- Dan Aykroyd and McKean are the only ones to have appeared as musical guests, hosts and regulars on Saturday Night Live (1975).
- Is a relative of Thomas McKean, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
- He began playing the guitar at the age of 14. He plays the piano and the harmonica also.
- The song "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," performed by Mitch & Mickey in A Mighty Wind (2003), was written by McKean and his wife, Annette O'Toole, as a love song to each other after the movie was conceived. Christopher Guest asked McKean and O'Toole to write the duet. He almost turned it down after the McKeans performed it. Jamie Lee Curtis convinced her husband (Guest) to use it in the film.
- Did celebrity impersonations of Robert Evans, Gary Busey, Howard Stern and Bill Clinton on Saturday Night Live (1975).
- Has co-starred with wife Annette O'Toole as a married couple in at least two TV shows: Boy Meets World (1993) and Law & Order (1990).
- Olympia Dukakis was his acting teacher at New York University. Learned improvisation from Omar Shapli. The improvisation class played some dates as a comedy group called Section 10.
- Began his career in Pittsburgh while a student at Carnegie Mellon University. David L. Lander was a fellow student at CMU and their partnership grew after graduation as part of the comedy group The Credibility Gap with comedian Harry Shearer in Los Angeles. McKean and Lander's breakthrough came in 1976 when they were cast as Lenny and Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley (1976). The twosome were hired as apprentice writers and day players.
- At age 46, was the oldest man to join the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975).
- Was hospitalized with a broken leg on May 22, 2012 in New York, after being hit by a car as he was walking. Resumed his stage career after recovery with a stint in an Off-Broadway play directed by Bob Balaban.
- Wrote the song "Potato's in the Paddy Wagon" with Annette O'Toole, his wife, while commuting back and forth from the United States to Canada, where Smallville (2001) was being filmed. O'Toole played Martha Kent, Superman's mother, in the series for six seasons. There was ample time to write due to the long checks at the border as this was a few days after September 11th, 2001. The couple first performed the song at a Christmas party that was hosted by Martin Short.
- Michael McKean played the role of "Perry White" on a Saturday Night Live (1975) skit, entitled "Where's Superman", on the March 18, 1995 episode featuring host Paul Reiser. Over 8 years later, McKean would play the same character of "Perry White" on the TV series, Smallville (2001). In both depictions of "Perry White", McKean shouts the expression, "Great Caesar's ghost!".
- Gilbert and Ruth McKean, his parents, hailed from Louisiana. Gilbert was a recording executive for RCA and Columbia. Also he helped found Decca Records. Ruth was a clerk who worked at a school library. The couple, along with Michael's grandmother, attended Louisiana Tech University. He has an older sister. He had a younger brother also.
- He decided to become an actor after seeing British actor and comedian Stanley Holloway performing in a one-man show titled "Laughs and Other Events" in New York.
- Annette O'Toole and he were one of three husband/wife teams nominated for an Oscar for the 2003-2004 season. The others were Peter Jackson and his wife Fran Walsh and Shari Springer Berman and her husband Robert Pulcini.
- Is a member of the Actors Branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was a presenter at the 29th Student Academy Awards on June 9, 2002.
- Performed as the comedy group The Credibility Gap with Richard Beebe, David L. Lander and Harry Shearer (among others) in the 1960s and 1970s, best known for their rock band version of the classic Bud Abbott/Lou Costello routine "Who's on First?".
- He has made guest appearances on three different series featuring Clark Kent (Superman) as a regular character: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993), Smallville (2001) and Justice League (2001).
- Was interviewed as David St. Hubbins for a BBC Radio 2 documentary about Spinal Tap to air on June 20th. (June 2009)
- Along with real life wife Annette O'Toole, they will return to the hit series Smallville (2001). She will resume her role as Clark's mom, Martha Kent. Michael will resume his role as Perry White. This time as editor & chief of "The Daily Planet." (May 2010)
- He and his fellow cast members from the recent Broadway revival of "The Homecoming" were honored with an Outstanding Ensemble Award at the Drama Desk Awards held in New York on May 18, 2008.
- Is about come out with two new Spinal Tap projects this spring: recordings of new material and a series of acoustic dates. Both projects will be with Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest. (February 2009)
- Hosted this year's edition of "Broadway On Broadway" in Times Square on September 13th. The free concert features performances from Broadway musicals. McKean participated in the event before as well as in the annual "Stars In The Alley." (September 2009)
- Turned down a regular role on Married... with Children (1987) because he felt the show wouldn't be a hit with him in it. Passed on the recurring character of "Dean Cyrus O'Dell" of Hearst College on Veronica Mars (2004), also. He decided to do the West End production of "Love Song" by John Kolvenbach, instead.
- Became an honorary member of the Friars Club in 2000. Has participated in events involving Rob Reiner, Jerry Lewis, Pat Cooper and Jerry Stiller.
- December 28, 2009: Rang the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange with his fellow "Superior Donuts" cast members.
- The final concert of the "Unwigged & Unplugged" tour was videotaped in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 31st. (June 2009)
- Along with Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher, Patrick Cassidy, George Murdock, Rob LaBelle and Richard Gant, he is one of only seven actors to appear in both Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993) and Smallville (2001).
- After the "Unwigged & Unplugged" acoustic tour this spring, he will be playing some music festivals as part of Spinal Tap this summer. Is headed to New York to do a new project in August. Is one of 75 comedians to be included in "Satiristas," a new book to be published in October. Paul Provenza put the book together. (March 2009)
- Getting ready to head to New York to play the role of Sam in the upcoming Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming" at the Cort Theatre. Rehearsals start in October. The production begins preview performances on November 23. The play opens on December 13. It closes April 13 of 2008. (October 2007)
- With the death of Cindy Williams (Shirley) on January 30th 2023. He is now the only living cast member of Laverne and Shirley (1973).
- He's playing the role of "Harry" in the European premiere of John Kolvenbach's "Love Song", at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End. The romantic comedy closes March 3rd. (December 2006)
- Starring in "Hairspray" on Broadway through October 2004. (June 2004)
- He is currently working in an original play entitled "A Second Hand Memory" by Woody Allen at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York. (October 2004)
- He is starring as Hines in the hit Broadway revival of "The Pajama Game." It closes on June 17. (February 2006)
- Due to the recent Broadway stagehands strike, he played the role of Sam in the first preview performance of the Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming" on December 4th. The play's new opening night is December 16th. It will still close on April 13, 2008. (December 2007)
- Attended North Shore High School in Glen Head, New York
- Is getting ready to play Arthur, the owner of a rundown donut shop located in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, in "Superior Donuts," the new play by Tracy Letts of "August Osage County" fame. The production will run June 19 through August 17 at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. (April 2008)
- Will be reprising his role as Arthur in "Superior Donuts" on Broadway this fall after doing a workshop for the play in Chicago. (May 2009)
- Engaged to Annette O'Toole in 1998.
- Will be doing one more week of "Superior Donuts" at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. The show will now close on August 24. (July 2008)
- Did a TV role in Off the Map (2011) in Hawaii. Is about to start rehearsals for a new Randy Newman musical. (September 2010)
- Currently appearing in the role of the "Stage Manager" in Barrow Street Theater's revival of "Our Town" in New York City. (June 2010)
- With wife Annette O'Toole writing a new musical for the big screen. (July 2004)
- Children: Fletcher McKean and Colin McKean (born to Susan Russell).
- Stepfather of Nell Geisslinger and Anna Geisslinger.
- Recently, he shot a comedy pilot for CBS that stars Laura Benanti. (May 2010)
- Is getting ready to host the annual National Corporate Theatre Fund's Chairman's Awards Gala in New York on April 14, 2008. This year's honorees are Angela Lansbury, Bank Of America and The Actors Theatre Of Louisville's Humana Festival. The gala raises money for non-profit theaters. McKean is no stranger to hosting theatrical events. He did The 20th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theater in April of 2006. (February 2008)
- He has English, Scottish, Irish, and some German and Dutch, ancestry.
- He's finishing up his role as Harry in "Love Song." The play will close on February 17 due to the theater getting another booking. (January 2007)
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