Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician. Over his career he has received a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
as well as nominations for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
and a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
.
McKean started his career as Lenny Kosnowski in the
ABC sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Laverne & Shirley
''Laverne & Shirley'' is an American television sitcom that ran for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' stars Penny Marshall and Cindy Wi ...
'' from 1976 to 1983. He was briefly a cast member on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
sketch comedy series ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' for its 19th and 20th seasons from 1994 to 1995, and played Gibby Fiske in
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
series ''
Dream On'' (1990–1996). He has acted in films such as ''
Used Cars'' (1980), ''
Clue
Clue may refer to:
* Clue (information) – a piece of information bringing someone closer to a conclusion.
People with the name
* DJ Clue (born 1975), mixtape DJ
* Fredy Clue (born 1994 or 1995), Swedish artist and musician
* Oliver Clue
* ...
'' (1985), and ''
The Big Picture'' (1989), the latter of which he also co-wrote.
He is also known for having collaborated with
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born 5 February 1948), known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy ...
acting in his films such as ''
This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984), ''
Best in Show'' (2000), ''
A Mighty Wind'' (2003), and ''
For Your Consideration'' (2006). He co-wrote the song "A Mighty Wind" (for the Guest film ''
A Mighty Wind''), for which he won a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
, as well as "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from the same film, which was nominated for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
. He was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
in 2019 for his role as
Chuck McGill
Charles Lindbergh "Chuck" McGill Jr. is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel to ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael McKean and was created by ...
on the
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
series ''
Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...
'' (2015–2018; 2022). Since 2020, he has voiced
Lou Pickles
'' Rugrats'' includes a large array of characters: family, friends, extended relatives, townspeople, and fictional characters. This is a list of characters from the original 1990s Nickelodeon animated television series, its various films, its '' ...
in
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
's ''
Rugrats
''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil, and their day-to-d ...
'' franchise. He has acted in shows such as ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm
''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...
'', ''
Veep
''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci. The series follows Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the fictional Vice Pres ...
'', ''
Grace and Frankie'', ''
Breeders'', and ''
The Diplomat''.
On stage, McKean made his
Broadway debut as Edna Turnblad in the musical ''
Hairspray
Hairspray may refer to:
* Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind
* Hairspray (1988 film), ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters
** Hairspray (1988 soundtrack), ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundt ...
'' (2004). He took on dual roles portraying
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...
and
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A Democratic Pa ...
in the political epic play ''
All the Way'' (2014). He has acted in the Broadway plays such as the
Tracy Letts
Tracy S. Letts (born July 4, 1965) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He started his career at the Steppenwolf Theatre before making his Broadway debut as a playwright for '' August: Osage County'' (2007), for which he received t ...
play ''
Superior Donuts
''Superior Donuts'' is a play by American playwright Tracy Letts. Its world premiere was staged by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 2008. It premiered on Broadway in 2009.
Synopsis
The play focuses on the relationship between d ...
'' (2009), the
Gore Vidal
Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...
revival ''
The Best Man'' (2012), and the
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, Prose, prose writer, Memoir, memoirist, and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway as well as her communist views and political activism. She was black ...
revival ''
The Little Foxes'' (2017).
Early life
McKean was born October 17, 1947, in New York City at Manhattan Women's Hospital. He is the son of Gilbert S. McKean, one of the founders of
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
, and Ruth Stewart McKean, a librarian, and was raised in
Sea Cliff, New York
Sea Cliff is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the village population was 4,995. It is considered part of the greater Glen Cove ar ...
, on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. McKean is of Irish, English, Scottish, and some German and Dutch descent. He graduated from North Shore High School in 1965. In early 1967, he was briefly a member of the New York City "baroque pop" band
the Left Banke
The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the Music journalism, music press refer ...
and played on the "Ivy, Ivy" single (
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
: "And Suddenly").
Career
McKean began his career (as well as the characters of Lenny and Squiggy) in Pittsburgh while a student at
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie may refer to:
People
*Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name
**Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist
* Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan
Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie
* ...
;
David Lander was a fellow student at CMU. Their partnership grew after graduation as part of the comedy group
The Credibility Gap with
Harry Shearer in Los Angeles, but McKean's breakthrough came in 1976 when he and Lander joined the cast of ''
Laverne & Shirley
''Laverne & Shirley'' is an American television sitcom that ran for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' stars Penny Marshall and Cindy Wi ...
'' portraying Lenny and Squiggy. McKean directed one episode, and the characters became something of a phenomenon, even releasing an album as ''
Lenny and the Squigtones'' in 1979, which featured a young
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born 5 February 1948), known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy ...
on guitar (credited as ''Nigel Tufnel''—the name Guest would use a few years later as part of the spoof rock band
Spinal Tap). "Foreign Legion of Love" was a big hit for the Squigtones, with frequent play on the ''
Dr. Demento Show''. McKean also played his character in an episode of ''
Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...
''. After leaving ''Laverne & Shirley'' in 1982, McKean appeared in the film spoof ''
Young Doctors in Love
''Young Doctors in Love'' is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. It spoofs a variety of medical shows (in particular, ''General Hospital'') and has many guest stars from ABC soap operas.
The film stars Sean Young, Michae ...
'', then two years later as
David St. Hubbins in the comedy ''
This Is Spinal Tap'' with both Guest and Shearer.
McKean quickly became a recognizable name in film and television, with appearances in movies such as ''
Used Cars'' (1980), ''
Clue
Clue may refer to:
* Clue (information) – a piece of information bringing someone closer to a conclusion.
People with the name
* DJ Clue (born 1975), mixtape DJ
* Fredy Clue (born 1994 or 1995), Swedish artist and musician
* Oliver Clue
* ...
'' (1985), ''
D.A.R.Y.L.
''D.A.R.Y.L.'' is a 1985 science fiction adventure film directed by Simon Wincer and written by David Ambrose, Allan Scott, and Jeffrey Ellis. It stars Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Kathryn Walker, Colleen Camp, Josef Sommer, and Barret O ...
'' (1985), ''
Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), ''
Earth Girls Are Easy'' (1988), and taking a lead role in ''
Short Circuit 2
''Short Circuit 2'' is a 1988 American science fiction comedy film, the sequel to the 1986 film ''Short Circuit''. It was directed by Kenneth Johnson and starred Fisher Stevens as Ben Jahrvi, Michael McKean as Fred Ritter, Cynthia Gibb as Sand ...
'' (1988). He appeared opposite
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...
and
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. He was considered one of the key figures of New Hollywood. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Internatio ...
in ''
Flashback'' (1990). The same year, McKean was part of an ensemble cast in the television series ''
Grand'', which aired for a short time. In 1991, McKean co-wrote (with
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born 5 February 1948), known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy ...
) the second episode and later directed the final episode of the mock documentary series ''
Morton & Hayes'', created by
Phil Mishkin and
Rob Reiner
Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and liberal activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael Stivic, Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitc ...
. McKean appeared in a number of film roles, including the film adaptation of ''
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
''Memoirs of an Invisible Man'' is a 1987 science fiction novel by H. F. Saint.
Synopsis
Nicholas Halloway is a 34-year-old Manhattan securities analyst who writes a narrative memoir (presumably this book) of his life starting on the day of ...
'' (1992), ''
Coneheads'' (1993), ''
Airheads
''Airheads'' is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Rich Wilkes. It stars Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler as the members of a struggling rock band who hijack a Los Angeles radio station in ord ...
'' (1994), and ''
Radioland Murders'' (1994).
Having already appeared as a musical guest and then host of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', McKean joined the cast from 1994 to 1995. At age 46, he was the oldest person ever to join the ''SNL'' cast at the time (later surpassed by
Leslie Jones, who joined in 2014 at age 47),
one of a handful of ''SNL'' cast members who weren't already hired to work behind the scenes (like ''SNLs numerous writers-turned-cast members) to appear on the show before becoming a cast member and the only one to be a musical guest and a host before becoming a cast member.
During this time, he also released a video follow-up to ''Spinal Tap'', played the villainous Mr. Dittmeyer in ''
The Brady Bunch Movie'', and played the boss Gibby in the series ''
Dream On''. After leaving ''Saturday Night Live'', McKean spent a lot of time doing children's fare, voicing various TV shows and films. In 1997, he performed the lead voice role in the video game ''
Zork Grand Inquisitor'' as Dalboz of Gurth and appeared in the 1999 films ''
Teaching Mrs. Tingle'' and ''
Mystery, Alaska
''Mystery, Alaska'' is a 1999 American sports comedy-drama film, directed by Jay Roach, about an amateur ice hockey team from the fictional small town of Mystery that plays an exhibition game against the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Y ...
''.
McKean's television guest appearances include ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
''; ''
Star Trek: Voyager''; ''
Boy Meets World
''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews ( Ben Savage) and his friends and f ...
''; ''
Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
''; ''
Murphy Brown
''Murphy Brown'' is an American television sitcom created by Diane English that premiered on November 14, 1988, on CBS. The series stars Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news presenter, news anch ...
''; ''
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''; ''
Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
''; and ''
Caroline in the City
''Caroline in the City'' is an American television sitcom that ran on NBC from 1995 until 1999. It stars Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy, who lives in Manhattan. The rest of the cast includes Eric Lutes, Malcolm Gets, Amy Pietz, an ...
''. McKean had a recurring role on the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
sketch comedy series, ''
Tracey Takes On...'', which he also directed. In 1998, he guest starred in a two-part episode of ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'' titled "Dreamland," in which his character
Morris Fletcher switched bodies with
Fox Mulder
Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
. The character was a success, reappearing in 1999's "Three of a Kind," an episode which focused on the recurring characters of
The Lone Gunmen. The character appeared on the short-lived spin-off series in 2001, and then returned to ''The X-Files'' in its final season for an episode called "Jump the Shark."

McKean reunited with Christopher Guest in ''
Best in Show'' (2000) and appeared in ''
Little Nicky'' (2000), ''
The Guru'' (2002), ''
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself'' (2003), and ''
A Mighty Wind'' (2003), in which
The Folksmen are played by the actors who played as
Spinal Tap. McKean had a regular role as the brassy, heavily made-up bandleader Adrian Van Voorhees in
Martin Short
Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television ...
's series ''
Primetime Glick''. He also had guest roles on such shows as ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'', ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'', ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'', and ''
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law''. He did voiceover work as Henry's cousin Louie on ''Oswald'', which coincidentally featured the voice of David Lander as Henry. He lent his voice to an episode of
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...
's ''
Clerks: The Animated Series'' that never aired but was included on the VHS and DVD versions of the series.
In 2003, he guest-starred on ''
Smallville
''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'', the
Superman
Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
prequel in which his wife
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in t ...
starred as
Martha Kent
Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent (often referred to as "Pa" and "Ma" Kent, respectively) are fictional characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. They are the adoptive parents of Superman, and live in the rural town of Smallville (co ...
. McKean played
Perry White
Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the '' Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and i ...
, who ultimately becomes Clark Kent's boss. He previously associated with the Superman universe in 1994 on the ''
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' first-season episode "Vatman," in which he played Dr. Fabian Leek, a cloning expert who creates a Superman clone that belonged to corporate mogul
Lex Luthor
Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
(
John Shea). Also, during his short stint on ''Saturday Night Live'', McKean played
Perry White
Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the '' Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and i ...
in a Superman spoof. McKean appeared in the Christopher Guest comedy ''
A Mighty Wind'' (2003), also co-writing several songs for the film, including the title track (with Guest and
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and ...
), which won the
Grammy
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and ''A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow'', which was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...
.
McKean performed in the Broadway production of ''
Hairspray
Hairspray may refer to:
* Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind
* Hairspray (1988 film), ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters
** Hairspray (1988 soundtrack), ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundt ...
'' in 2004. He co-starred as Hines in a revival of ''
The Pajama Game
''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell.
The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...
'' with
Harry Connick, Jr. at the
American Airlines Theatre
The Todd Haimes Theatre (previously known as the American Airlines Theatre and originally the Selwyn Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 227 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Built ...
in the first half of 2006. Also in 2006, McKean reunited with most of the cast of ''A Mighty Wind'' to film the comedy ''
For Your Consideration'' and appeared in the play ''Love Song'' on the stage in London. His musical interests led him to a starring role in the 2008 comedy air-drumming film ''
Adventures of Power'', in which he was reunited with
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...
, his co-star from ''For Your Consideration'', in a story intended to honor the leaders and fighters of the 99% movement.
McKean acted in the pilot episode of a remake of the British series ''
The Thick of It
''The Thick of It'' is a British comedy television series created, written and directed by Armando Iannucci that satirises the inner workings of British government. It was first broadcast for two short series on BBC Four in 2005, initially ...
'' as the chief of staff. The pilot was directed by Guest. McKean starred in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...
's ''
The Homecoming
''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 and published in 1965 by Harold Pinter. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony Award ...
'', co-starring
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
,
Raul Esparza
Raul, Raúl, Raül, and Raüll are forms of a common first name in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan. The name is cognate of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph and the French ...
,
Eve Best, and
James Frain
James Frain is an English actor. His best known television roles include Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime/CBC historical drama ''The Tudors'' (2007–2009), Franklin Mott in the HBO drama ''True Blood'' (2010), Warwick the Kingmaker in the BB ...
. The show opened on in 2007. In 2009, he starred in the Chicago-based
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry (American actor), Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Immaculate Conception grade school in Highland Park, Illinois and is now located in Chica ...
's production of ''
Superior Donuts
''Superior Donuts'' is a play by American playwright Tracy Letts. Its world premiere was staged by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 2008. It premiered on Broadway in 2009.
Synopsis
The play focuses on the relationship between d ...
'' by playwright
Tracy Letts
Tracy S. Letts (born July 4, 1965) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He started his career at the Steppenwolf Theatre before making his Broadway debut as a playwright for '' August: Osage County'' (2007), for which he received t ...
.
In 2010, McKean returned in an episode of ''Smallville'' alongside his wife and won the ''Celebrity
Jeopardy!
''Jeopardy!'' is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead g ...
'' tournament by defeating
Jane Curtin and
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American comedian and actor. He gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s with Tommy Chong, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dom ...
. The earnings were donated to the International Myeloma Foundation in honor of McKean's friend Lee Grayson, who died of myeloma in 2004. In Summer 2010, McKean took over the role of the Stage Manager in
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...
's ''
Our Town
''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...
'' at the Barrow Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village. In 2011, McKean appeared on an episode of ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' as a rock star looking for "rocks" to be in an all ROCK-band.
In 2012, McKean began performing on Broadway in Gore Vidal's ''The Best Man''. During the show's run, he was hit by a car in New York City, suffering a broken leg. He appeared in the HBO comedy series ''
Family Tree
A family tree, also called a genealogy or a pedigree chart, is a chart representing family relationships in a conventional tree structure. More detailed family trees, used in medicine and social work, are known as genograms.
Representations of ...
'' in 2013. In 2014, McKean played
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...
in Broadway previews of Robert Schenkkan's Lyndon B. Johnson bio-play ''
All the Way'', starring Emmy winner
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor. After taking minor roles in television, he established himself as a leading actor in both comedic and dramatic Bryan Cranston filmography, works on stage and screen. He has received ...
as
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
.
In 2015, McKean began appearing as a regular cast member in the first three seasons of ''
Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
'' spin-off ''
Better Call Saul
''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...
'' in the role of the main character's older brother
Chuck McGill
Charles Lindbergh "Chuck" McGill Jr. is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in the crime drama television series ''Better Call Saul'', a spin-off prequel to ''Breaking Bad''. He is portrayed by Michael McKean and was created by ...
– a new character created for the series – also having guest appearances in the show's
fourth and
sixth seasons. The same year, McKean began hosting the
Cooking Channel
Cooking Channel is an American basic cable channel owned by and spin-off of Food Network. Both are owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (69%) and Nexstar Media ...
television series ''
Food: Fact or Fiction?'' This lighthearted show takes a look at food urban legends and features him both as host and narrator to some segments within each episode.
In 2018, McKean played Doug Forcett in the NBC sitcom ''
The Good Place
''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy-comedy television series created by Michael Schur for NBC. The series premiered on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons consisting of 53 episodes.
Although the pl ...
'', a former stoner from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who had a mushroom-induced hallucination in the 1970s and correctly guessed 92% of the afterlife. While Doug Forcett is mentioned multiple times in the show, McKean only portrayed him in one episode. McKean played Sgt. Shadwell in the 2019
television mini-series adaptation of the novel ''
Good Omens
''Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch'' is a 1990 novel written by the English authors Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
The novel is a comedy about the birth of the son of Satan and the coming of the End Times. ...
''.
Following the death of Cindy Williams in January 2023, McKean is the last surviving original cast member of ''Laverne & Shirley''.
Personal life
McKean married Susan Russell in 1970, and they had two sons, Colin and Fletcher before divorcing in 1993. In 1999, he married
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in t ...
becoming the step-father of her two children from a previous marriage. McKean's son Colin died in 2012.
Characters on ''SNL''
Recurring characters
*Anthony, the weatherman from ''Good Morning, Brooklyn''
Celebrity impersonations
Acting credits
Film
Television
Theatre
Awards and nominations
References
Notes
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
Michael McKean– ''Downstage Center'' interview at
American Theatre Wing
The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...
.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKean, Michael
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American composers
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American musicians
21st-century American singers
1947 births
American comedy musicians
American male comedians
American male composers
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male musicians
American male screenwriters
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male television writers
American male voice actors
American people of Dutch descent
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Scottish descent
American sketch comedians
American television directors
American television writers
Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni
Comedians from New York City
Grammy Award winners
Living people
Male actors from New York City
Musicians from New York (state)
People from Sea Cliff, New York
Screenwriters from New York City
Songwriters from New York (state)