Biography
Don McKellar was born on 17th August 1963 in Toronto, Canada. Beginning his career in the theatre at a young age McKellar co-founded Childs Play Theatre, and went on to study English and theatre at the University of Toronto. In 1989, he co-founded the Augusta Company with Daniel Brooks and Tracy Wright, then moved into feature films writing the screenplay for Bruce McDonald's film 'Roadkill' (1989).
McKellar has continually collaborated on and produced engaging and provocative work in film, TV and theatre - whether acting, writing, directing or all three. He made his directorial debut in 1992 with two short films, 'Blue' (starring David Cronenberg) and 'Bloody Nose', then in 1998 completed 'Last Night', his feature directing debut (which he also wrote and starred in), for which he won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the Cannes Film Festival. He has continued directing with his TV series 'Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays' and 'Michael: Every Day, and 2 series of 'Sensitive Skin' (in which he also starred) and the films 'The Grand Seduction' and 'Through Black Spruce.'
He has numerous screenwriting credits to his name including the screen adaptation of 'Blindness' from Nobel Prize–winning author José Saramago's novel, co-writing the critically acclaimed 'Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould', 'Red Violin' and Bruce McDonald's early films 'Roadkill' and 'Highway 61'. He has currently returned to writing, adapting the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for HBO's drama series 'The Sympathizer,' starring Robert Downey Jr and Sandra Oh and directed by Park Chan-wook.
Particularly memorable for his acting roles as anti-hero,TV-watching agoraphobic Curtis in 2 seasons of 'Twitch City', voicing the character 'Jack' in 5 seasons of Odd Job Jack and as pretentious theatre director Darren Nicholls in 'Slings and Arrows'.
McKellar has even covered the musical genre with his co-written play 'The Drowsy Chaperone' which won him a Tony Award, touring Toronto, London and New York and is working on another musical as well as a possible movie version of 'The Drowsy Chaperone'!
MOVIES/TV
February - Director (rumoured)
The Sympathizer (TV mini series) - Screenwriter
Crimes of the Future (film) - as 'Wippet'
The Middle Man (2021) (film) - as 'The Doctor'
The Ballad of Audrey Earnshaw (2020) (film) - as 'Bernard Buckley'
Most Wanted (aka Target Number One) (2020) (film) - as 'Norm'
Hey Lady! (2020) (TV) - as 'Dr Wolfe'
Through Black Spruce (2018) (film) - as 'Journalist' & director
The Woman Who Can't Lie (2017) (short film) - director
Lolz-ita (2017) (short film) - as 'Eric'
Meditation Park (2017) (film) - as 'Gabriel'
Saving Hope (2017) (TV) - episodes 5.13-15 as 'Dr Amos Carver'
Michael: Everyday (2016) (TV) – director/executive producer & episode 2 'Making a Friend' as 'Gary'
Your Mother and I (2016) (short film) - as 'Father'
Blood Honey (2016) (film) – as 'Dr Bert Morrison'
Window Horses (2016) (film) – voice of 'Dietmar'
Sensitive Skin (2014-2016) (TV) – as 'Al Jackson' & director/executive producer
Zoom (2015) (film) – as 'Horowitz'
It’s Not You (2015) (short film) – director/writer
Waiting for Ishtar (2015) (documentary) – as himself
Three Days in Havana (2013) (film) – as ‘Pepe’
Subconscious Password (2013) (short film) – voice of 'The Host’
Treading Water (2013) (film) – as ‘Richard'
The Grand Seduction (2013) (film) – director
Post War Blues (2012) (Dan Mangan music video)
Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays (2011) (TV) – director & executive producer
I’m Yours (2011) (film) – as ‘Phil’
Republic of Doyle (2011) (TV) – episode 2.3 ‘A Stand Up Guy’ as ‘J.J. Murphy’
Trigger (2010) (film) – as ‘Brian’
This Movie is Broken (2010) (film) – as himself & co-writer
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) (film) – as ‘director’
Cooking With Stella (2009) (film) – as ‘Michael Laffont’
Manson, My Name is Evil (2009) (film) – as ‘Prosecuter’
Green Door (2008) (short film) – as ‘Ron’
Blindness (2008) (film) – as ‘Thief’ & wrote screenplay
The Englishman’s Boy (2008) (TV) – as ‘Coster’
Odd Job Jack (2003-2007) (TV) – 5 seasons as voice of 'Jack Ryder’
Redacted (2007) (film) – voice of ‘Criminal Investigator’
Monkey Warfare (2006) (film) – as ‘Dan’
Slings and Arrows (2003-2006) (TV) – 3 seasons as ‘Darren Nichols’
At the Hotel (2006) (TV) – episode 1.3 ‘I F***ed Lou Reed’ as ‘Woody’
Where the Truth Lies (2005) (film) - as ‘Publishing Executive’
Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story (2006) (TV) - as ‘Clarence Fines’
Phone Call From Imaginary Girlfriends:Ankara (2005) (short film) – writer/director
Phone Call From Imaginary Girlfriends:Istanbul (2005) (short film) – writer/director
Childstar (2004) (film) - as ‘Rick Schiller’ & also writer/director
Clean (2004) (film) - as ‘Vernon’ & script translator
Public Domain (2003) (film) - as ‘Host’
The Event (2003) (film) - as ‘Matt’
Rub & Tug (2002) (film) - as ‘Conrad’
Trudeau (2002) (TV movie) - as ‘Greenbaum’
Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001) (TV) – in episode 1.1 and 1.2 ‘Mother and Child Reunion:Part 1 and 2 as ‘Keith Barra’
The Art of Woo (2001) (film) - as ‘Nathan’
I Was a Rat (2001) (TV movie) - as ‘Oliver Tapscrew’
Made In Canada (2001) (TV) – episode 3.12 as ‘John Kalileah’
Picture Claire (2001) (movie) - story editor
A Word From the Management (2000) (short film) – voiceover & writer/director
This Might Be Good (2000) (short film)
You Tell Me (2000) (short film)
Waydowntown (2000) (film) - as ‘Brad’
Twitch City (1998 - 2000) (TV) – 2 seasons as ‘Curtis’ & co-writer
Sea People (1999) (TV movie) - as ‘Mr Whittaker’
eXistenZ (1999) (film) - as ‘Yevgeny Nourish’
The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999) (TV movie) - as ‘Alfred’
The Herd (1998) (film)
Elimination Dance (1998) (short film) – as ‘male dance partner’ & director/co-writer
The Red Violin (1998) (film) - as ‘Evan Williams’ and co-writer
Last Night (1998) (film) - as ‘Patrick Wheeler’ & writer/director
American Whiskey Bar (1998) (TV movie) - as ‘Bar Patron’
Bach Cello Suite #4: Sarabande (1997) (film) - as ‘Max’
Vinyl (1997 - premiered 2000) (documentary) - as ‘himself’
Once a Thief (1997) (TV) – episode 1.2 ‘Rave On’ - as ‘Sam Francisco’
In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1996) (TV movie) - ‘Paul Heller’
Joe’s So Mean to Josephine (1996) (film) - as ‘Mike’
Never Met Picasso (1996) (film) - as ‘Jerry’
When Night is Falling (1995) (film) - as ‘Timothy’ & story consultant
Taking the Falls (1995) (TV) - episode 1.3 ‘Elvis has Left the Building’
Side Effects (1995) (TV) – episode 2.7 ‘Rust Proof’ as ‘Elaine’s Lover’
Dance Me Outside (1994) (film) - co-writer & story editor
Arrowhead (1994) (short film) - as ‘Ray Bud’ & script advisor
Camilla (1994) (film) - as ‘Security Guard’
Exotica (1994) (film) - as ‘Thomas Pinto’ (won Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor)
Robocop (1994) (TV) - episode 1.8 ‘Zone Five’ as ‘Dr Newlove’
Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) (film) - as ‘Concert Promoter’ & co-writer (Genie Award nomination for Best Screenplay & Film)
Kids in the Hall (1993) (TV) - guest star - ‘Bike courier with a death wish’
Coleslaw Warehouse (1992) (short film)
Giant Steps (1992) (film) - as ‘Real estate hucker’
The Bloody Nose (1992) (short film) - director
Blue (1992) (short film) - as ‘Off camera interviewer’ & writer/director (won Gold Plaque at Chicago Film Festival)
Highway 61 (1991) (film) - as ‘Pokey Jones’ & co-writer (won Genie Award for Best Actor)
The Adjuster (1991) (film) - as ‘Tyler’ (1991 Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor)
Roadkill (1989) (Film) - as ‘Russel Skelly’ & co-writer (Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor & Best Screenplay)
2010 - present
2010 - present
THEATRE
The Drowsy Chaperone (1999/2001)
Fraudville
The Book of Rejection
Ends and Odds
Indulgence
Red Tape
Measure for Measure
The Man With the Million Pound Note
86: An Autopsy
Drinking
Wildlife
Steve the First / Steve the Second Radio Shows