.

Early life

McDonald graduated from Servite High School in Anaheim, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree. While at USC, he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He worked as a loan officer at a bank in Los Angeles. After college, a friend took him to see an improv comedy show at Groundling Theater. McDonald quit his job at the bank and enrolled in Groundling's 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 appearances in all three "Austin Powers" movies. McDonald had a starring role with Will Forte and Nicole Sullivan on the short-lived MTV show "Clone High" as the voice of Gandhi.

Career

"MADtv"

McDonald joined the cast of "MADtv" in 1998, and has since become the cast member with the longest tenure in the history of the show (10 seasons). He has performed several recurring characters, including Stuart Larkin, Rusty Miller, Marvin Tikvah, Sean Gidcomb, Bible Dude, and Mofaz the Depressed Persian Tow Truck Driver. McDonald also performs impressions of celebrities and well-known figures, including Al Gore, Bob Barker, John Kerry, Dr. Phil, Bill O'Reilly, Maury Povich, Chris Martin, Steve Jobs, Mel Gibson, Chris Hansen, Roy Horn, Ozzy Osbourne, John Ramsey, Freddie Prinze, Jr., J. K. Simmons (as Mac McGuff, Juno's father), William Petersen (as Gil Grissom), Jack Coleman (as Noah Bennet), Hugh Laurie (as Gregory House), Sarah Jessica Parker (as Carrie Bradshaw), Drew Pinsky, Adam Sandler, Howie Mandel, Dick Cheney, Clint Eastwood, Gray Davis, Simon Cowell, JC Chasez, Bruce Jenner, Michael Richards, Chris Burke, Jeff Probst, Tim Gunn (Project Runway), and Criss Angel.

McDonald was the last member of the cast to have appeared on the show during the 1990's, and the last castmember to have been born in the 1960's.

Film/TV roles

External links

*imdb name|id=0567912|name=Michael James McDonald
* [http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-6749 TvTome Page]