Heather Ann McDonald (born June 14, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and author. Born and raised in Southern California, she is known for her appearances on the E! series Chelsea Lately. She was one of the eight writers on the show and often participated in sketches and segments. McDonald also wrote and appeared in the show's spin-off, After Lately. She is the host of the pop culture podcast “Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald.” Her first book, a 2010 memoir of her college years, made the Bestseller List of the New York Times.[3]
| Heather McDonald | |
|---|---|
 McDonald in April 2011 | |
| Birth name | Heather Ann McDonald[1] |
| Born | June 14, 1970[2] Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Genres | |
| Spouse |
Peter Dobias (m. 2000) |
| Children | 3 |
| Notable works and roles | Chelsea Lately After Lately |
| Website | heathermcdonald |
Early life
editMcDonald was born in 1970 in the San Fernando Valley, to real estate agent parents. She is of three quarters Irish and one quarter French-Canadian descent.[4] She and her brothers and sisters were raised Catholic and attended private Catholic schools.[5] After high school, McDonald attended the University of Southern California (USC),[6] where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.[7]
After graduating from USC, McDonald began to take theatre classes at The Groundlings. During her time there, McDonald performed improvisational shows and sketch comedy at the Groundlings Theatre. At the same time, McDonald became a licensed realtor like her parents.[8]
Career
editIn the late 1990s, McDonald began writing with Keenen Ivory Wayans.[9] In 2001 and 2002, she was a writer and performer for MTV's Lyricist Lounge[10]. She made an appearance on Frasier as one of Frasier's many blind dates.
McDonald first gained popularity through her stand-up comedy shows in Los Angeles. She also began writing and performing for the Wayans Brothers in several of their films. She was a writer and roundtable regular on Chelsea Lately since its premiere in 2007.[11]
In June 2010, McDonald published her first book, a memoir entitled You'll Never Blue Ball in This Town Again: One Woman's Painfully Funny Quest to Give It Up, which made The New York Times Best-Seller List.[3] The memoir covers her college and sorority experience while attending the University of Southern California. McDonald published a second memoir in 2013, entitled My Inappropriate Life (Some Stories Not Suitable for Nuns, Children, or Mature Adults).
McDonald's standup special entitled Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean To Brag was recorded in 2014 and released on Netflix in September 2015. She also has a podcast called "Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald," which began airing in June 2015.
McDonald has a repertoire of women characters of whom she does impressions in her standup routines.[12]
On February 5, 2022 in Tempe, Arizona, McDonald collapsed on stage during a live performance. She later stated that she had been feeling unwell and dizzy prior to her set. She was taken to a hospital and treated for a fractured skull.[13][14] Footage of her collapse was included in the film Died Suddenly.[15]
Personal life
editMcDonald is married to Peter Dobias, with whom she has three children.[16] They reside in Los Angeles.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | White Chicks | Saleswoman | |
| 2009 | Dance Flick | Girl's Gym Teacher | |
| 2018 | Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate | Beverly Ann | |
| Leprechaun Returns | Tory Reding (voice) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Lyricist Lounge Show | Various | Also writer |
| 2001 | Frasier | Judy | Episode: "Sliding Frasiers" |
| 2002 | Watching Ellie | Waitress | Episode: "Gift" |
| 2003 | Reno 911! | Maid of Honor | Episode: "Clementine Gets Married" |
| 2004 | Quintuplets | Director | Episode: "Bob and Carol Save Christmas" |
| 2005 | Malcolm in the Middle | Nancy | Episode: "Malcolm's Car" |
| 2006 | Drake & Josh | Unknown role | Episode: "The Demonator" |
| Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness | Gwenny | Television film | |
| Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street | Gwenny / Gavin's mom (voice) | ||
| 2007 | What News? | Angela Schramm | |
| 2007-2014 | Chelsea Lately | Herself | Various Episodes |
| 2014 | Female Moments | Unknown role | Episode: "Cafe Con Life"; Also writer |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Guest Judge; Season 6 Episode 5 | |
| Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean to Brag | Stand-up special; Also writer and producer | ||
| 2016 | #ThisIsCollege | Sherry | TV Mini-series Episode: "Going Home" |
References
edit- ^ "HEATHER McDONALD on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Best-Seller List". The New York Times. July 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Profile Archived 2014-01-11 at the Wayback Machine, tweetwood.com; accessed June 14, 2015.
- ^ Profile, robinschicks.com; accessed June 14, 2015.
- ^ "'After Lately' Star Heather McDonald: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Me". The Hollywood Reporter. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ Solomon, Michael (2011-09-15). "Sorority Sisters". ELLE. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ "Chelsea Lately's Heather McDonald is One Funny Mother". Palm Springs Life. 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
- ^ "'After Lately' Star Heather McDonald: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Me". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
- ^ "Check out Heather McDonald at Irvine Improv on Aug 17, 2019". Eventful. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2020-05-15.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Action, Lake Tahoe (2 July 2016). "'Chelsea Lately' alum Heather McDonald to perform at Tahoe's The Loft Theatre". www.tahoedailytribune.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- ^ Heather McDonald jokes about kids, marriage in standup Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ Day, Nate, Comedian Heather McDonald collapses, fractures skull during set in Tempe, Arizona", Fox News, February 6, 2022
- ^ Comedian Heather McDonald Collapses On Stage And Fractures Skull After Telling Just Two Jokes, huffingtonpost.co.uk, February 7, 2022
- ^ Collins, Ben (March 31, 2023). "Heather McDonald's on-stage collapse became anti-vaccine fodder, but she's alive and joking". NBC News. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "Meet Heather McDonald's husband Peter Dobias as comedian recovers". 7 February 2022.