Michael McKean
 |
Michael McKean |
Michael McKean (born
October 17,
1947) is an
American actor, comedian, composer and musician, best known for his portrayal of Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski on the sitcom
Laverne and Shirley; as one of the members of
Spinal Tap; as a
Saturday Night Live cast member; and for other various appearances in popular TV series and films.
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, 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). 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.
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 (to Susan Russell, from 1970 to 1993), McKean married
Annette O'Toole.
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 was co-starring as Hines in a revival of
The Pajama Game with
Harry Connick, Jr. at the American Airlines Theatre.
*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 Commissioner
*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)
*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)'
*
*
Michael McKean at the
Internet Broadway Database
