Kevin McDonald
McDonald in 2012
Born Kevin Hamilton McDonald
(1961-05-16 ) May 16, 1961 (age 63) Occupations Years active 1987–present Spouse
Tiffany Lacey
(
m. 1993;
div. 1995)
Parent(s) Sheila McDonald (mother) Hamilton McDonald (father) Relatives Sandra McDonald (sister)
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 starred as a co-pilot in the 2011 web comedy series Papillon . He also does voice work in animation, most notably as Agent Wendy Pleakley in the Lilo & Stitch franchise , Waffle in Catscratch , and the Almighty Tallest Purple in Invader Zim .
He starred alongside Rodney Dangerfield , Lou Ferrigno and Dom DeLuise as the titular character in the gangster parody film The Godson .
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, McDonald used 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] McDonald used 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 an 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 later found 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]
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 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 Johnny Bravo , 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
Television
Notes
1988–1995; 2022
The Kids in the Hall
Various
109 episodes
1996
MADtv
Himself
Host, Episode #2.6
1997
Friends
Guru Saj
Episode: "The One with Ross's Thing"
NewsRadio
Throwdini
Episode: "Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show"
Seinfeld
Denim Vest
Episode: "The Strike "
1997–1998
Ellen
Chuck
2 episodes
1997–2004
Johnny Bravo
Mime, Young Clown, Timmy, Kevin McDonald
Voice, 3 episodes[ 5]
1998
Cow and Chicken
Canadian Dad / Jorge
Voice, episode: "Meet Lance Sackless/Who's Afraid of the Dark?"[ 5]
The Angry Beavers
Zookeeper
Voice, episode: "Zooing Time"[ 5]
The Drew Carey Show
Heller
Episode: "Drew and the Conspiracy"
2000–2001
That '70s Show
Pastor Dave
6 episodes
2001
Clerks: The Animated Series
Batman Fan - Freak #1
Voice, episode: "The Last Episode Ever"
2001
The Santa Claus Brothers
Mel Claus
Voice, television film[ 5]
2001–2003
Invader Zim
Almighty Tallest Purple, Tae, Lobotomy Cop, Malfunctioning SIR Units
Voice, 10 episodes
2002
Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?
Mr. Mitchell
Voice, episode: "Sickness"[ 5]
The True Meaning of Christmas Specials
The Ghost of Christmas Specials Yet to Come
Television film
2003
Sick in the Head
Television film
A Minute with Stan Hooper
Officer Dector
Episode: "Fear Finds the Falls"
Las Vegas
Monty McClure
Episode: "Decks and Violence"
2003–2004
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
Officer Claphammer, Julian Libris
Voice, 2 episodes
2003–2006
Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Agent Wendy Pleakley
Voice, 29 episodes
2004
Corner Gas
Marvin Drey
Episode: "Tax Man"
Yes, Dear
Bob
Episode: "Dead Aunt, Dead Aunt..."
Grounded for Life
Steve
Episode: "Pressure Drop"
Arrested Development
Det. Streudler
Episode: "Not Without My Daughter"
Zeroman
Rusty Woodenwater
Voice, episode: "Smotherly Love"
2005
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Ivan
Voice, episode: "Sight for Sore Eyes"[ 5]
2005–2007
Catscratch
Waffle, Gomez, Waffle Robots, Newts
Voice, 20 episodes[ 5]
2006
Minoriteam
Alien Leader
Voice, 2 episodes
Bratz
Scott
Voice, episode: "Inner Beauty Queen"
Casper's Scare School
Beaky (The Pirate's Parrot)
Voice, television film[ 5]
Sketch with Kevin McDonald
Host
Television film
2007
According to Jim
Therapist
Episode: "All the Rage"
Carpoolers
Donny Daramajian
Episode: "The Seminar"
The Emperor's New School
Security Guard
Voice, 1 episode
2008–2010
WordGirl
Vocab Bee, Police Chief, Judge, The Baker
Voice, 4 episodes
2008–2012
Less Than Kind
Walter
4 episodes
2009
Back at the Barnyard
Baxter, Flaky, Alien 1
Voice, 3 episodes[ 5]
2009–2011
The Penguins of Madagascar
Barry
Voice, 2 episodes[ 5]
2010
The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
Various
8 episodes
The Soup
Grownup Pageant Princess
1 episode
Dino Dan
Mr. Curry
Episode: "Dino Trap/Big Bad Spinosaurus"; uncredited
2011
Dan Vs.
Barry Ditmer
Voice, episode: "Technology"
Papillon
Darius
15 episodes
2011–2012
Fish Hooks
Dr. Frog, Chicken
Voice, 9 episodes[ 5]
2012–2016
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
Lu Kang
Voice, 2 episodes[ 5]
2013
Phineas and Ferb
Professor Bannister
Voice, episode: "Sidetracked"[ 5]
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Disco Strangler
Episode: "Pilot"; uncredited
2014
Spun Out
Damian
Episode: "Middle Aged Men in the Hall"
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Galactic Commander of the Planet Pylon
Episode: "Craig Robinson Wears a Bordeaux Button Down & Dark Jeans"
Odd Squad
Lord Rectangle
Episode: "Crime at Shapely Manor"
2015
Tiny Plastic Men
Billy Bland / Billy Blumpie
Episode: "Billy Blumpie"
Wander Over Yonder
Sherblorg King
Voice, 2 episodes[ 5]
Moonbeam City
Accoutrement
Voice, episode: "Lasers and Liars"
The Plateaus
Jimp
10 episodes; web series
2016
Man Seeking Woman
Chainsaw
Episode: "Cactus"
The Bagel and Becky Show
Bagel
Voice, 30 episodes[ 5]
Delmer & Marta
Creston
8 episodes
2017
Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer
TV Announcer
Voice, episode: "The Mushroom Prince/Count Wretcher"[ 5]
2017–2018
Walk the Prank
Mr. Dingley
7 episodes
2019
Amphibia
Albus Duckweed
Voice, 3 episodes[ 5]
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus
Almighty Tallest Purple
Voice, television film[ 5]
Carter
Russell Langham
Episode: "Harley Insisted On Wearing Pants"
2023
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
The Director
Voice, 3 episodes[ 5]
Video games
Internet web series
Theme parks
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
External links
Collapse Television series Films Characters