Kevin McDonald was drawn to comedy for simple reasons — he found out he was funny and according to him, he was not good at anything else. Though his father wanted him to become a lawyer, McDonald felt he was not “school smart.”

His comedic talent emerged early on, when he was just 11 years old. By age 13 he was confident comedy was what he wanted to do and the only thing he could do.

McDonald soon realized he was as much of a writer as he was a performer. It made sense, then, to write his own material — something he has done throughout his career.

Best known as a member of the sketch comedy troupe — the Kids in the Hall, McDonald starred alongside Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. The troupe was known for their television series — the Kids in the Hall — which ran on CBC from 1989 to 1995 and was revived in 2022 on Amazon Prime.

Originally, McDonald planned to join Saturday Night Live and become a movie star by 24. To pursue his dream, he joined The Second City improv and comedy club, where he was the youngest, with everyone else being over the age of 30. He realized he was quite different from them, being thought of as “weird” by his classmates.

“I thought that I was […] the only funny person there and so it felt kind of lonely,” he said. “Eventually, a year later, one of the ‘kids in the hall’ who I didn’t know, Dave Foley, he came in the class and he just happened to sit next to me […] and we decided to start a comedy troupe.”

After meeting the other members, McDonald learned that they also often felt “weird.”

“We were all sort of in the same ballpark of thinking, and we all brought something different to it, but we were the only ones we knew who thought like us,” he said.

Working together allowed members to influence each other and develop as writers. Over time, McDonald said they became “one big person” rather than five separate people.

Outside of the Kids In The Hall, McDonald is known for his roles in Seinfeld, Lilo & Stitch, Friends and That 70’s Show. He previously ran the monthly variety show podcast Kevin McDonald’s Kevin McDonald Show.

Now, for the first time, McDonald is in the director’s chair, directing, writing and starring in the comedy One Week Left.

The film will follow an aging rock musician (played by McDonald) who commits fraud against his best friend (Foley). Knowing he has only one week before starting a prison sentence, he embarks on an “apology tour” across the country. McDonald describes much of the film as a “very exaggerated” version of his life, although he has never been to jail or been a rock star.

McDonald said he is excited about the premise of One Week Left, as he is experimenting with presenting people going through real things in a “unreal” sketch comedy style. He hopes that audiences will empathize with the characters and hopes that he can make the tone of this movie work.

McDonald hopes readers of the Manitoban will watch out for One Week Left when it releases, with plans to release it through streaming services. He wishes to do more films and has begun working on a comedy rock opera based on his life. He plans to premiere the show off-Broadway and eventually bring the show to Broadway.

One Week Left will begin filming in 2025. The film will be produced by Winnipeg-based Farpoint Films.