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 from 1998 to 2008, and was the program's longest-tenured cast member, starring in ten seasons.
McDonald was born in Fullerton, California. When he was nine years old, he was a newspaper delivery boy who delivered the Fullerton News Tribune. He also worked at Naugles in high school. He graduated from St. Juliana Catholic Elementary School in Fullerton, and later went to Servite High School in Anaheim, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree. At one point, he taught swim lessons at Loara High School for Anaheim Parks and Recreation where he rose to assistant manager and worked with Gwen Stefani.
After college, a friend took McDonald to see an improv comedy show at The Groundlings Theater. McDonald quit his job at the bank and enrolled in The Groundlings improv program. He was a member of the troupe from 1992 to 1997. During that time, he was also involved in writing and directing films for Roger Corman.
McDonald made his television debut on Family Matters. He would guest star in such shows as Seinfeld (in two episodes playing two different parts), Just Shoot Me!, Scrubs and NewsRadio. He also made brief cameos in all three Austin Powers films. McDonald had a starring role with Will Forte and Nicole Sullivan on the short-lived MTV show Clone High as the voice of Gandhi. McDonald appeared as the lead Carly's assistant in the 1996 sitcom, first appearing in season one episode four, Something About a Family Photo.
McDonald joined the cast of MADtv in 1998, eventually becoming the longest-standing cast member in the show's history (ten seasons). He performed several recurring characters, including Stuart Larkin, Rusty Miller, Marvin Tikvah, Sean Gidcomb, Bible Dude, the Depressed Persian Tow Truck Man, Fightin' Ron, and F. Michael McKrofsky of "Real M*********ing Talk". After ten years on MADtv McDonald left the cast, but he was a contributing writer and director for the show's final season.
In addition to directing numerous episodes of various TV series, McDonald also directed the 1994 film The Crazysitter and the 1995 film A Bucket of Blood. McDonald directed 12 episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also directed the failed 2019 ABC pilot Unrelated.
McDonald was also a writer, director, and producer of the ABC TV series Cougar Town.
McDonald has toured at stand-up comedy clubs across the country. His stand-up comedy special Michael McDonald: Model Citizen premiered on Showtime on October 9, 2010.
McDonald lived in Hollywood Hills, California until 2024.