Mac McDonald
Encyclopedia
- For the fast food pioneer, Maurice "Mac" McDonald, see: Dick and Mac McDonaldDick and Mac McDonaldRichard James "Dick" McDonald and his brother, Maurice James "Mac" McDonald were early American fast food pioneers, who established the first McDonald's restaurant at West 14th Street and 1398 North E Street in San Bernardino, California in 1948...
.
Mac McDonald (born Terence McDonald, 18 June 1949, in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best known for playing Captain Hollister on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
and frequently plays American characters in other British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV shows. He has also had many movie roles in films such as Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
, Batman
Batman (1989 film)
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
and The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element is a 1997 French science fiction film directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich...
, all of which were filmed in England.
Biography
After leaving school Mac pursued a stage career, with a strong personal preference for comedy and music. In 1968 he was in Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
as the local TV station's Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.Originally created by Alan W...
. Later he moved to San Francisco, working for some time as a cycle courier and joining the AAA Acting Company.
He developed an interest in the teachings of George Gurdjieff but in 1974 turned down an invitation to attend the movement's training school, deciding instead to travel in Europe, armed only with a fool's hat and a melodica
Melodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
. In Amsterdam he met a fellow American and accepted an invitation to stay in a commune in Kentish Town, North London. There he stayed for some years, taking over a leatherworking business from another departing American resident and running a leather goods stall in the newly-opened Camden Lock Market.
There he hit upon a novel idea for busking, the "Human Jukebox", in which he waited in a large silver box until, when prompted by the insertion of a coin and the selection of a song, he opened a window and delivered his (unaccompanied) rendering. This was quite a success since Mac's quite passable tenor was reinforced by a showbizzy, faux-sincere personality that was by turns endearing, ironical and impossibly corny. As the "Human Jukebox" he made his first UK TV appearance, standing in for Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's part with Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
in the hit duet Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" , and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Tamla Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers...
.
At about this time Mac joined another company, this time presenting children's shows in conjunction with the Inner London Education Authority until in 1982, after a couple of seasons, he and another member, Hilary, left to form a three-person musical comedy troupe, The Cheap Shots, with Mac's close friend Sakal providing the music. The threesome developed "The Chip Shop Show", a series of spoof musicals popular on the newly burgeoning London alternative comedy
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
circuit, making many appearances at The Comedy Store (London) alongside Ronnie Golden
Ronnie Golden
Ronnie Golden, born Tony De Meur, is a British singer, guitarist and comedian. He was the founder of the band The Fabulous Poodles. After the group broke up he worked as a stand up comedian as a member of The Comic Strip. From the early 1980s he made many appearances at The Comedy Store and on the...
, John Hegley
John Hegley
John Richard Hegley is an English performance poet, comedian, musician and songwriter.-Early life:He was born in the Newington Green area of Islington, London, England, into a Roman Catholic household. He was brought up in Luton and Bristol...
and others, including several future Red Dwarf players.
This format led to further TV work and Mac acquired an agent, bringing appearances in TV commercials and other parts requiring an American. The Cheap Shots disbanded and Mac, still living in North London, now with his partner Eleanor, settled down to develop his film and TV career. After a few minor film roles his appearance in Red Dwarf raised his profile and brought more and better roles.
McDonald has two daughters, singers Naomi Jasmine and Jess McDonald.
Film
- RollerballRollerball (1975 film)Rollerball is a 1975 American dystopian fiction film directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by William Harrison, who adapted his own short story "Roller Ball Murder", which first appeared in 1973 in Esquire magazine.-The Game:...
(Uncredited, 1975) - Top SecretTop Secret!Top Secret! is a 1984 comedy film directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. It stars Val Kilmer , Lucy Gutteridge, Omar Sharif, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough and Jeremy Kemp. The film is a parody of the GDR era and Elvis films...
(1984) - AliensAliens (film)Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
(1986) - Commander Simpson - Superman IV: The Quest for PeaceSuperman IV: The Quest for PeaceSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace is a 1987 superhero film directed by Sidney J. Furie. It is the fourth film in the Superman film series and the last installment to star Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. It is the first film in the series not to be produced by Alexander and Ilya Salkind, but...
(1987) - Prison Guard - BatmanBatman (1989 film)Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
(1989) - Goon I - Nightbreed (1990) - Lou Rickman
- Memphis BelleMemphis Belle (film)Memphis Belle is a 1990 film directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Monte Merrick, starring Matthew Modine and Eric Stoltz and introducing Harry Connick Jr. in his screen debut...
(1990) - Les - The Russia HouseThe Russia House (film)The Russia House is an American spy drama, based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré. It was directed by Fred Schepisi, and starred Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer, with Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, and Klaus Maria Brandauer in supporting roles.It was filmed on location in...
(1990) - Bob - Hardware (1990) - Newsreader
- Fierce CreaturesFierce CreaturesFierce Creatures is a 1997 comedy film. Although not a sequel, it was a follow-up to the wildly popular A Fish Called Wanda, starring the same four actors, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin...
(1997) - The Fifth ElementThe Fifth ElementThe Fifth Element is a 1997 French science fiction film directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich...
(1997) - Skycop - Stiff Upper LipsStiff Upper LipsStiff Upper Lips is a broad parody of British period films, especially the lavish Merchant-Ivory productions of the 'eighties and early 'nineties...
(1998) - The Barber of SiberiaThe Barber of SiberiaThe Barber of Siberia is a 1998 Russian film that re-united the Academy Award winning team of director Nikita Mikhalkov and Michel Seydoux...
(1998) - Sergeant "Mad Dog" O'Leary - The 51st StateThe 51st StateThe 51st State is a 2001 British action comedy film written by Stel Pavlou and directed by Ronny Yu. Produced by Focus Films Ltd. . The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Ricky Tomlinson, Sean Pertwee, Rhys Ifans and Meat Loaf...
(2001) - Harley Davidson - ControlControl (2004 film)Control is a 2004 direct-to-video movie. It was produced by an American production company, but was filmed in Bulgaria.-Synopsis:Oliver is a death row inmate who is given a lethal injection before a room of witnesses. He awakes in the morgue to find that he had only been administered saline and...
(2004) - Tara RoadTara RoadTara Road is a novel by Maeve Binchy. It was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in September 1999.-Plot introduction:It is the story of two women, one from Ireland and one from America, who trade houses without ever having met...
(2005) - Jerry - FlyboysFlyboysFlyboys is a 2006 American drama film set during World War I, starring James Franco, Martin Henderson, Jean Reno, Jennifer Decker, David Ellison, Abdul Salis, Philip Winchester, and Tyler Labine. It was directed by Tony Bill, a pilot and aviation enthusiast. The screenplay was written by Phil...
(2006) - Sherrif Detweiler - Transsiberian (2008) - Minister Miller
- The Descent: Part 2 (2009) - Mayor O'Reilly
- Wrong Turn 3: Left for DeadWrong Turn 3: Left for DeadWrong Turn 3: Left for Dead is a 2009 American slasher film, directed by Declan O'Brien, and starring Janet Montgomery, Tamer Hassan and Chucky Venice. This film was released direct-to-DVD on October 20, 2009.-Plot:...
(2009) - Warden Ladew
TV
- Red DwarfRed DwarfRed Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
- Captain Frank Hollister (1988, 1999) - The New StatesmanThe New StatesmanThe New Statesman is an award-winning British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time...
- Sheriff (Series 2, Episode 5, "California Here I Come", 1989) - French & SaundersFrench & SaundersFrench and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
(1990) - Jeeves & Wooster - "Birdsberger" (Series 3, 1992)
- Oh Doctor Beeching - Joe (Series 2, Episode 6 "Love Is A Very Splendid Thing", 1997)
- Black BooksBlack BooksBlack Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004...
- An irate American tourist (2004) - My Family - Scott Taylor (Series 2, Episode 11, "The Last Supper", 2001)
- Spooks - "Hard-Faced Man" (CIA Agent) (Season 2, Episode 10, "Smoke & Mirrors) (2003)
- Little Britain Abroad - "Phil" (2006)
Music videos
- New OrderNew OrderNew Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
- Park Ranger (60 Miles an hour, 2001) - Sneaker PimpsSneaker PimpsSneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
- Post Modern Sleaze (Becoming X, 1996)