Editing Michael McKean (section)

==Career==
McKean began his career (as well as the characters of Lenny and Squiggy) in Pittsburgh while a student at [[Carnegie Mellon]]; [[David Lander]] was a fellow student at CMU. Their partnership grew after graduation as part of the comedy group [[The Credibility Gap]] with [[Harry Shearer]] in Los Angeles, but McKean's breakthrough came in 1976 when he and Lander joined the cast of ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]'' portraying Lenny and 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 (band)|Spinal Tap]]). "Foreign Legion of Love" was a big hit for the Squigtones, with frequent play on the ''[[Dr. Demento#The Dr. Demento radio show|Dr. Demento Show]]''. McKean also played his character in an episode of ''[[Happy Days]]''. After leaving ''Laverne & Shirley'' in 1982, McKean appeared in the film spoof ''[[Young Doctors in Love]]'', then two years later as [[David St. Hubbins]] in the comedy ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'' with both Guest and Shearer.

McKean quickly became a recognizable name in film and television, with appearances in films such as ''[[Used Cars]]'' (1980), ''[[Clue (film)|Clue]]'' (1985), ''[[D.A.R.Y.L.]]'' (1985), ''[[Planes, Trains and Automobiles]]'' (1987), ''[[Earth Girls Are Easy]]'' (1988), and taking a lead role in ''[[Short Circuit 2]]'' (1988). He appeared opposite [[Kiefer Sutherland]] and [[Dennis Hopper]] in ''[[Flashback (1990 film)|Flashback]]'' (1990). The same year, McKean was part of an ensemble cast in the television series ''[[Grand (TV series)|Grand]]'', which aired for a short time. In 1991, McKean co-wrote (with [[Christopher Guest]]) the second episode and later directed the final episode of the mock documentary series ''[[Morton & Hayes]]'', created by [[Phil Mishkin]] and [[Rob Reiner]]. McKean appeared in a number of film roles, including the film adaptation of ''[[Memoirs of an Invisible Man (film)|Memoirs of an Invisible Man]]'' (1992), ''[[Coneheads (movie)|Coneheads]]'' (1993), ''[[Airheads]]'' (1994), and ''[[Radioland Murders]]'' (1994).

Having already appeared as a musical guest and then host of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', McKean joined the cast from 1994 to 1995. At age 46, he was the oldest person ever to join the ''SNL'' cast at the time (later surpassed by [[Leslie Jones (comedian)|Leslie Jones]], who joined in 2014 at age 47),<ref name="lj">{{cite web|url=http://www.komenlacounty.org/get-involved/komen-activities/special-events/comedy-for-the-cure.html|title=Comedy for the Cure|work=[[Susan G. Komen for the Cure]]|access-date=December 18, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218103356/http://www.komenlacounty.org/get-involved/komen-activities/special-events/comedy-for-the-cure.html|archive-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> one of a handful of ''SNL'' cast members who weren't already hired to work behind the scenes (like ''SNL'''s numerous writers-turned-cast members) to appear on the show before becoming a cast member and the only one to be a musical guest and a host before becoming a cast member.<ref name="splitsider">{{cite web|url=http://splitsider.com/2013/07/saturday-nights-children-michael-mckean-1994-1995|title=Saturday Night's Children: Michael McKean (1994-1995) {{!}} Splitsider|work=[[The Awl|Splitsider]]|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=July 9, 2013|access-date=December 18, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218103656/http://splitsider.com/2013/07/saturday-nights-children-michael-mckean-1994-1995|archive-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> During this time, he also released a video follow-up to ''Spinal Tap'', played the villainous Mr. Dittmeyer in ''[[The Brady Bunch Movie]]'', and played the boss Gibby in the series ''[[Dream On (TV series)|Dream On]]''. After leaving ''Saturday Night Live'', McKean spent a lot of time doing children's fare, voicing various TV shows and films. In 1997, he performed the lead voice role in the video game ''[[Zork Grand Inquisitor]]'' as Dalboz of Gurth and appeared in the 1999 films ''[[Teaching Mrs. Tingle]]'' and ''[[Mystery, Alaska]]''.

McKean's television guest appearances include ''[[The Simpsons]]''; ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''; ''[[Boy Meets World]]''; ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''; ''[[Murphy Brown]]''; ''[[Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]''; ''[[Friends]]''; and ''[[Caroline in the City]]''. McKean had a recurring role on the [[HBO]] sketch comedy series, ''[[Tracey Takes On...]]'', which he also directed. In 1998, he guest starred in a two-part episode of ''[[The X-Files]]'' titled "Dreamland," in which his character [[Morris Fletcher]] switched bodies with [[Fox Mulder]]. The character was a success, reappearing in 1999's "Three of a Kind," an episode which focused on the recurring characters of [[The Lone Gunmen]]. The character appeared on the 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."

[[File:MichaelMcKeanJaneLynch06TIFF.jpg|thumb|right|McKean and [[Jane Lynch]] at the [[2006 Toronto International Film Festival]]]]
McKean reunited with Christopher Guest in ''[[Best in Show (film)|Best in Show]]'' (2000) and appeared in ''[[Little Nicky]]'' (2000), ''[[The Guru (2002 film)|The Guru]]'' (2002), ''[[And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself]]'' (2003), and ''[[A Mighty Wind]]'' (2003), in which [[The Folksmen]] are played by the actors who played as [[Spinal Tap (band)|Spinal Tap]]. McKean had a regular role as the brassy, heavily made-up bandleader Adrian Van Voorhees in [[Martin Short]]'s series ''[[Primetime Glick]]''. He also had guest roles on such shows as ''[[Law & Order]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'', and ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law]]''. He did voiceover work as Henry's cousin Louie on ''Oswald'', which coincidentally featured the voice of David Lander as Henry. He lent his voice to an episode of [[Kevin Smith]]'s ''[[Clerks (animated series)|Clerks: The Animated Series]]'' that never aired but was included on the VHS and DVD versions of the series.

In 2003, he guest-starred on ''[[Smallville]]'', the [[Superman]] prequel in which his wife [[Annette O'Toole]] starred as [[Martha Kent]]. McKean played [[Perry White]], who ultimately becomes Clark Kent's boss. He previously associated with the Superman universe in 1994 on the ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' first-season episode "Vatman," in which he played Dr. Fabian Leek, a cloning expert who creates a Superman clone that belonged to corporate mogul [[Lex Luthor]] ([[John Shea]]). Also, during his short stint on ''Saturday Night Live'', McKean played [[Perry White]] in a Superman spoof. McKean appeared in the Christopher Guest comedy ''[[A Mighty Wind]]'' (2003), also co-writing several songs for the film, including the title track (with Guest and [[Eugene Levy]]), which won the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and ''A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow'', which was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Song]].

McKean performed in the Broadway production of ''[[Hairspray (musical)|Hairspray]]'' in 2004. He co-starred as Hines in a revival of ''[[The Pajama Game]]'' with [[Harry Connick, Jr.]] at the [[American Airlines Theatre]] in the first half of 2006. Also in 2006, McKean reunited with most of the cast of ''A Mighty Wind'' to film the comedy ''[[For Your Consideration (film)|For Your Consideration]]'' and appeared in the play ''Love Song'' on the stage in London. His musical interests led him to a starring role in the 2008 comedy air-drumming film ''[[Adventures of Power]]'', in which he was reunited with [[Jane Lynch]], his co-star from ''For Your Consideration'', in a story intended to honor the leaders and fighters of the 99% movement.<ref>{{YouTube|ObOKVM6U-7s|'IN THE AIR TONIGHT' from "Adventures of Power"}}. Retrieved May 11, 2012.</ref>

McKean acted in the pilot episode of a remake of the British series ''[[The Thick of It (U.S. Series)|The Thick of It]]'' as the chief of staff. The pilot was directed by Guest. McKean starred in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[The Homecoming]]'', co-starring [[Ian McShane]], [[Raul Esparza]], [[Eve Best]], and [[James Frain]]. The show opened on in 2007. In 2009, he starred in the Chicago-based [[Steppenwolf Theatre Company]]'s production of ''[[Superior Donuts]]'' by playwright [[Tracy Letts]].

[[File:Annette O'Toole and Michael McKean sing on Employee of the Month.jpg|thumb|Singer-songwriter spouses Annette O'Toole and Michael McKean perform their song "Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" on ''[[Employee of the Month (podcast)|Employee of the Month]]'' in 2016.]]
In 2010, McKean returned in an episode of ''Smallville'' alongside his wife<ref>{{cite web|title=Michael McKean Returns to ''Smallville''|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Michael-McKean-Returns-1014010.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123031549/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Michael-McKean-Returns-1014010.aspx|archive-date=2010-01-23|publisher=TVGuide.com}}</ref> and won the ''Celebrity [[Jeopardy!]]'' tournament by defeating [[Jane Curtin]] and [[Cheech Marin]]. The earnings were donated to the International Myeloma Foundation in honor of McKean's friend Lee Grayson, who died of myeloma in 2004. In Summer 2010, McKean took over the role of the Stage Manager in [[Thornton Wilder]]'s ''[[Our Town]]'' at the Barrow Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village. In 2011, McKean appeared on an episode of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' as a rock star looking for "rocks" to be in an all ROCK-band.

In 2012, McKean began performing on Broadway in Gore Vidal's ''The Best Man''. During the show's run, he was hit by a car in New York City, suffering a broken leg.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-mckean-car-accident-331761|title=Michael McKean released from hospital to begin physical rehab|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Erin|last=Carlson|date=May 31, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531191723/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-mckean-car-accident-331761|archive-date=May 31, 2012}}</ref> He appeared in the HBO comedy series ''[[Family Tree (TV series)|Family Tree]]'' in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Mark |date=2012-05-24 |title=Injury forces Michael McKean out of Broadway show |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/injury-forces-michael-mckean-broadway-133326160.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Yahoo! |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In 2014, McKean played [[J. Edgar Hoover]] in Broadway previews of Robert Schenkkan's Lyndon B. Johnson bio-play ''[[All the Way (play)|All the Way]]'', starring Emmy winner [[Bryan Cranston]] as [[Lyndon B. Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadway.com/buzz/174448/lyndon-b-johnson-bio-play-all-the-way-starring-bryan-cranston-begins-performances-on-broadway|title=Lyndon B. Johnson Bio-Play All the Way, Starring Bryan Cranston, Begins Performances on Broadway|work=Broadway.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305025303/http://www.broadway.com/buzz/174448/lyndon-b-johnson-bio-play-all-the-way-starring-bryan-cranston-begins-performances-on-broadway/|archive-date=2014-03-05}}</ref>

In 2015, McKean began appearing as a regular cast member in the first three seasons of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' spin-off ''[[Better Call Saul]]'' in the role of the main character's older brother [[Chuck McGill]] – a new character created for the series<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/537429/michael-mckean-cast-in-the-breaking-bad-prequel-better-call-saul-find-out-who-he-s-playing|title=Michael McKean Cast in the Breaking Bad Prequel Better Call Saul: Find Out Who He's Playing|work=E! Online|date=May 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502033315/http://www.eonline.com/news/537429/michael-mckean-cast-in-the-breaking-bad-prequel-better-call-saul-find-out-who-he-s-playing|archive-date=2014-05-02}}</ref> – also having guest appearances in the show's [[Better Call Saul (season 4)|fourth]] and [[Better Call Saul (season 6)|sixth]] seasons. The same year, McKean began hosting the [[Cooking Channel]] television series ''[[Food: Fact or Fiction?]]'' This lighthearted show takes a look at food urban legends and features him both as host and narrator to some segments within each episode.

In 2018, McKean played Doug Forcett in the NBC sitcom ''[[The Good Place]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8601212/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_11|title=Don't Let the Good Life Pass You by|website=[[IMDb]]|date=15 November 2018}}</ref> a former stoner from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who had a mushroom-induced hallucination in the 1970s and correctly guessed 92% of the afterlife. While Doug Forcett is mentioned multiple times in the show, McKean only portrayed him in one episode. McKean played Sgt. Shadwell in the 2019 [[Good Omens (TV series)|television mini-series adaptation]] of the novel ''[[Good Omens]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/good-omens-jack-whitehall-michael-mckean-miranda-richardson-join-cast-amazon-prime-bbc-two-1202170543/|title='Good Omens': Jack Whitehall, Michael McKean, Miranda Richardson & Adria Arjona Join Amazon Series|first1=Erik|last1=Pedersen|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=September 15, 2017}}</ref> Following the death of Cindy Williams in January 2023, McKean is the last surviving original cast member of ''Laverne & Shirley''.