Kevin McHale | |
|---|---|
 McHale in 2024 | |
| Born | Kevin Michael McHale (1988-06-14)June 14, 1988 (age 36) Plano, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Partner | Austin P. McKenzie (2016–present) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels |
|
Musical artist | |
Kevin Michael McHale (born June 14, 1988[1]) is an American actor and singer. Formerly one of the two lead vocalists of theboy bandNLT, McHale is best known for his role asArtie Abrams in theFox musical comedy-drama seriesGlee, for which he was nominated for aGrammy Award, threeScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and twoTeen Choice Awards. From 2014 to 2016, he hosted the British panel showVirtually Famous onE4. In 2019, McHale andGlee co-starJenna Ushkowitz began a podcast calledShowmance, where they recapGlee episodes and interviewGlee cast and crew members, as well as other people.[2] The podcast was rebranded in 2022 asAnd That's What You Really Missed on iHeartRadio.
McHale was born inPlano, Texas, to Christopher McHale and Elizabeth Payne, the youngest of four children. His older sister is a talent agent, and he got his start in acting by convincing her to let him audition for a local commercial. He grew up with actor and singerDemi Lovato.[3] He moved to California with his parents as a teenager in order to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. McHale attendedAcademy of the Canyons High School in theSanta Clarita Valley in California.[4]
Before becoming an actor, McHale joined the American four-member boy bandNLT, which stands for "Not Like Them" as one of two lead singers. They were discovered byChris Stokes in 2006, who subsequently signed them to his label,The Ultimate Group. On March 13, 2007, they released their first single, "That Girl". The following month, they opened (withChantelle Paige) forThe Pussycat Dolls.[5] The band also made a guest appearance in the filmBratz: The Movie as an auditioning band. While in the group, McHale, along withTimbaland and his bandmates, co-wrote the song "She Said, I Said (Time We Let Go)".[6] On April 30, 2009, memberTravis Michael Garland announced that NLT had split.
McHale, who has a record deal withUniversal Music Group, writes original music in his spare time. In an interview withMario Lopez, McHale stated that he plans to pursue solo music post-Glee.[7] In 2015, McHale, Chris Moy, and Justin Thorne co-wrote the song "Heartless" which was featured on the latter's debut EPThe Heartbreaker. That same year, he starred in the music video for Thorne's song "Summer Nights".[8] In April 2019, McHale released the pop song "Help Me Now", directed by Justin Thorne. The accompanying music video stars McHale and actorNolan Gould. McHale described the video as having "a bootleg kinda gayWes Anderson vibe."[9] In June 2019, he released the song "James Dean". The accompanying music video stars McHale andPose actorJohnny Sibilly.[10]
In 2019, McHale released his first solo album,Boy.[11][12]
Also in 2019, he competed inThe X Factor: Celebrity, in which he finished in seventh place.[13]
In 2021, McHale (with Chris Moy, Shelby Rabara, Justin Thorne, andJenna Ushkowitz) began production on a musical children's show calledThe AlphaBeatZ. McHale voices Ross, one of the five animated teddy bear characters. A five-song Christmas EP was released on December 17, 2021.[14] McHale is credited as co-writer of the three original songs on the EP.
In 2007, McHale made a guest appearance onNBC's comedy seriesThe Office in the season four episode "Launch Party", portraying a pizza delivery boy who is taken hostage byMichael Scott (Steve Carell). He guest starred in three episodes ofNickelodeon's teen drama seriesZoey 101 as Dooley Fibadoo. In 2008, McHale guest starred in two episodes ofHBO's dark fantasy drama seriesTrue Blood, appearing as Neil Jones, a coroner's assistant.
In 2009, McHale landed his breakout role asArtie Abrams in theFox musical comedy-drama seriesGlee. His character, who uses a wheelchair after a car accident, joins the McKinley Highglee club in the first episode. He had his first solo performance on the show when he sang "Dancing with Myself" in the episode "Wheels". In the episode "Dream On", he danced in a fantasy sequence to "The Safety Dance", and sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me". In the second-season episode "Britney/Brittany", he sang a solo (in a dream sequence) of "Stronger", after being anaesthetized for dental surgery. He also danced in a dream sequence alongsideHarry Shum, Jr. toMichael Jackson's song "Scream" in the third-season episode "Michael". McHale, along with the main cast of the series, was nominated for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series four times,winning in 2010.[15]
In 2010, McHale appeared briefly inOne Call's music video "Blacklight" alongside former NLT bandmate Justin Thorne, who was a member of One Call. In June 2011, McHale appeared inKaty Perry's music video for her song "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" as the character Everett McDonald.[16] On July 22, 2012, McHale co-hosted the2012 Teen Choice Awards withDemi Lovato.[17] In January 2014, it was reported that McHale would host a comedy panel show,Virtually Famous, for the British digital television channelE4.[18] The show features comedianSeann Walsh and radio presenterChris Stark as series regulars and team captains.[19]
On February 24, 2014, it was announced that McHale had signed on to play a supporting role in theKathy Bates andDustin Hoffman led independent filmBoychoir. McHale's character, Wooly, is a young music teacher who helps a troubled young boy at his school.[20] In July 2014, it was announced that he andAaron Tveit had signed on to star in the comedy filmThey Might Be Kennedys, but the film was postponed indefinitely in 2015 after the production was failed to be cast in time.[21] McHale was cast to play one of the leads, Teddy Mulligan.[22] In 2015, McHale competed with his mother, father, sister, and uncle onCelebrity Family Feud againstFred Willard.[23] In April 2016, McHale joined the cast ofDustin Lance Black's drama miniseriesWhen We Rise as AIDS activistBobbi Campbell.[24]
In December 2020, McHale was a part of a mini musical music video called "Stay Inside". He co-starred alongside dancer Haley Fitzgerald. The song and video were written by the composers of theBroadway andWest End musicalSix,Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. The video was choreographed by Kyle Hanagami. Viewers were encouraged to make donations toBroadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway.[25]
On June 3, 2021Ryan Murphy revealed McHale to be one of four actors starring in the upcoming spin-off seriesAmerican Horror Stories.[26] McHale starred alongsideDyllón Burnside ofPose,Charles Melton ofRiverdale, andNico Greetham ofThe Prom. Murphy announced the new cast via Instagram post where he dubbed the four men the Fantastic Four. The new series premiered onHulu July 15, 2021 and concluded on Halloween. McHale played the role of Barry, a member of the fictional social media influencer group "The Bro House", in the fourth episode of the anthology series which was titled "The Naughty List".[27]
In December 2021, McHale was a part of anoff-Broadway workshop forRadiant Baby, a musical about artistKeith Haring, where he was cast as Haring. The workshop was postponed due to a surge inCOVID-19 cases. The production was originally set to run atTwo River Theater inRed Bank, New Jersey from June 4–26, 2022,[28] but was ultimately canceled.
Beginning in 2014, McHale andGlee co-starAmber Riley hosted a radio show onDash Radio calledMcRiley.[29] The show aired on Fridays at 3 PM PST/6 PM EST, but went on indefinite hiatus in 2015 due to their busy filming schedules forGlee. McHale went on to become one of the four hosts ofSick of My Own Voice on Dash Radio in 2015.[30] The other hosts included hisNLT bandmate and longtime roommate Justin Thorne, songwriter and photographer Brittany Burton, and YouTuber Amy Lynn Thompson. The four have been friends since high school. The show aired on Thursdays at 1 PM PST/4 PM EST.
In 2019 Kevin McHale and formerGlee co-starJenna Ushkowitz launched the podcastShowmance to discuss their on-screen and offline relationship.[31] One of the most requested discussion topics of Season 1 of the podcast was their time onGlee. In season 2 they started an in-depth recap ofGlee Season 1. Each episode featured McHale and Ushkowitz re-watching episodes ofGlee and sharing behind-the-scenes secrets while also sharing personal sentiments and reflections about filming.[32] The podcast was part of the LadyGang network onPodcastOne.[33] The podcast started an indefinite hiatus in July 2020 following thedeath of Naya Rivera.
In September 2022, McHale and Ushkowitz announced their new podcast endeavorAnd That's What You Really Missed on iHeartRadio. Their rebranded and reimaginedGlee recap podcast will start at the beginning, recapping and sharing memories from all six seasons of the show.[34]
In September 2012, McHale and his dog Sophie appeared in aPETA ad campaign, promoting the adoption ofshelter animals.[35] In June 2016, theHuman Rights Campaign released a video in tribute to the victims of the2016 Orlando gay nightclub shooting, in which McHale and other celebrities told the stories of the people killed there.[36] In September 2016, he co-created themobile app +ONE, created with the intent to "provide people with one app to simplify the process of creating events."[37]
McHale resides in theHollywood Hills.[38] He is aLos Angeles Dodgers fan.[39]
In April 2018, McHalecame out as gay with atweet.[40] He is in a relationship with actorAustin P. McKenzie.[41] McHale and McKenzie met on the set ofWhen We Rise and have been in a relationship since 2016.[42]
McHale is a member of theDemocratic Party. He publicly supported the presidential campaigns ofBarack Obama in2012,Hillary Clinton in2016, andJoe Biden in2020.[43]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Ruthless | Neighbor Neil | Short film |
| Bratz | Boy Band Member | With NLT | |
| 2010 | One Call: Blacklight | Short film | |
| 2011 | Glee: The 3D Concert Movie | Artie Abrams | Concert film |
| 2014 | Boychoir | Wooly | |
| TBA | They Might Be Kennedys | Teddy Mulligan | Production postponed indefinitely |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | All That | Mark | Season 10, Episode 13: "On-Air Dares"[1] |
| 2007 | The Office | Delivery Kid | Season 4, Episode 6: "Launch Party Part 2" |
| 2007–2008 | Zoey 101 | Dooley Thibodeaux | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | True Blood | Neil Jones | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | Glee | Artie Abrams | 113 episodes |
| 2010 | 2010 Teen Choice Awards | Himself | Co-host |
| 2012 | 2012 Teen Choice Awards | Host | |
| 2013 | Whose Line is it Anyway? | Season 9, Episode 2 | |
| 2013 | MasterChef | Season 4, Episode 10 "Top 14 Compete" (Listed as Kevin Michael McHale)[44] | |
| 2014–2016 | Virtually Famous | Host | |
| 2015 | The Numberlys | Task Master (voice) | Television short |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Himself | Season 2, Episode 3 "Dr. Phil McGraw vs.Garry &Penny Marshall and Kevin McHale vs.Fred Willard" | |
| 2016 | HeILa | Kevin | Season 2, Episode 2 "House Sitting in LA" |
| 2016–2017 | We Bare Bears | Barry (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | When We Rise | Robert Boyle "Bobbi" Campbell Jr. | Miniseries |
| I Want My Phone Back | Contestant #2 | Season 2, Episode 10: "Solo Artist" | |
| 2018 | Nailed It | Himself | Season 1, Episode 1: "First Date to Life Mate" |
| 2019 | The X Factor: Celebrity | Contestant | |
| 2020 | Elite | Bill McKinley | Season 3, Episode 7: "Nadia and Omar" |
| Royalties | Switchback Jacket Gutiarist | Episode: "I Am So Much Better Than You at Everything" Television short | |
| MTV Cribs UK | Himself | Season 2, Episode 2 | |
| 2021 | American Horror Stories | Barry | Season 1, Episode 4: "The Naughty List"[45] |
| Whose Line is it Anyway? | Himself | Season 18, Episode 1 | |
| The AlphaBeatz | Ross (voice) | Children's series | |
| 2022 | RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Chic-Li-Fay | Contestant (4th Place); 7 episodes |
| Year | Title | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "That Girl" | NLT | Himself |
| 2009 | "She Said, I Said (Time We Let Go)" | ||
| "Karma" | |||
| 2010 | "Blacklight" | One Call | |
| 2011 | "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" | Katy Perry | Everett McDonald |
| 2014 | "Somebody Loves You" | Betty Who | |
| 2015 | "Summer Nights" | Himself Justin Thorne | Himself |
| 2019 | "Help Me Now" | Himself | Directed by Justin Thorne |
| "James Dean" | Directed by Justin Thorne Special appearance byJohnny Sibilly | ||
| "Arizona" | Directed by Justin Thorne | ||
| "Younger" | Directed by Hudson Rennan | ||
| 2020 | "Stay Inside: The Mini Musical" | Himself Haley Fitzgerald | Written byToby Marlow andLucy Moss |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Inpatient | David Miller (voice) | Alsomotion capture |
| Year | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Male | Glee | Nominated |
| Teen Choice Award for Choice Music: Group | Nominated | ||
| Gold Derby Award for Ensemble of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 2011 | Nominated | ||
| Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | "Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals version)"[a] | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Glee | Nominated |
| 2013 | Nominated |
EP
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
