Michael McDonald
1 min read
Michael James McDonald (born December 31, 1964, Fullerton, California) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree and worked as a bank loan officer in Los Angeles until a visit to a sketch comedy show at the Groundlings Theatre changed his direction entirely. He quit his banking career and enrolled in the Groundlings' improv program, becoming a full company member from 1992 to 1997.
McDonald joined the sketch comedy series MADtv in 1998 and remained with the show through 2008, making him its longest-tenured cast member at ten seasons. He developed a roster of recurring characters including Stuart Larkin, an oddly dependent mama's boy who became one of the show's most recognizable creations. McDonald also contributed writing and directing to the ABC series Cougar Town and released a stand-up special, Model Citizen, on Showtime in 2010. Film credits include supporting roles in each of the Austin Powers films, The Heat (2013), Spy (2015), The Boss (2016), and Halloween Kills (2021).
In Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), McDonald played Jonathan the Theater Manager, the Stonebrook Theatre employee who enlists the Ghostbusters after paranormal activity disrupts a concert at his venue. He has also appeared in the animated comedy series Marvel's Hit-Monkey.