Kevin McDonald

Kevin Hamilton McDonald (born May 16, 1961) is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of stage, television and film productions, most notably the 1988–1995 TV series The Kids in the Hall. He played Pastor Dave in That '70s Show, and also starred as a co-pilot in the 2011 web comedy series Papillon. He also does voice work in animation, most notably for providing the voices of Agent Wendy Pleakley in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, Waffle in Catscratch, and the Almighty Tallest Purple in Invader Zim.

Kevin McDonald
McDonald in 2012
Born
Kevin Hamilton McDonald

(1961-05-16) May 16, 1961
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Occupation
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1988–present

Early life

McDonald was born in Montréal, Québec, the son of Sheila and Hamilton "Hammy" McDonald, who was a dental equipment salesman.[1] He moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of seven, after his father was transferred there.[2] His family subsequently lived in Toronto, Ontario as well. McDonald has a younger sister, Sandra.

During an interview on WTF with Marc Maron, McDonald discussed his father's severe alcoholism, which inspired the Kids In The Hall sketches "Daddy Drank" and "Girl Drink Drunk". Although he calls his mother "a wonderful woman," she was nevertheless reluctant to leave his father until Kevin turned 19, when his father's drinking had escalated to two bottles of vodka daily. McDonald, his mother and sister rented an apartment, where they quietly moved their belongings "every night [after his father would] collapse on the stairs." Once they had completely moved, his parents divorced, his father lost his job, went bankrupt and lived in a homeless shelter for a year, during which he abstained from drinking (although he alleged "his roommates were drinking Drano"); coincidentally, Kevin McDonald would use the same building to rehearse with The Kids In The Hall as they were starting out on stage. His father was able to find employment at a flower shop, then an apartment and, over time, resume his career in dental equipment sales. Eventually, he did drink again, but not to the extent he had earlier in his life. He died of an aneurysm in 2004.[3] Kevin McDonald would use his relationship with his father as the basis for a one-man show, Hammy And The Kids, in which he said he had no happy ending to the story of his father.[4] However, during his interview with Marc Maron, he said after one performance of his one-man show, he was approached by a stranger who said that he had served his father as a bartender, and that his father mentioned how proud he was of his son, the famous comedian, which moved McDonald to tears "like the ending to a bad movie."

McDonald briefly studied acting at a community college, where he was kicked out for being "a one-legged actor" (i.e. he could perform comedy, but not drama) by a dean who had a leg amputated, and was therefore a literal one-legged actor. However, one of his professors, William B. Davis (who would later find fame in his portrayal of Cigarette Smoking Man on The X-Files), saw McDonald's potential and encouraged him to pursue improv comedy by giving him the number to The Second City in Toronto.[3]

During his youth, he had a weight problem. It wasn't until just prior to The Kids in the Hall in the late 1980s that he went from overweight to rather skinny. Several sketches and monologues allude to the issue, and a stockier McDonald can be seen in archival footage on The Kids in the Hall on DVD box sets.

Career

McDonald founded The Kids in the Hall comedy troupe with his friend Dave Foley. They met in Toronto at the Second City Training Center, and the two wrote and performed in sketches together more than any other pair in the group. In the troupe's TV show and stage shows, he portrays several popular recurring characters, such as the King of Empty Promises, Sir Simon Milligan, and Jerry Sizzler. A frequent running gag was that McDonald is the least popular member and always struggling not to get kicked out.

When the troupe ended the five-season run of its eponymous television series in 1994, the five members moved to a number of solo projects. McDonald has played roles in movies like Boy Meets Girl, Pleakley in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, and Harry Potter in Epic Movie. On television, he has appeared on The Martin Short Show, Ellen (as a radio personality), That '70s Show (as a confused young cleric, Pastor Dave), Seinfeld, Friends, NewsRadio (on which Foley starred), MADtv, Arrested Development, and Corner Gas. McDonald has also done voice work for various animated series, including Invader Zim (in which he did the voice for Almighty Tallest Purple), The Angry Beavers, Catscratch (in which he voiced Waffle), and Clerks: The Animated Series. He also played an imaginary friend named Ivan in the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends episode Sight For Sore Eyes, and appeared in the music video for "Roses" by OutKast.

In 2006, McDonald hosted a CBC Television special, Sketch with Kevin McDonald, featuring several of Canada's best-known sketch comedy troupes. The special received two nominations, for the performances by The Minnesota Wrecking Crew and by The Imponderables, for Canadian Comedy Award in the category Best Taped Live Performance, with The Minnesota Wrecking Crew winning the award.

Since 2000, McDonald and the other members of The Kids in the Hall have reunited for a number of tours and televised performances. The troupe played the 2007 Just for Laughs festival, where McDonald also performed his one-and-a half-man show Hammy and the Kids with Craig Northey, based on his two dysfunctional families, his father ("Hammy") and The Kids in the Hall.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987Distant HorizonsLonely Met TechVideo
1995National Lampoon's Senior TripTravis Lindsey
1996Kids in the Hall: Brain CandyDr. Chris Cooper / Doreen / Chris' dad / Lacey
1997The Wrong GuyMotel Manager
1998Boy Meets GirlJack
The GodsonGuppy Calzone
1999Galaxy QuestAnnouncer
2000The Ladies ManMail Man
2002Lilo & StitchAgent Wendy Pleakley (voice)
2003Stitch! The MovieAgent Wendy Pleakley (voice)Video
2005Sky HighDr. Medulla
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a GlitchAgent Wendy Pleakley (voice)Video
Thru the Moebius StripAgent Po (voice)English dub
2006Leroy & StitchAgent Wendy Pleakley (voice)TV film
Unaccompanied MinorsGuard in the Hall #1
2007Epic MovieHarry Potter
2009Year of the CarnivoreMr. Smalls
2011KeyholeOgilbe
2012Dead Before DawnProfessor Reginald Duffy

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988–1995The Kids in the HallVarious102 episodes
1996MADtvHimself (host)Episode #2.6
1997FriendsGuru SajEpisode: "The One with Ross's Thing"
NewsRadioThrowdiniEpisode: "Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show"
SeinfeldDenim VestEpisode: "The Strike"
1997–1998EllenChuck2 episodes
1997–2004Johnny BravoVarious voices3 episodes
1998Cow and ChickenCanadian Dad / Jorge (voice)Episode: "Meet Lance Sackless/Who's Afraid of the Dark?"
The Angry BeaversZookeeper (voice)Episode: "Lumberjacks' Delight/Zooing Time"
The Drew Carey ShowHellerEpisode: "Drew and the Conspiracy"
2000–2001That '70s ShowPastor Dave6 episodes
2001ClerksBatman Fan - Freak #1 (voice)Episode: "The Last Episode Ever"
2001–2003Invader ZIMAlmighty Tallest Purple (voice)10 episodes
2002Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?Mr. MitchellEpisode: "Sickness"
The True Meaning of Christmas SpecialsThe Ghost of Christmas Specials Yet to ComeTV movie
2003Sick in the HeadTV movie
A Minute with Stan HooperOfficer DectorEpisode: "Fear Finds the Falls"
Las VegasMonty McClureEpisode: "Decks and Violence"
2003–2004What's New, Scooby-Doo?Officer Claphammer / Julian Libris (voice)2 episodes
2003–2006Lilo & Stitch: The SeriesAgent Wendy Pleakley (voice)29 episodes
2004Corner GasMarvin DreyEpisode: "Tax Man"
Yes, DearBobEpisode: "Dead Aunt, Dead Aunt..."
Grounded for LifeSteveEpisode: "Pressure Drop"
Arrested DevelopmentDetective StreudlerEpisode: "Not Without My Daughter"
ZeromanRusty Woodenwater (voice)Episode: "Smotherly Love"
2005Foster's Home for Imaginary FriendsIvan (voice)Episode: "Sight for Sore Eyes"
2005–2007CatscratchWaffle (voice)17 episodes
2006MinoriteamAlien Leader (voice)2 episodes
BratzScott (voice)Unknown episodes
Casper's Scare SchoolBeaky (The Pirate's Parrot) (voice)TV movie
Sketch with Kevin McDonaldHostTV movie
2007According to JimTherapistEpisode: "All the Rage"
CarpoolersDonny DaramajianEpisode: "The Seminar"
The Emperor's New SchoolSecurity Guard (voice)1 episode
2008–2010WordGirlVocab Bee, PoliceChief, Judge, The Baker (voices)4 episodes
2008–2012Less Than KindWalter4 episodes
2009Back at the BarnyardBaxter, Flaky (voices)2 episodes
2009–2011The Penguins of MadagascarBarry (voice)2 episodes
2010The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to TownVarious8 episodes
The SoupGrownup Pageant Princess1 episode
Dino DanMr. CurryEpisode: "Dino Trap/Big Bad Spinosaurus"; uncredited
2011Dan Vs.Barry DitmerEpisode: "Death Vs. Technology"
PapillonDarius15 episodes
2011–2012Fish HooksDr. Frog (voice)9 episodes
2012–2016Kung Fu Panda: Legends of AwesomenessLu Kang (voice)2 episodes
2013Phineas and FerbProfessor Bannister (voice)Episode: "Sidetracked"
Brooklyn Nine-NineDisco StranglerEpisode: "Pilot"; uncredited
2014Spun OutDamianEpisode: "Middle Aged Men in the Hall"
Comedy Bang! Bang!Galactic Commander of the Planet PylonEpisode: "Craig Robinson Wears a Bordeaux Button Down & Dark Jeans"
Odd SquadLord RectangleEpisode: "Crime at Shapely Manor"
2015Tiny Plastic MenBilly Bland / Billy BlumpieEpisode: "Billy Blumpie"
Wander Over YonderSherblorg King (voice)2 episodes
Moonbeam CityAccoutrement (voice)Episode: "Lasers and Liars"
2016Man Seeking WomanChainsawEpisode: "Cactus"
The Bagel and Becky ShowBagel (voice)30 episodes
Delmer & MartaCreston8 episodes
2017Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean SummerTV Announcer (voice)Episode: "The Mushroom Prince/Count Wretcher"
2017–2018Walk the PrankMr. Dingley7 episodes
2019AmphibiaAlbus Duckweed (voice)3 episodes
Invader Zim: Enter the FlorpusAlmighty Tallest Purple (voice)TV special
CarterRussell LanghamEpisode: "Harley Insisted On Wearing Pants"

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in ParadiseAgent Wendy Pleakley
2002Lilo & Stitch: Hawaiian AdventureAgent Wendy Pleakley
2014Disney Infinity 2.0Agent Wendy PleakleyStitch's Tropical Rescue Toy Box Game

Theme parks

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Stitch's Great Escape!Agent Wendy Pleakley (voice)Short; theme park attraction

Awards and nominations

  • 1989 - Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series - Won
  • 1989 - Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series - Won
  • 1990 - Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series - Won
  • 1992 - Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series - Nominated
  • 1993 - Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series - Won
  • 1993 - Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program - Nominated
  • 1993 - CableACE Award - Nominated
  • 1994 - Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series - Nominated
  • 1994 - Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program - Nominated
  • 1995 - Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program - Nominated
  • 1995 - Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series - Nominated
  • 1996 - Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series - Nominated
  • 1996 - Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Program or Series - Nominated
  • 1998 - Silver Hugo Award for Best Documentary - Won
  • 2003 - Gemini Award for Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series - Nominated

References

  1. "Kevin McDonald Biography (1961-)". www.filmreference.com.
  2. "KITHfan.org : Kids in the Hall : Kevin McDonald". www.kithfan.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  3. Freddie Hodges (19 October 2014). "WTF with Marc Maron Podcast Episode 477 Kevin Macdonald / Kevin McDonald" via YouTube.
  4. "Hammy and the Kids".
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