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{{short description|Canadian actor, screenwriter and film director}}
{{short description|Canadian actor, screenwriter and film director}}
{{about||the Australian rules footballer|Don McKellar (footballer)|the Australian politician|Don McKellar (politician)}}
{{for multi|the Australian rules footballer|Don McKellar (footballer)|the Australian politician|Don McKellar (politician)}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Don McKellar
| name = Don McKellar
Line 14: Line 14:
| website =
| website =
| occupation = Actor, writer, filmmaker
| occupation = Actor, writer, filmmaker
| years_active = 1986–present
| alma mater = [[University of Toronto]]
| alma mater = [[University of Toronto]]
}}
}}
'''Don McKellar''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born August 17, 1963) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from [[Toronto]] known as the [[Toronto New Wave]].
'''Don McKellar''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born August 17, 1963) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from [[Toronto]] known as the [[Toronto New Wave]].


He is known for directing and writing the film ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]'', which won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the [[1998 Cannes Film Festival]], as well as his screenplays for films like ''[[Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould]]'', ''[[The Red Violin]]'', and ''[[Blindness]]''. McKellar frequently acts in his own projects, and has also appeared in [[Atom Egoyan]]’s ''[[Exotica (film)|Exotica]]'' and [[David Cronenberg]]’s ''[[eXistenZ]]''.
He is known for directing and writing the film ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]'', which won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the [[1998 Cannes Film Festival]], as well as his screenplays for films like ''[[Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould]]'', ''[[The Red Violin]]'', and ''[[Blindness (2008_film)|Blindness]]''. McKellar frequently acts in his own projects, and has also appeared in [[Atom Egoyan]]’s ''[[Exotica (film)|Exotica]]'' and [[David Cronenberg]]’s ''[[eXistenZ]]'' and ''[[Crimes of the Future (2022 film)|Crimes of the Future]]''.


He is also known for being a fixture on Canadian television, with series including ''[[Twitch City]]'', ''[[Odd Job Jack]]'', and ''[[Slings and Arrows]]'', as well as writing the book for the popular [[Tony Award]] winning musical ''[[The Drowsy Chaperone]]''. He is an eight-time nominee and two-time [[Genie Award]] winner.
He is also known for being a fixture on Canadian television, with series including ''[[Twitch City]]'', ''[[Odd Job Jack]]'', and ''[[Slings & Arrows]]'', as well as writing the book for the popular [[Tony Award]]-winning musical ''[[The Drowsy Chaperone]]''. He is an eight-time nominee and two-time [[Genie Award]] winner.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
McKellar was born in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], the son of Marjorie Kay (Stirrett), a teacher, and John Duncan McKellar, a corporate lawyer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid%3D46%26csid1%3D46%26navid%3D46 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-10-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224201649/http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=46&csid1=46&navid=46 |archive-date=2007-12-24 }}</ref><ref>https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/true-to-her-craft-until-the-end/article1379087/</ref><ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mckellar-takes-on-cannes McKellar takes on Cannes] at [[The Canadian Encyclopedia]], accessed August 31, 2019</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnxmAAAAMAAJ&q=%22McKellar,+John+Duncan%22+Stirrett+Don|title = Who's who in Canada|isbn = 9780771577260|last1 = Parker|first1 = Charles Whately|last2 = Parker|first2 = Charles Wolcott|last3 = Greene|first3 = Barnet M.|year = 2000}}</ref> He attended Glenview Senior Public School, [[Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute]] and later studied English at the [[University of Toronto]]'s [[Victoria University in the University of Toronto|Victoria College]].
McKellar was born in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], the son of Marjorie Kay (Stirrett), a teacher, and John Duncan McKellar, a corporate lawyer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid%3D46%26csid1%3D46%26navid%3D46 |title=The Film Reference Library |access-date=2008-10-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224201649/http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=46&csid1=46&navid=46 |archive-date=2007-12-24 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/true-to-her-craft-until-the-end/article1379087/|title = True to her craft until the end}}</ref><ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mckellar-takes-on-cannes McKellar takes on Cannes] at [[The Canadian Encyclopedia]], accessed August 31, 2019</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnxmAAAAMAAJ&q=%22McKellar,+John+Duncan%22+Stirrett+Don|title = Who's who in Canada|isbn = 9780771577260|last1 = Parker|first1 = Charles Whately|last2 = Parker|first2 = Charles Wolcott|last3 = Greene|first3 = Barnet M.|year = 2000}}</ref> He attended Glenview Senior Public School, [[Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute]] and later studied English at the [[University of Toronto]]'s [[Victoria University in the University of Toronto|Victoria College]].


McKellar married his longtime partner, Canadian actress [[Tracy Wright]], on January 3, 2010. Wright died from cancer on June 22, 2010.<ref>http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20100623.93235468/BDAStory/BDA/deaths</ref>
McKellar married his longtime partner, Canadian actress [[Tracy Wright]], on January 3, 2010. Wright died of cancer on June 22, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20100623.93235468/BDAStory/BDA/deaths|title = The Globe and Mail: Canadian, World, Politics and Business News & Analysis}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
McKellar was a founding member of Toronto's Augusta Company,<ref name=GlobeandMail>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/actress-tracy-wright-was-true-to-her-craft-until-the-end/article1615092/ "True To Her Craft Until The End"]. [[The Globe and Mail]], June 23, 2010</ref> along with his future wife [[Tracy Wright]] and [[Daniel Brooks]].
McKellar was a founding member of Toronto's Augusta Company,<ref name=GlobeandMail>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/actress-tracy-wright-was-true-to-her-craft-until-the-end/article1615092/ "True To Her Craft Until The End"]. [[The Globe and Mail]], June 23, 2010</ref> along with his future wife [[Tracy Wright]] and [[Daniel Brooks]].


McKellar made his first screen appearance in 1989 in [[Bruce McDonald (director)|Bruce McDonald]]'s film ''[[Roadkill (1989 film)|Roadkill]]'', for which he also wrote the screenplay. McKellar's work on ''Roadkill'' earned him [[Genie Award]] nominations for best supporting actor and best screenwriter, attracting the attention of many in Canada. ''Roadkill'' also won the Toronto-[[Citytv]] Award for best Canadian feature.
McKellar made his first screen appearance in 1989 in [[Bruce McDonald (director)|Bruce McDonald]]'s film ''[[Roadkill (1989 film)|Roadkill]]'', for which he also wrote the screenplay, earning [[Genie Award]] nominations for best supporting actor and best screenwriter, attracting the attention of many in Canada. ''Roadkill'' also won the Toronto-[[Citytv]] Award for best Canadian feature. McKellar collaborated again with McDonald for his 1991 film ''[[Highway 61 (film)|Highway 61]]'', writing the screenplay and starring as the barber Pokey Jones. McKellar's work again solicited wide praise, earning him a second Genie nomination for best screenwriter and a nomination for best actor. McKellar and McDonald also spawned the cult classic television series ''[[Twitch City]]'', in which McKellar starred as Curtis, a television addict and shut-in.


Since his entry into Canadian cinema, McKellar has been involved in numerous projects. He appeared in [[Atom Egoyan]]'s films ''[[The Adjuster]]'' (1991) and ''[[Exotica (film)|Exotica]]'' (1994), the latter of which earned him the Genie for best supporting actor. McKellar collaborated with [[François Girard]], authoring the screenplays for his films ''[[Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould]]'' (1992) and the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] winning (Best Original Score) ''[[The Red Violin]]'' (1998), in which McKellar starred alongside [[Samuel L. Jackson]]. He also appeared alongside [[Jude Law]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] in [[David Cronenberg]]'s 1999 film ''[[eXistenZ]]''. In 2008, he wrote and co-starred in the [[Blindness (2008 film)|screen adaptation]] of [[José Saramago|José Saramago's]] 1995 novel ''[[Blindness (novel)|Blindness]]''.
McKellar collaborated again with McDonald for his 1991 film ''[[Highway 61 (film)|Highway 61]]'', writing the screenplay and playing the starring role as the barber Pokey Jones. Again McKellar's work solicited wide praise, earning him a second Genie nomination for best screenwriter and a nomination for best actor. McKellar's most recent collaboration with McDonald spawned the cult classic television series ''[[Twitch City]]'', in which McKellar played the starring role of Curtis, a television addict and shut-in.


McKellar is also a filmmaker in his own right; his directorial debut, ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]'' (1998), which he also wrote and starred in, garnered impressive critical acclaim, winning the Prix de la Jeunesse at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] and the Claude Jutra Award at the Genies. His second film, ''[[Childstar]]'', opened in 2004 at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] to enthusiastic reviews.
Since his entry into Canadian cinema, McKellar has also been involved in numerous projects. He appeared in [[Atom Egoyan]]'s films ''[[The Adjuster]]'' (1991) and ''[[Exotica (film)|Exotica]]'' (1994), the latter of which earned him the Genie for best supporting actor. McKellar collaborated with [[François Girard]], authoring the screenplays for his films ''[[Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould]]'' (1992), and the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] winning (Best Original Score) ''[[The Red Violin]]'' (1998), in which McKellar starred alongside [[Samuel L. Jackson]]. He also appeared alongside [[Jude Law]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] in [[David Cronenberg]]'s 1999 film ''[[eXistenZ]]''.


On television, McKellar played Oliver Tapscrew in the 2001 TV children's drama series ''[[I Was a Rat]]''. He also starred for four seasons in [[The Comedy Network]] animated sitcom ''[[Odd Job Jack]]'' (2004–2007) as the titular hero Jack Ryder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/don-mckellar-s-animated-role-no-odd-job-1.251145|title=Don McKellar's animated role no 'Odd Job'|first=Tyrone|last=Warner|website=[[CTV.ca]]|date=2007-08-02|access-date=2024-06-10}}</ref> In 2006, he appeared in [[Ken Finkleman]]'s miniseries ''[[At the Hotel]]'', received a [[Gemini Award]] nomination for his role as [[socialist]] [[politician]] [[Clarence Fines]] in ''[[Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story]]'' and hosted the [[CBC Radio One]] series ''[[High Definition (radio program)|High Definition]]''.
McKellar has emerged as a filmmaker in his own right; his directorial debut, ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]'' (1998), which he also wrote and in which he also starred, garnered impressive critical acclaim, winning the Prix de la Jeunesse at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] and the Claude Jutra Award at the Genies. In 2001, he played the role of Oliver Tapscrew in the TV children's drama series ''[[I Was a Rat (TV series)|I Was a Rat]]''. His second film, ''[[Childstar]]'', opened in 2004 at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] to enthusiastic reviews.


McKellar appeared in all three seasons of television's ''[[Slings & Arrows]]'' as theatre director Darren Nichols. The show is co-written by [[Bob Martin (comedian)|Bob Martin]], his collaborator on the musical ''[[The Drowsy Chaperone]]'', for which McKellar won the 2006 [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical]] and the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical]]. Martin and McKellar also cocreated the Canadian television sitcom ''[[Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays]]'', which debuted on [[CBC Television]] in fall 2011.<ref name=camelot>[http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/06/08/camelot-cover-songs-inside-cbcs-new-fall-lineup/#more-36525 "Camelot & cover songs: Inside CBC’s new fall lineup"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130129123205/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/06/08/camelot-cover-songs-inside-cbcs-new-fall-lineup/ |date=2013-01-29 }}. ''[[National Post]]'', June 8, 2011.</ref>
McKellar also starred in the animated sitcom ''[[Odd Job Jack]]'' as the titular hero, Jack Ryder, which ran for four seasons between 2004 and 2007 on [[The Comedy Network]].


In 2016, McKellar was made a Member of the [[Order of Canada]] "for his contributions to Canadian culture as an actor, writer and director".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16500&lan=eng|title=Governor General Announces 113 New Appointments to the Order of Canada}}</ref>
McKellar has appeared in all three seasons of television's ''[[Slings & Arrows]]'', as Darren Nichols, a theatre director. The show is co-written by [[Bob Martin (comedian)|Bob Martin]], who collaborated with McKellar on the musical ''[[The Drowsy Chaperone]]''. Martin and McKellar also cocreated the Canadian television sitcom ''[[Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays]]'', scheduled to debut on [[CBC Television]] in fall 2011.<ref name=camelot>[http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/06/08/camelot-cover-songs-inside-cbcs-new-fall-lineup/#more-36525 "Camelot & cover songs: Inside CBC’s new fall lineup"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20130129123205/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/06/08/camelot-cover-songs-inside-cbcs-new-fall-lineup/ |date=2013-01-29 }}. ''[[National Post]]'', June 8, 2011.</ref>


== Filmography ==
In 2006, he appeared in [[Ken Finkleman]]'s miniseries ''[[At The Hotel]]''. In June 2006 he won the [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical]] and the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical]] for ''The Drowsy Chaperone''. He received a [[Gemini Award]] nomination for his role as [[socialist]] [[politician]] [[Clarence Fines]] in ''[[Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story]]''.
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| {{dts|1989}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Roadkill (1989 film)|Roadkill]]''
| Russel, the Serial Killer
| Also writer
|-
| {{dts|1991}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Adjuster, The" | ''[[The Adjuster]]''
| Tyler - The Young Censor
|
|-
| {{dts|1991}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Highway 61 (film)|Highway 61]]''
| Pokey Jones
| Also writer
|-
| {{dts|1992}}
! scope="row" | ''Giant Steps''
| Real Estate Hucker
|
|-
| {{dts|1992}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Blue (1992 film)|Blue]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Short film; director and writer
|-
| {{dts|1993}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould]]''
| Concert Promoter
| Also writer
|-
| {{dts|1993}}
! scope="row" | ''Coleslaw Warehouse''
| {{N/A}}
| Short film
|-
| {{dts|1994}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Exotica (film)|Exotica]]''
| Thomas
|
|-
| {{dts|1994}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Camilla (1994 film)|Camilla]]''
| Security Guard
|
|-
| {{dts|1994}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Arrowhead (1994 film)|Arrowhead]]''
| Ray Bud
| Short film; Mockumentary
|-
| {{dts|1994}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Dance Me Outside]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Writer
|-
| {{dts|1995}}
! scope="row" | ''[[When Night Is Falling]]''
| Timothy
|
|-
| {{dts|1996}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Never Met Picasso]]''
| Jerry
|
|-
| {{dts|1996}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Joe's So Mean to Josephine]]''
| Mike
|
|-
| {{dts|1997}}
! scope="row" | ''Bach Cello Suite #4: Sarabande''
| Max
| Short film
|-
| {{dts|1998}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]''
| Patrick Wheeler
| Also writer and director
|-
| {{dts|1998}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Red Violin, The" | ''[[The Red Violin]]''
| Evan Williams
| Also writer
|-
| {{dts|1998}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Elimination Dance]]''
| Male Dance Partner
| Short film; also writer and director
|-
| {{dts|1998}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Herd, The" | ''[[The Herd (1998 film)|The Herd]]''
| Himself
| Documentary
|-
| {{dts|1999}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Existenz]]''
| Yevgeny Nourish
|
|-
| {{dts|2000}}
! scope="row" | ''[[waydowntown]]''
| Brad
|
|-
| {{dts|2000}}
! scope="row" | ''You Tell Me''
| {{N/A}}
| Short film
|-
| {{dts|2000}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Preludes (film series)|This Might Be Good]]''
| Projectionist
| Short film
|-
| {{dts|2000}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Word from the Management, A" | ''[[A Word from the Management]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Short film; writer and director
|-
| {{dts|2001}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Art of Woo, The" | ''[[The Art of Woo]]''
| Nathan
|
|-
| {{dts|2003}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Event, The" | ''[[The Event (2003 film)|The Event]]''
| Matt Shapiro
|
|-
| {{dts|2003}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Public Domain (film)|Public Domain]]''
| Host
|
|-
| {{dts|2004}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Clean (2004 film)|Clean]]''
| Vernon
|
|-
| {{dts|2004}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Childstar]]''
| Rick Shiller - the driver
| Also writer and director
|-
| {{dts|2005}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Where the Truth Lies]]''
| Publishing Executive
|
|-
| {{dts|2006}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Monkey Warfare]]''
| Dan
|
|-
| {{dts|2007}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Redacted (film)|Redacted]]''
| Criminal Investigator (voice)
|
|-
| {{dts|2008}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Blindness (2008 film)|Blindness]]''
| Thief
| Also writer
|-
| {{dts|2008}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Green Door (film)|Green Door]]''
| Ron
| Short film
|-
| {{dts|2009}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Cooking with Stella]]''
| Michael Laffont
|
|-
| {{dts|2010}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Scott Pilgrim vs. the World]]''
| Director
|
|-
| {{dts|2010}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Trigger (2010 film)|Trigger]]''
| Brian
|
|-
| {{dts|2010}}
! scope="row" | ''[[This Movie Is Broken]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Writer
|-
| {{dts|2011}}
! scope="row" | ''[[I'm Yours (film)|I'm Yours]]''
| Phil
|
|-
| {{dts|2013}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Grand Seduction, The" | ''[[The Grand Seduction]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Director
|-
| {{dts|2013}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Treading Water (2013 film)|Treading Water]]''
| Richard
|
|-
| {{dts|2013}}
! scope="row" | ''[[3 Days in Havana]]''
| Pepe
|
|-
| {{dts|2015}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Zoom (2015 film)|Zoom]]''
| Horowitz (voice)
|
|-
| {{dts|2016}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Window Horses]]''
| Dietmar (voice)
|
|-
| {{dts|2017}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Blood Honey (film)|Blood Honey]]''
| Dr. Bert Morrison
|
|-
| {{dts|2017}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Meditation Park]]''
| Gabriel
|
|-
| {{dts|2018}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Through Black Spruce (film)|Through Black Spruce]]''
| Journalist
| Also director
|-
| {{dts|2019}}
! scope="row" | ''[[American Woman (2019 film)|American Woman]]''
| Newscaster
|
|-
| {{dts|2020}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Target Number One]]''
| Norm
|
|-
| {{dts|2020}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Curse of Audrey Earnshaw, The" | ''[[The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw]]''
| Bernard Buckley
|
|-
| {{dts|2021}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Middle Man, The" | ''[[The Middle Man (film)|The Middle Man]]''
| Doctor
|
|-
| {{dts|2022}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Crimes of the Future (2022 film)|Crimes of the Future]]''
| Wippet
|
|}


=== Television ===
McKellar hosted the [[CBC Radio One]] series ''[[High Definition (radio program)|High Definition]]''. He co-starred in and wrote the [[Blindness (2008 film)|2008 screen adaptation]] of [[José Saramago|José Saramago's]] 1995 novel ''[[Blindness (novel)|Blindness]]''.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"

|-
In 2016, he was made a Member of the [[Order of Canada]] "for his contributions to Canadian culture as an actor, writer and director".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16500&lan=eng|title=Governor General Announces 113 New Appointments to the Order of Canada}}</ref>
! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title
== Selected filmography ==
! scope="col" | Role
* ''[[Highway 61 (film)|Highway 61]]'' (1991)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
* ''[[Arrowhead (1994 film)|Arrowhead]]'' (1994)
|-
* ''[[The Red Violin]]'' (1998)
| {{dts|1994}}
* ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]'' (1998)
! scope="row" | ''[[RoboCop (live action TV series)|RoboCop]]''
* ''[[eXistenZ]]'' (1999)
| Dr. Newlove
* ''[[A Word from the Management]]'' (2000)
| Episode: "Zone Five"
* ''[[Childstar]]'' (2004)
|-
* ''[[Cooking with Stella|Cooking With Stella]]'' (2010)
| {{dts|1995}}
* ''[[The Grand Seduction]]'' (2013)
! scope="row" | ''[[Side Effects (TV series)|Side Effects]]''
* ''[[Zoom (2015 film)|Zoom]]'' (2015)
| Elaine's Lover
* ''[[Meditation Park]]'' (2017)
| Episode: "Rust Proof"
* ''[[Blood Honey (film)|Blood Honey]]'' (2017)
|-
* ''[[Through Black Spruce (film)|Through Black Spruce]]'' (2018)
| {{dts|1995}}
* ''[[Most Wanted (2020 film)|Most Wanted]]'' (2020)
! scope="row" | ''[[Taking the Falls]]''

| {{N/A}}
===Television===
| Episode: "Elvis has Left the Building"
* ''[[Twitch City]]'' (1998-2000)
|-
* ''[[Slings and Arrows]]'' (2003-2006)
| {{dts|1997}}
* ''[[Odd Job Jack]]'' (2003-2007)
! scope="row" | ''[[In the Presence of Mine Enemies (film)|In the Presence of Mine Enemies]]''
* ''[[Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays]]'' (2011)
| Paul Heller
* ''[[Sensitive Skin (Canadian TV series)|Sensitive Skin]]'' (2014, 6 episodes)
| Television movie
|-
| {{dts|1997}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Once a Thief (TV series)|Once a Thief]]''
| Sam Francisco
| Episode: "Rave On"
|-
| {{dts|1998}}–{{dts|2000}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Twitch City]]''
| Curtis
| 13 episodes; also writer
|-
| {{dts|1999}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Passion of Ayn Rand, The" | ''[[The Passion of Ayn Rand (film)|The Passion of Ayn Rand]]''
| Alfred
| Television movie
|-
| {{dts|2001}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Industry, The" | ''[[Made in Canada (TV series)|The Industry]]''
| John Kalileah
| Episode: "Alan's Ex"
|-
| {{dts|2001}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]''
| Keith Barra
| 2 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2001}}
! scope="row" | ''[[I Was a Rat]]''
| Oliver Tapscrew
| 3 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2002}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Trudeau (film)|Trudeau]]''
| Greenbaum
| Television movie
|-
| {{dts|2003}}–{{dts|2006}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Slings & Arrows]]''
| Darren Nichols
| 13 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2003}}–{{dts|2007}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Odd Job Jack]]''
| Jack Ryder (voice)
| 52 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2005}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Rick Mercer Report]]''
| Food Court Patron
| Episode #2.8
|-
| {{dts|2006}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Prairie Giant]]''
| Clarence Fines
| 2 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2006}}
! scope="row" | ''[[At the Hotel]]''
| Woody
| Episode: "I F***ed Lou Reed"
|-
| {{dts|2008}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Englishman's Boy, The" | ''[[The Englishman's Boy#Television film|The Englishman's Boy]]''
| Coster
| 2 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2011}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Republic of Doyle]]''
| J.J. Murphy
| Episode: "A Stand Up Guy"
|-
| {{dts|2011}}–{{dts|2017}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Michael: Every Day]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Creator, director, and executive producer
|-
| {{dts|2014}}–{{dts|2016}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Sensitive Skin (Canadian TV series)|Sensitive Skin]]''
| Al Jackson
| 12 episodes; also director and executive producer
|-
| {{dts|2017}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Saving Hope]]''
| Dr. Amos Carver
| 3 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2020}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Hey Lady!]]''
| Dr. Wolfe
| 5 episodes
|-
| {{dts|2024}}
! scope="row" data-sort-value="Sympathizer, The" | ''[[The Sympathizer (miniseries)|The Sympathizer]]''
| {{N/A}}
| Writer and executive producer
|}


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Canadian Film Centre alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian Film Centre alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian Comedy Award winners]]
[[Category:Canadian Comedy Award winners]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]

Latest revision as of 23:37, 21 November 2024

For the Australian rules footballer, see Don McKellar (footballer). For the Australian politician, see Don McKellar (politician).
Don McKellar
McKellar at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1963-08-17) August 17, 1963 (age 61)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma materUniversity of Toronto
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, filmmaker
Years active1986–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2010; died 2010)​

Don McKellar CM (born August 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave.

He is known for directing and writing the film Last Night, which won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, as well as his screenplays for films like Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, The Red Violin, and Blindness. McKellar frequently acts in his own projects, and has also appeared in Atom Egoyan’s Exotica and David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ and Crimes of the Future.

He is also known for being a fixture on Canadian television, with series including Twitch City, Odd Job Jack, and Slings & Arrows, as well as writing the book for the popular Tony Award-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone. He is an eight-time nominee and two-time Genie Award winner.

Personal life

[edit]

McKellar was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Marjorie Kay (Stirrett), a teacher, and John Duncan McKellar, a corporate lawyer.[1][2][3][4] He attended Glenview Senior Public School, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute and later studied English at the University of Toronto's Victoria College.

McKellar married his longtime partner, Canadian actress Tracy Wright, on January 3, 2010. Wright died of cancer on June 22, 2010.[5]

Career

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McKellar was a founding member of Toronto's Augusta Company,[6] along with his future wife Tracy Wright and Daniel Brooks.

McKellar made his first screen appearance in 1989 in Bruce McDonald's film Roadkill, for which he also wrote the screenplay, earning Genie Award nominations for best supporting actor and best screenwriter, attracting the attention of many in Canada. Roadkill also won the Toronto-Citytv Award for best Canadian feature. McKellar collaborated again with McDonald for his 1991 film Highway 61, writing the screenplay and starring as the barber Pokey Jones. McKellar's work again solicited wide praise, earning him a second Genie nomination for best screenwriter and a nomination for best actor. McKellar and McDonald also spawned the cult classic television series Twitch City, in which McKellar starred as Curtis, a television addict and shut-in.

Since his entry into Canadian cinema, McKellar has been involved in numerous projects. He appeared in Atom Egoyan's films The Adjuster (1991) and Exotica (1994), the latter of which earned him the Genie for best supporting actor. McKellar collaborated with François Girard, authoring the screenplays for his films Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1992) and the Academy Award winning (Best Original Score) The Red Violin (1998), in which McKellar starred alongside Samuel L. Jackson. He also appeared alongside Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh in David Cronenberg's 1999 film eXistenZ. In 2008, he wrote and co-starred in the screen adaptation of José Saramago's 1995 novel Blindness.

McKellar is also a filmmaker in his own right; his directorial debut, Last Night (1998), which he also wrote and starred in, garnered impressive critical acclaim, winning the Prix de la Jeunesse at the Cannes Film Festival and the Claude Jutra Award at the Genies. His second film, Childstar, opened in 2004 at the Toronto International Film Festival to enthusiastic reviews.

On television, McKellar played Oliver Tapscrew in the 2001 TV children's drama series I Was a Rat. He also starred for four seasons in The Comedy Network animated sitcom Odd Job Jack (2004–2007) as the titular hero Jack Ryder.[7] In 2006, he appeared in Ken Finkleman's miniseries At the Hotel, received a Gemini Award nomination for his role as socialist politician Clarence Fines in Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story and hosted the CBC Radio One series High Definition.

McKellar appeared in all three seasons of television's Slings & Arrows as theatre director Darren Nichols. The show is co-written by Bob Martin, his collaborator on the musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which McKellar won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. Martin and McKellar also cocreated the Canadian television sitcom Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays, which debuted on CBC Television in fall 2011.[8]

In 2016, McKellar was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for his contributions to Canadian culture as an actor, writer and director".[9]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1989 Roadkill Russel, the Serial Killer Also writer
1991 The Adjuster Tyler - The Young Censor
1991 Highway 61 Pokey Jones Also writer
1992 Giant Steps Real Estate Hucker
1992 Blue — Short film; director and writer
1993 Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould Concert Promoter Also writer
1993 Coleslaw Warehouse — Short film
1994 Exotica Thomas
1994 Camilla Security Guard
1994 Arrowhead Ray Bud Short film; Mockumentary
1994 Dance Me Outside — Writer
1995 When Night Is Falling Timothy
1996 Never Met Picasso Jerry
1996 Joe's So Mean to Josephine Mike
1997 Bach Cello Suite #4: Sarabande Max Short film
1998 Last Night Patrick Wheeler Also writer and director
1998 The Red Violin Evan Williams Also writer
1998 Elimination Dance Male Dance Partner Short film; also writer and director
1998 The Herd Himself Documentary
1999 Existenz Yevgeny Nourish
2000 waydowntown Brad
2000 You Tell Me — Short film
2000 This Might Be Good Projectionist Short film
2000 A Word from the Management — Short film; writer and director
2001 The Art of Woo Nathan
2003 The Event Matt Shapiro
2003 Public Domain Host
2004 Clean Vernon
2004 Childstar Rick Shiller - the driver Also writer and director
2005 Where the Truth Lies Publishing Executive
2006 Monkey Warfare Dan
2007 Redacted Criminal Investigator (voice)
2008 Blindness Thief Also writer
2008 Green Door Ron Short film
2009 Cooking with Stella Michael Laffont
2010 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Director
2010 Trigger Brian
2010 This Movie Is Broken — Writer
2011 I'm Yours Phil
2013 The Grand Seduction — Director
2013 Treading Water Richard
2013 3 Days in Havana Pepe
2015 Zoom Horowitz (voice)
2016 Window Horses Dietmar (voice)
2017 Blood Honey Dr. Bert Morrison
2017 Meditation Park Gabriel
2018 Through Black Spruce Journalist Also director
2019 American Woman Newscaster
2020 Target Number One Norm
2020 The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw Bernard Buckley
2021 The Middle Man Doctor
2022 Crimes of the Future Wippet

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 RoboCop Dr. Newlove Episode: "Zone Five"
1995 Side Effects Elaine's Lover Episode: "Rust Proof"
1995 Taking the Falls — Episode: "Elvis has Left the Building"
1997 In the Presence of Mine Enemies Paul Heller Television movie
1997 Once a Thief Sam Francisco Episode: "Rave On"
1998–2000 Twitch City Curtis 13 episodes; also writer
1999 The Passion of Ayn Rand Alfred Television movie
2001 The Industry John Kalileah Episode: "Alan's Ex"
2001 Degrassi: The Next Generation Keith Barra 2 episodes
2001 I Was a Rat Oliver Tapscrew 3 episodes
2002 Trudeau Greenbaum Television movie
2003–2006 Slings & Arrows Darren Nichols 13 episodes
2003–2007 Odd Job Jack Jack Ryder (voice) 52 episodes
2005 Rick Mercer Report Food Court Patron Episode #2.8
2006 Prairie Giant Clarence Fines 2 episodes
2006 At the Hotel Woody Episode: "I F***ed Lou Reed"
2008 The Englishman's Boy Coster 2 episodes
2011 Republic of Doyle J.J. Murphy Episode: "A Stand Up Guy"
2011–2017 Michael: Every Day — Creator, director, and executive producer
2014–2016 Sensitive Skin Al Jackson 12 episodes; also director and executive producer
2017 Saving Hope Dr. Amos Carver 3 episodes
2020 Hey Lady! Dr. Wolfe 5 episodes
2024 The Sympathizer — Writer and executive producer

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Film Reference Library". Archived from the original on 2007-12-24. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  2. ^ "True to her craft until the end".
  3. ^ McKellar takes on Cannes at The Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed August 31, 2019
  4. ^ Parker, Charles Whately; Parker, Charles Wolcott; Greene, Barnet M. (2000). Who's who in Canada. ISBN 9780771577260.
  5. ^ "The Globe and Mail: Canadian, World, Politics and Business News & Analysis".
  6. ^ "True To Her Craft Until The End". The Globe and Mail, June 23, 2010
  7. ^ Warner, Tyrone (2007-08-02). "Don McKellar's animated role no 'Odd Job'". CTV.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  8. ^ "Camelot & cover songs: Inside CBC’s new fall lineup" Archived 2013-01-29 at archive.today. National Post, June 8, 2011.
  9. ^ "Governor General Announces 113 New Appointments to the Order of Canada".
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