Michael McKean

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Michael McKean
File:Michael McKean 1999.jpg
McKean in 1999
Born Michael John McKean
(1947-10-17) October 17, 1947 (age 76)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Education Carnegie Mellon University (BFA)
New York University (MFA)
Occupation Actor, comedian, writer, director, composer, musician
Years active 1973–present
Spouse(s) Susan Russell
(m. 1970; div. 1993)
Annette O'Toole
(m. 1999)
Children 2

Michael John McKean (born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in Laverne & Shirley, David St. Hubbins in This Is Spinal Tap, and Chuck McGill on Better Call Saul.

McKean's breakout role was annoying neighbor Lenny Kosnowski on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He played David St. Hubbins, lead vocalist and co-lead guitarist of the fictional rock band Spinal Tap in This Is Spinal Tap and had roles in several Christopher Guest ensemble films. He co-wrote the song "A Mighty Wind" (for the Christopher Guest film A Mighty Wind), which won a him a Grammy Award, as well as "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from the same film, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. McKean was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for its 19th and 20th seasons in the mid-1990s.

McKean portrayed Chuck McGill, brother of Saul Goodman, on the AMC drama series Better Call Saul, for which he has received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2019. In 2020, he starred alongside Martin Freeman in the parental comedy series Breeders.

Early life

McKean was born October 17, 1947 in New York City at Manhattan Women’s Hospital, now part of the Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s complex on Amsterdam Avenue.[1] He is the son of Ruth Stewart McKean, a librarian, and Gilbert S. McKean, one of the founders of Decca Records,[2][3] and was raised in Sea Cliff, New York, on Long Island.[4] McKean is of Irish, English, Scottish, and some German and Dutch descent.[5] He graduated from high school in 1965. In early 1967, he was briefly a member of the New York City "baroque pop" band The Left Banke and played on the "Ivy, Ivy" single (B-side: "And Suddenly").[6][7]

Career

McKean began his career (as well as the characters of Lenny and Squiggy) in Pittsburgh while a student at Carnegie Mellon; 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 portraying Lenny and Squiggy and Brad Gibson. 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 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. After leaving Laverne & Shirley in 1982, McKean played David St. Hubbins in the comedy This Is Spinal Tap with both Guest and Shearer, and appeared in the spoof Young Doctors in Love.

McKean quickly became a recognizable name in film and television, with appearances in films such as Used Cars (1980), Clue (1985), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), and taking a lead role in Short Circuit 2 (1988).

1990s

In 1990, McKean appeared opposite Kiefer Sutherland and Dennis Hopper in Flashback. 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) the second episode and later directed the final episode of the mock documentary series Morton & Hayes, created by Phil Mishkin and Rob Reiner.

McKean appeared in a number of movie roles, including the film adaptation of Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Coneheads (1993), Airheads (1994), and Radioland Murders (1994).

Having already appeared as a musical guest and then host of Saturday Night Live, McKean joined the cast from 1994 to 1995. At the age of 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),[8] one of a handful of SNL cast members who weren't already hired to work behind the scenes (like SNL's 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.[9] 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 movies.

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.

McKean's television guest appearances include The Simpsons; Star Trek: Voyager; Boy Meets World; Murder, She Wrote; Murphy Brown; Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman; Friends; and Caroline in the City. In 1998, he guest starred in a two-part episode of The X-Files titled "Dreamland," in which his character Morris Fletcher switched bodies with Fox Mulder. 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."

2000s

McKean and Jane Lynch at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.

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's series Primetime Glick. He also had guest roles on such shows as Law & Order, Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, 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'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, the Superman prequel in which his wife Annette O'Toole, starred as Martha Kent. McKean played Perry White, 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 (John Shea). Also, during his short stint on Saturday Night Live, McKean played Perry White in a Superman spoof.

In 2003, he appeared in the Christopher Guest comedy A Mighty Wind. He co-wrote several songs for the film, including A Mighty Wind (with Guest and Eugene Levy), which won the Grammy 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.

McKean performed in the Broadway production of Hairspray in 2004. He co-starred as Hines in a revival of The Pajama Game with Harry Connick, Jr. at the American Airlines Theatre 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, his co-star from For Your Consideration, in a story intended to honor the leaders and fighters of the 99% movement.[10]

McKean was cast in the pilot episode of a remake of the British series The Thick of It as the chief of staff. The pilot was directed by Guest. McKean starred in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, co-starring Ian McShane, Raul Esparza, Eve Best, and James Frain. The show opened on December 9, 2007. In 2009, he starred in the Chicago-based Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of Superior Donuts by playwright Tracy Letts.

2010s

File:Annette O'Toole and Michael McKean sing on Employee of the Month.jpg
Singer-songwriter spouses Annette O'Toole and Michael McKean perform their song "Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" on Employee of the Month in 2016

On January 20, 2010, it was announced that Michael McKean would return to an episode of Smallville alongside his spouse Annette O'Toole.[11]

In May 2010, McKean won the Celebrity Jeopardy! tournament by defeating Jane Curtin and Cheech Marin. 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's Our Town at the Barrow Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village. His run ended on August 24, 2010. In 2011, McKean appeared on an episode of Sesame Street as a rock star looking for "rocks" to be in an all ROCK-band.

In April 2012, McKean began performing on Broadway in Gore Vidal's The Best Man. On May 22, 2012, McKean was hit by a car in New York City, suffering a broken leg. On June 1, 2012, McKean was released from the hospital to begin physical rehabilitation.[12] He appeared in the HBO comedy series Family Tree in early 2013.[13]

In early 2014, McKean played J. Edgar Hoover in Broadway previews of Robert Schenkkan's Lyndon B. Johnson bio-play All the Way, starring Emmy winner Bryan Cranston as Lyndon B. Johnson.[14]

In 2015, he began appearing as a regular cast member in the first three seasons of Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul in the role of the central character's older brother Chuck McGill – a new character created for the series[15] – and occasionally in the fourth season. The same year, McKean began hosting the Cooking Channel 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.

He played Sgt. Shadwell in the 2019 television mini-series adaptation of the novel Good Omens.[16]

Characters on SNL

Recurring characters on SNL

  • Anthony, the weatherman from "Good Morning, Brooklyn"

Celebrity impersonations on SNL

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Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Cracking Up Various characters
1979 1941 Willy
1980 Used Cars Eddie Winslow
1982 Young Doctors in Love Dr. Simon August
1984 This Is Spinal Tap David St. Hubbins Also writer
1985 D.A.R.Y.L. Andy Richardson
Clue Mr. Green
1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash Leslie Uncredited
1987 Light of Day Bu Montgomery
Planes, Trains and Automobiles State Trooper
1988 Portrait of a White Marriage Rev. Prufrock
Short Circuit 2 Fred Ritter
Earth Girls Are Easy Woody
1989 Hider in the House Phil Dreyer
The Big Picture Emmett Summer Also writer
1990 Flashback Hal
Book of Love Adult Jack Twiller
1991 True Identity Harvey Cooper
1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man George Talbot
Man Trouble Eddy Revere
1993 Coneheads Gorman Seedling
1994 Airheads Milo Jackson
Radioland Murders Rick Rochester
1995 The Brady Bunch Movie Mr. Larry Dittmeyer
Across the Moon Frank
1996 Edie & Pen Rick
The Pompatus of Love Sitcom Star
Jack Paulie
1997 No Strings Attached Elliot Lewis
Casper: A Spirited Beginning Bill Case Direct-to-video
That Darn Cat Peter Randall
Nothing to Lose Phillip "P.B" Barrow
Still Breathing New Mark
1998 The Man Who Counted Reverend Hooper Short film
Spinal Tap: The Final Tour David St. Hubbins Short film
The Pass Willie L.
Small Soldiers Insaniac/Troglokhan Voices
Archibald the Rainbow Painter J.P. Bigelow
With Friends Like These... Dr. Maxwell Hersh
Sugar: The Fall of the West Head of Sex Clinic
1999 Masters of Horror and Suspense Will Masters
Kill the Man Mr. Livingston
True Crime Reverend Shillerman
Teaching Mrs. Tingle Principal Potter
Mystery, Alaska Mr. Walsh
2000 Best in Show Stefan Vanderhoof
Beautiful Lance DeSalvo
Little Nicky Chief of Police
2001 My First Mister Bob Benson
Never Again Alex The Transvestite
Dr. Dolittle 2 Bird 1 (voice)
2002 Slap Her... She's French Monsieur Duke
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II Sarousch Voice; Direct-to-video
Teddy Bears' Picnic Porterfield 'Porty' Pendleton
The Guru Dwain
Auto Focus Video Executive
100 Mile Rule Howard
2003 A Mighty Wind Jerry Palter
2005 The Producers Prison Trustee
2006 Relative Strangers Ken Hyman
For Your Consideration Lane Iverson
2007 Joshua Chester Jenkins
The Grand Steve Lavisch
2008 Adventures of Power Harlan
2009 Whatever Works Joe
2010 Pure Country 2: The Gift Peter
2012 The Words Nelson Wylie
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Dr. Bartholomew Wolper Voice; Direct-to-video
2013 10 Rules for Sleeping Around Jeffrey Fields
2014 Sesame Street: Learning Rocks Virgil Von Vivaldi Direct-to-video
2015 The Meddler Mark
2020 Pink Skies Ahead Richard Completed

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1976–1983 Laverne & Shirley Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski 149 episodes
1979 Happy Days Episode: "Fonzie's Funeral: Part 2"
1980 Goodtime Girls Joey Episode: "Internal Injury"
1984 Saturday Night Live Himself / David St. Hubbins 2 episodes
1985 George Burns Comedy Week Joey Episode: "The Borrowing"
1986 Classified Love Pete Newly Television film
Tall Tales & Legends Mac Macintosh / Mr. Wallace 2 episodes
1987 Double Agent Jason Starr
Warren Starbinder		 Television film
Daniel and the Towers Wexler Hatch Television film
1990 Grand Tom Smithson 13 episodes
Empty Nest Dennis Adams Episode: "Mad About the Boy"
Murder, She Wrote Ross McKay Episode: "The Return of Preston Giles"
The AFI Presents: TV or Not TV? Principal Ford Television special; segment: "Peak A Boo"
1991 Morton & Hayes Dr. Mummenschvantz Episode: "The Bride of Mummula"
Murder in High Places Pettibone Television film
1991–1996 Dream On Gibby Fiske 25 episodes
1992–1994 Dinosaurs Various voices 12 episodes
1992–1999 The Simpsons David St. Hubbins
Arthur Fortune		 Voices; 2 episodes
1993–1994
1998		 Animaniacs Various voices 3 episodes
1993 Family Album Mr. Gordon Episode: "Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall All You Gotta Do Is Call..."
1994 Getting By Dirk Clearfield Episode: "Sell It Like It Is"
1994–1995 Saturday Night Live Various Roles 25 episodes
1994 Lois & Clark:
The New Adventures of Superman		 Dr. Fabian Leek Episode: "Vatman"
Duckman Bob Hiney (voice) Episode: "A Civil War"
1995 The Nanny Prof. Noel Babcock PhD Episode: "Franny and the Professor"
Friends Leon Rastatter Episode: "The One with the List"
1996 The Sunshine Boys Scott Grogan Television film
Star Trek: Voyager The Clown Episode: "The Thaw"
Secret Service Guy Frank McClellan 7 episodes
1996–1999 Tracey Takes On... Barrington 'Barry' LeTissier 6 episodes
1996–1998 Jungle Cubs Cecil (voice) 20 episodes
1996 Caroline in the City Father Damian Episode: "Caroline and the Wedding"
1996–1998 Pinky and the Brain Various voices 4 episodes
1997 Road Rovers Dr. Jeffrey Otitus (voice) Episode: " Reigning Cats and Dogs"
Johnny Bravo Various roles Voice; 3 episodes
The Weird Al Show Miner Episode: "Mining Accident"
Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself (voice) Episode: "BooBooKitty"
1997–1998 101 Dalmatians: The Series Jasper Badun (voice) 27 episodes
1998 The Closer Arthur Willhaven 2 episodes
LateLine Dick Obermeyer Episode: "Pearce's New Buddy"
Murphy Brown Dennis Page Episode: "Second Time Around"
The Angry Beavers L.G. Algae/Raccoon Voice; Episode: "Pond Scum"
Final Justice Merle Hammond Television Film
The New Batman Adventures 50s Joker/Mutant Member Voice; Episode: "Legends of the Dark Knight "
Mr. Show with Bob and David Professor Peens Episode: "Life Is Precious and God and the Bible"
1998–1999 Maggie Winters Lewis Stickley 2 episodes
1998–2002 The X-Files Morris Fletcher 4 episodes
1998 Recess Mr. Bream Voice; Episode: "Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave"
1999 Providence Sherman Smith Episode: "Blind Faith"
Boy Meets World Jedediah Lawrence Episode: "State of the Unions"
1999-2003 Hey Arnold! Various roles Voice; 2 episodes
2000 Batman Beyond Ian Peek (voice) Episode: "Sneak Peek"
2000–2001 The Huntress Lt. Praeger/Ralph Thorson Voice; 3 episodes
2000, 2002 Family Guy Various voices 2 episodes
2000–2001 Clerks: The Animated Series Various voices 2 episodes
2000, 2008 Law & Order Elias Grace / Bill Nolan 2 episodes
2001 Strip Mall Psycho-Vivor Host 2 episodes
2001–2002 Oswald Maestro Bingo/Louie Voice; 5 episodes
2001 The Lone Gunmen Morris Fletcher Episode: "All About Yves"
2001–2003 Primetime Glick Adrien Van Voorhees 30 episodes
2002 Teamo Supremo Mean Thumb/Lo-Fi Voice; 2 episodes
As Told by Ginger Bobby Lightfoot (voice) Episode: "Family Therapy"
Justice League Sgt. O'Shaughnessey
The Sportsman		 Voice; 2 episodes
The Zeta Project Dr. Marcus Edmunds Voice; Episode: "The Hologram Man"
2002–2005 Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law Evelyn Spyro Throckmorton Voice; 4 episodes
2003 And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself William Christy Cabanne Television film
2003
2010–2011		 Smallville Perry White 3 episodes
2005 Alias Dr. Atticus Liddell 2 episodes
Hopeless Pictures Mel Wax Voice; 9 episodes
Boston Legal Dwight Biddle Episode: "Truly, Madly, Deeply"
2006 Catscratch Groink Voice; Episode: "Love Jackal"
Help Me Help You Dr. Howard 'J.' Hubbins Episode: "Pink Feud"
The Year Without a Santa Claus Snow Miser Television film
2007 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Kalgoron Voice; Episode: "Wrath of the Spider Queen"
2007, 2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Matt Tessler 2 episodes
2008 The Unit Dr. Donald Metz 2 episodes
2010 Glory Daze Stu Episode: "Why Shant This Be Love?"
Sesame Street Virgil Von Vivaldi Episode: "Rock, Rock Band"
2011 Off the Map Ed Greenman Episode: "Saved by the Great White Hope"
Castle Victor Baron Episode: "Pretty Dead"
Childrens Hospital Death Episode: "Munch by Proxy"
Glenn Martin, DDS Eye-Hawk/Sarge Voice; Episode: "Heist"
Homeland Judge Jeffrey Turner Episode: "Grace"
2012–2013 Happy Endings Big Dave 2 episodes
2012 Thundercats Vultaire (voice) 2 episodes
2012, 2016 SpongeBob SquarePants Captain Frosty Mug
Lonnie the Shark		 Voice; 2 episodes
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Fred Sandow Episode: "Father's Shadow"
2013 Family Tree Keith Chadwick 4 episodes
American Dad! Emperor Zing Voice; Episode: "Lost in Space"
2014 The 7D Uncle Humidor Voice; 2 episodes
2015–2018 Better Call Saul Chuck McGill 27 episodes
2015–present Food: Fact or Fiction? Himself (host) 39 episodes
2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Zeus Episode: "Stephen Merchant Wears a Checkered Shirt and Rolled Up Jeans"
2015–2016 Drunk History Carl Laemmle/Arthur Jell 2 episodes
2017 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Warren G. Harding counselor Segment: "Harding"
2018 The Good Place Doug Forcett Episode: "Don't Let the Good Life Pass You By"
2019 Veep Governor Ballentine Episode: "Oslo"
Good Omens Witchfinder Sgt. Shadwell Miniseries
2020 Grace and Frankie Jack 5 episodes
Breeders Michael 5 episodes
At Home with Amy Sedaris Guy Lombardi Episode: "New Year's"

Stage

Year Title Role Venue
2004 Hairspray Edna Turnblad Neil Simon Theatre
2004–2005 A Second Hand Memory Phil Wellman Linda Gross Theater
2006 The Pajama Game Hines American Airlines Theatre
2006 Love Song Harry Ambassadors Theatre
2007–2008 The Homecoming Sam Cort Theatre
2009 Our Town Stage Manager Barrow Street Theatre
2009–2010 Superior Donuts Arthur Przybyszewski Music Box Theatre
2011 King Lear Earl of Gloucester The Public Theatre
2012 The Best Man Dick Jensen Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
2014 All the Way J. Edgar Hoover American Repertory Theatre
2017 The Little Foxes Ben Hubbard Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
2018 The True Erastus Corning II Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2004 Academy Award Best Original Song "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow",
from A Mighty Wind		 Nominated
2004 Grammy Award Best Song Written for Visual Media Won
2004 Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Original Song Won
2004 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Music A Mighty Wind Nominated
2004 Florida Film Critics Association Best Ensemble Cast Won
2004 Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Ensemble Acting Nominated
2004 Seattle Film Critics Awards Best Music Won
2006 Gotham Awards Best Ensemble Performance For Your Consideration Nominated
2016 Broadcast Television Critics Association Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
2017 Nominated
2019 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Nominated

References

  1. ↑ https://michaelmckean.com/2016/04/21/a-biographical-snippet/
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  10. ↑ 'IN THE AIR TONIGHT' from "Adventures of Power" on YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
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External links

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