Michael McDonald (comedian)

Michael James McDonald (born December 31, 1964) is an American actor, director, writer, and comedian. 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. While on the show, he developed many memorable characters. He was a contributing writer and director on MADtv.

McDonald also directed several episodes of the comedy-drama series Scrubs, on which he guest-starred 6 times.

McDonald currently divides his time between writing, directing, and acting on various film and television projects, as well as performing live on stage across the country.

Currently, McDonald is working on Nickelodeon's The Loud House as one of Clyde's fathers.

Early life
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 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 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.

Stand-up comedy
Michael is currently touring 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."

Cougar Town
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".

MADtv
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).

Much like Darrell Hammond, Phil Hartman, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Hader on Saturday Night Live, McDonald was the go-to cast member for a litany of impressions, ranging from past and present movie and TV stars to world leaders and American political figures. Some memorable impressions he's done include Criss Angel, Bob Barker, Hugh Beaumont (as Ward Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver), Chris Burke, JC Chasez, Simon Cowell, Larry David, Bob Denver (as Gilligan from Gilligan's Island), Plácido Domingo, Jeff Foxworthy, Brad Garrett (as Robert Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond), Barry Gibb, Mel Gibson, Tim Gunn, Jack Haley (as the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz), Chris Hansen, Saddam Hussein, Bruce Jenner, Steve Jobs, John Kerry, Hugh Laurie (as Gregory House), Tommy Lee, Howie Mandel, Chris Martin from the band Coldplay, Dr. Phil McGraw, Bill O'Reilly, Ozzy Osbourne, Terry O'Quinn (as John Locke from Lost), Sarah Jessica Parker (as Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City), Dr. Drew Pinsky, Maury Povich, Jeff Probst, John Bennett Ramsey, Rob Reiner (as Michael Stivic from All in the Family), Michael Richards, John Ritter (as Jack Tripper from Three’s Company), David Schwimmer (as Ross Geller from Friends), Adam Sandler, Charlie Sheen (as Charlie Harper from Two and a Half Men), J. K. Simmons (as Mac McGruff from Juno and as Vernon Schillinger from Oz), Howard K. Stern, Linda Tripp, and Eddie Vedder.

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.