Michael McKean makes a foolish man sound as though he has considered the matter carefully. We rate him most highly when that patient reasonableness has other actors to contend with, particularly in This Is Spinal Tap.
Fi1m perspective
In This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Michael McKean's David St. Hubbins speaks as though a reasonable explanation should sort everything out. The other members of the band have explanations too, and nobody seems improved by hearing them. McKean is particularly good at keeping that air of patience through a conversation that has ceased to deserve it. We rate him highly here because he gives David enough self-respect to make the foolishness worth watching.
His breakthrough was the broader sitcom comedy of Lenny Kosnowski in Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983). This Is Spinal Tap puts him among collaborators who allow smaller habits to carry a scene: Christopher Guest's Nigel Tufnel, Harry Shearer's Derek Smalls and Rob Reiner's attentive interviewer, Marty DiBergi. All four share the writing credit. The interruptions and repeated explanations sound like conversations these men have been having for years, with McKean's practised reasonableness giving the others something to resist.
The music matters just as much to the performance. McKean shares its credit with Guest, Shearer and Reiner, and the force of the riffs makes the band's pride credible before the lyrics expose their judgement. We felt more affection for these musicians than we expected, because the care in the playing kept them from becoming merely targets. He continued working with Guest in A Mighty Wind (2003), playing Jerry Palter and co-writing the title song.
In Guest's Best in Show (2000), McKean plays Stefan Vanderhoof as part of another ensemble worth an evening. Its dog-show comedy is generous towards people who are not always easy to like, and Fred Willard supplies the biggest laughs. Some routines settle into repetition; the film is worth seeing, with that modest caveat.
His dramatic work as Chuck McGill in Better Call Saul (2015–2022) makes it harder to file him away as a specialist in foolish musicians. We value the broader career, but This Is Spinal Tap remains the clearest reason for our enthusiasm: acting, writing and music all contribute to characters who seem to have known one another too long. Start there, and give the songs as much attention as the arguments.
Biography
Michael McKean is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer and musician. Born in New York City on 17 October 1947, he trained at Carnegie Mellon University and New York University. He began his career in the comedy troupe The Credibility Gap and gained prominence as Lenny Kosnowski in the sitcom Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983).
McKean is known for his collaborations with Christopher Guest, appearing in This Is Spinal Tap (1984) as David St. Hubbins, Best in Show (2000) as Stefan Vanderhoof, A Mighty Wind (2003) and For Your Consideration (2006). He co-wrote songs for A Mighty Wind, winning a Grammy Award, and received an Academy Award nomination for another. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Chuck McGill in Better Call Saul (2015–2022).
He has also voiced characters in animated series including The Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants, and appeared in films such as Clue (1985). McKean has been married to actress Annette O'Toole since 1999.
