Michael McDonald
Michael James McDonald (born December 31, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for starring in the sketch comedy show MADtv. He was also a writer, director, and producer of the ABC TV series Cougar Town.
His best known movie roles are as Little John in Halloween Kills, Ronovan Scargle in The Happy time Murders, Jonathan in Ghostbusters (2016), Bryce Crean in The Boss, Patrick in Spy, Julian in The Heat, and small roles in each Austin Powers movie.
He graduated from USC with a degree in Business and became a loan officer at a bank in Los Angeles. A friend took him to see a sketch comedy/improv show at L.A.'s famous Groundling Theater, and everything changed for him. He quit his job as a banker, enrolled in the Groundling's Improv Program, and became a member of the troupe from 1992 to 1997.
His first professional writing and acting jobs came from Concorde Pictures, Roger Corman's infamous low-budget movie studio. Starting as an extra, he landed small roles in many B-movies of the early 1990s, and he gradually earned bigger roles as well as eventually writing and directing some films.
He joined MADtv 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. After 10 years on MADtv, he left the cast, but was a contributing writer and director for the show's final season. He 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.
Acting
Movie
Ghostbusters
as Jonathan the Theater Manager
2016
Movie
Spy
as Patrick
2015
Movie
The Heat
as Julian
2013
TV
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
as Adam Jarver
2013
Movie
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
as Henchman Flattened by Steamroller (uncredited)
1997
Movie
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
as NATO Soldier
1999
Movie
Austin Powers in Goldmember
as Royal Guard
2002
Movie
Halloween Kills
as Little John
2021
TV
Seinfeld
as Jesse
1989
TV
Seinfeld
as Player #2
1989
TV
Desperate Housewives
as Steven
2004
TV
Community
as Insurance Man
2009
Movie
The Boss
as Bryce Crean
2016
Movie
The Happytime Murders
as Ronovan Scargle
2018
TV
What We Do in the Shadows
as Gustave Leroy
2019
TV
Hannah Montana
as Chef Duncan Keats
2006
TV
Pushing Daisies
as Galveston Gus
2007
TV
Invader ZIM
as RoboDad / Crewman (voice)
2001
Movie
Casper Meets Wendy
as Spike-Stretch
1998
TV
The Sex Lives of College Girls
as George
2021
Movie
Leprechaun 2
as Waiter
1994
Movie
Mother of the Bride
as Clay
2024
TV
Family Matters
as Manager
1989
Movie
Casper: A Spirited Beginning
as Sarcastic Protester
1997
Crew
TV
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Director
2013
TV
The Good Place
Director
2016
TV
2 Broke Girls
Director
2011
TV
Cougar Town
Director
2009
TV
Mike & Molly
Director
2010
TV
7th Heaven
Director
1996
TV
American Housewife
Director
2016
TV
Powerless
Director
2017
TV
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
Director
2021
TV
MADtv
Director
1995
TV
Man with a Plan
Director
2016
TV
Scrubs
Director
2001