Biography Michael McKean
McKean began his career as part of the comedy group The Credibility Gap with Harry Shearer and David Lander but his breakthrough came in 1976 when he joined the cast of Laverne and Shirley, paired with David Lander, who played Squiggy. McKean directed one episode, 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). McKean also played his character in an episode of Happy Days. After leaving Laverne and Shirley in 1982, McKean played David St. Hubbins in the cult spoof documentary movie This is Spinal Tap with both Guest and Shearer, and appeared in the soap opera spoof Young Doctors In Love.
Film and television
McKean quickly became a recognisable name in film and television, with appearances in films such as Clue (1985), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), the film adaptation of Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) and Coneheads (1993). He also had guest roles on such shows as Murder, She Wrote, Murphy Brown, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Caroline in the City.
Having already appeared as a musical guest and then host of Saturday Night Live, McKean joined the cast in 1994. During this time, he also released a video follow up to Spinal Tap, and playing Mr. Dittmeyer in The Brady Bunch Movie. After leaving Saturday Night Live, McKean spent a lot of time doing children's fare, voicing various TV shows and movies. In 1999, with two children from a previous marriage, McKean married Annette O'Toole.
Recent career
In 1997, he played the lead voice role in computer game Zork Grand Inquisitor, as Dalboz of Gurth.
His more recent films have included Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Mystery, Alaska (1999), Best in Show (2000) (in which he reunited with Christopher Guest), Little Nicky (2000), The Guru (2002) and And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003).
Recent TV guest appearances include The Simpsons, Law & Order, Family Guy, Star Trek: Voyager, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. He also lent his voice to an episode of Kevin Smith's Clerks: The Animated Series that was never aired on ABC but was included on the VHS and DVD versions of the series. In 1998, he guest starred in a two-part episode of The X-Files called "Dreamland" in which his character, Morris Fletcher, switched bodies with Fox Mulder. The character was a success, and reappeared in 1999's Three of a Kind, an episode which focused on the recurring characters of The Lone Gunmen. The character appeared on their 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". In 2003, he guest starred on Smallville, the Superman prequel on which his wife starred as Martha Kent. McKean played Perry White, who - in the Superman universe - ultimately becomes Clark Kent's boss.
In 2003, he appeared in the Christopher Guest comedy A Mighty Wind. Along with O'Toole, McKean had written a love song A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow which was then featured in the film and won the Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for best original song. In the film, the 60s-style folk song was performed by SCTV alums Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy.
He was on Broadway in a production of Hairspray in 2004 and is apparently writing his own musical with O'Toole. He is currently co-starring as Hines in a revival of The Pajama Game with Harry Connick, Jr. at the American Airlines Theatre.
Partial filmography
2005 The Producers - Prison Trustee
2005 Boston Legal - TV episode - Dwight Biddle
2005 Alias - 2 TV episodes - Dr. Liddell
2003 Smallville - TV Episode - Perry White
2003 And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself - (TV) - William Christy Cabanne
2003 Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law - TV Episode (& 2 episodes in 2002) - Spyro (voice)
2003 A Mighty Wind - Jerry Palter
2002 Auto Focus - Video Executive
2002 The Guru - Dwain
2002 Justice League - 2 TV Episodes (voice) - The Sportsman
2002 The X Files - 4 TV Episodes (2002) (1999) (2x 1998) - Morris Fletcher
2002 Teddy Bears' Picnic - Porterfield 'Porty' Pendleton
2002 The Hunchback of Notre Dame II - (voice) - Sarousch
2002 Family Guy - TV Episode (voice) - 2002 "Road to Europe" - Pengrove Pig/Man On Plane With Peanuts/Camel Salesman; 2000 "Wasted Talent" - Pawtucket Pat
2001 Dr. Dolittle 2 - (voice) - Bird
2001 The Lone Gunmen - TV Episode - Morris Fletcher
2001 Strip Mall - 2 TV Episodes - Psycho-Vivor Host
2001 My First Mister - Bob Benson
2000 Little Nicky - Chief of Police
2000 Beautiful - Lance DeSalvo
2000 Best in Show - Stefan Vanderhoof
2000 Law & Order - TV Episode - Elias Grace
2000 Batman Beyond - TV Episode (voice) - Sneak Peek/Ian Peek
2000 Catching Up with Marty DiBergi - David St. Hubbins
1999 Mystery, Alaska - Mr. Walsh
1999 Hey Arnold! - TV Episode (voice) - Johnny Stitches
1999 Teaching Mrs. Tingle - Principal Potter
1999 Boy Meets World - TV Episode - Jedediah Lawrence
1999 The Simpsons - TV Episode (voice) - 1999 "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" - Arthur Fortune/Jerry Rude; 1992 "The Otto Show" - David St. Hubbins
1999 True Crime - Reverend Shillerman
1999 Providence - TV Episode - Sherman Smith
1998 Recess - TV Episode (voice) - Mr. Bream
1998 Batman: Gotham Knights - TV Episode (voice) - 50's Joker
1998 Small Soldiers - Insaniac/Freakenstein (voice)
1998 Murphy Brown - TV Episode - Dennis Page
1998 LateLine - TV Episode - President of MFNSN
1998 Spinal Tap: The Final Tour - David St. Hubbins
1998 The Closer - TV Episode - Pilot
1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning - (TV) - Bill Case
1997 101 Dalmatians: The Series - TV Series (voice) - Jasper
1997 The Weird Al Show - TV Episode - Miner
1997 Nothing to Lose - Phillip Barrow
1997 That Darn Cat - Mr. Peter Randall
1997 Zork: Grand Inquisitor - (Video Game) - Dalboz of Gurth, the Dungeon Master - (voice)
1996 Jungle Cubs - TV Series (voice) - Cecil
1996 Road Rovers - TV Series (voice) - Dr. Jeffrey Otitus
1996 Jack - Paulie
1996 The Pompatus of Love - Sitcom Star
1996 Caroline in the City - TV Episode - Father Damian
1996 Star Trek: Voyager - TV Episode - Clown
1995 Friends - TV Episode - Mr. Rastatter
1995 The Nanny - TV Episode - Ph.D. Noel Babcock
1995 The Brady Bunch Movie - Mr. Larry Dittmeyer
1995 The Sunshine Boys - (TV) - Scott Grogan
1994 Radioland Murders - Rick Rochester
1994 Airheads - Milo
1994 Dinosaurs - 9 TV Episodes (voice) (1994) - Bryant, Ansel, Ed, Parish; (1993) - Kyle
1994 Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man - TV Episode (voice)
1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - TV Episode - Dr. Fabian Leek
1993 Animaniacs - TV Episode (voice) - Spink
1993 Coneheads - Gorman Seedling, INS Deputy Comissioner
1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man - George Talbot
1992 Spinal Tap: Break Like the Wind - The Videos (as David St. Hubbins) - David St. Hubbins
1990 Dream On - TV Series - Gibby Fiske (1991-1996)
1990 Murder, She Wrote - TV Episode - Ross McKay
1990 Empty Nest - TV Episode - Dennis
1990 Flashback - Hal
1989 The Big Picture - Emmet Sumner
1988 Earth Girls Are Easy - Woody
1988 Short Circuit 2 - Fred Ritter
1987 Planes, Trains & Automobiles - State trooper
1987 Light of Day - Bu Montgomery/The Barbusters
1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash - Leslie - (uncredited)
1985 Clue - Mr. Green
1985 D.A.R.Y.L. - Andy Richardson
1984 This Is Spinal Tap - David St. Hubbins
1982 Young Doctors in Love - Dr. Simon August
1981 Fridays - TV Episode - Co-Host
1980 Used Cars - Eddie Winslow
1979 Happy Days - TV Episode - Lenny Kosnowski
1977 Cracking Up
1976 Laverne & Shirley - TV Series - Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski (1976-82)
Awards
2004 Academy Award Nomination: Best Song - A Mighty Wind - (shared with Annette O'Toole)
2004 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Winner: Best Song - A Mighty Wind - (shared with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy)
2004 Golden Satellite Award Nomination: Best Original Song - A Mighty Wind - (shared with Annette O'Toole)
2004 Grammy Award Winner: Best Song Written for a Motion Picture - A Mighty Wind - (shared with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy)
2003 Seattle Film Critics Award Winner: Best Music - A Mighty Wind - (shared with Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Annette O'Toole, Harry Shearer and Jeffrey C.J. Vanston)
2003 DVD Exclusive Award Nomination: Best Animated Character Performance - The Hunchback of Notre Dame II - (shared with Ritsuko Notani)
2001 DVD Exclusive Award Winner: Best DVD Audio Commentary - This is Spinal Tap - (shared with Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer)'
