Jack Mcbrayer
About
Biography
Biography
With back-to-back roles as the smiling, overeager and disarmingly naïve NBC page on "30 Rock" (NBC, 2006-2013) or as the equally innocent pit crew member in the hit film "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006), comic actor Jack McBrayer did not so much take America by storm that year, as he did sneak up on it. With his charming smile and authentic Southern accent, McBrayer may not have been a household name, but viewers fell in love with the actor on sight - all the while wondering if this guy was for real. As it turned out, his loveable hayseed routine transcended genres, with McBrayer scoring laughs in the feature hit, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008) and continuing to bring the laughs on "30 Rock," which earned the young actor his first Emmy Award. McBrayer expanded his horizons both on television and in features, landing a major role in the live action adventure "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" (2010) and voicing characters in a number of animated projects like ""Despicable Me" (2010) and the starring role in the kids' series "Wander Over Yonder" (Disney, 2013-16). Along with smaller roles in films such as "The To-Do List" (2013) and horror comedy "Cooties" (2014), McBrayer maintained a steady presence in American comedy.
Born on May 27, 1973, in Macon, GA, McBrayer nurtured an interest in theater and performing since childhood. He attended the University of Evansville in Indiana, studying theater management, with an eye on honing business and management as well as dramatic skills, smartly, as a back-up plan. It was on a fateful day during a heatwave in 1995 that McBrayer and some friends decided to duck into Chicago's famous Second City theater, as much for the air conditioning as for the improv show itself. Among the performers onstage that day was Rachel Dratch, who would go on to join the cast of "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) and Adam McKay, who would go on to write for "S.N.L." and direct the comedies, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004) and McBrayer's own future film, "Talladega Nights." From the moment the house lights dimmed, McBrayer was hooked.
It was while taking classes at Second City and Improv Olympic, that he met a pivotal person in his life and career, Tina Fey, who would later become the first female head writer of "SNL" before moving on to create "30 Rock." After shifting from the Windy City to the Big Apple, he joined the renowned NYC comedy troupe, The Upright Citizens Brigade, before moving on to Los Angeles, where he joined IOWest, another improv company. While gaining immeasurably important experience onstage, McBrayer auditioned twice to join the cast of "SNL" but did not make the cut either time. While in New York, however, he began making regular sketch appearances on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (NBC, 1993-2009), with the hit program taking full comic advantage of McBrayer's Georgia accent and pitch-perfect clueless Southerner shtick.
While trying to make a name for himself, McBrayer made numerous appearances in a variety of projects, including roles in the 2004 comedy "Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story;" had an uncredited part in the romantic comedy, "The Baxter." (2005), and appeared memorably (for diehard "Arrested" fans) as a country club waiter on "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-06), both in the second-season episode, "Burning Love," and the third-season episode "S.O.B.'s." He also added a 2006 episode of "The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central, 2005- ) to his comedic résumé. Things were continuing to look up for McBrayer exposure-wise in 2006. That same year, he nailed his first big screen comedy role in the wacky Will Ferrell hit comedy, "Talladega Nights." As Glenn, the innocent pit member who can not resist peaking in with a hopeful grin when his teammates attempt to motivate Ferrell by convincing him that the naïve pit crew member has died, McBrayer shone in a cast of comic giants, including John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch and Ferrell himself. Ever the dedicated actor, McBrayer had attended a two-week pit crew course for filming, where he was not allowed to change tires.
But it was as the optimistic and unflappable Kenneth Parcell on the acclaimed sitcom, "30 Rock," that McBrayer earned the best reviews of his career. While actor Alec Baldwin was widely praised for his outsized portrayal of NBC network executive, Jack Donaghy, and Fey and former "SNL" cast member Tracy Morgan (as Liz Lemon and Tracy Jordan, respectively) anchored the show-within-a-show, McBrayer quietly stole nearly every scene he was in, often exuding a calm cheerfulness that was exasperating to the stressed out staff members around him. McBrayer's portrayal of a character absolutely devoid of sarcasm was a fresh departure from most sitcom characterizations, often dripping with overplayed irony. When scolded to "go to hell" by his boss, McBrayer's Kenneth would often honestly answer, "No thank you," and return to his work. His earnest love for television was also refreshing - not only to the characters on the show itself, but for real-life jaded viewers at home who, when listening to Kenneth speak in awe of the medium, could not help but be inspired by his views. In fact, McBrayer's work as Kenneth became so immediately popular with viewers, that what had started as a small, incidental role written by Fey, grew larger each week, due in no small part to viewer demand for more of that child-like Southern twang.
With his newfound visibility, McBrayer landed a role in the Judd Apatow-produced comedy hit, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008), in which he portrayed a stressed out groom dealing with wedding night jitters while on his Hawaiian honeymoon. Meanwhile, McBrayer finally earned his due by receiving his first-ever Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, pitting him squarely against co-star and object of his onscreen affection, Tracy Morgan. Back on the big screen, he had a small role as a stage manager in the little-seen comedy "Spring Breakdown" (2009), before voicing two characters - the carnival barker and the tourist dad - in the animated feature "Despicable Me" (2010). McBrayer next played a scatterbrained amateur magician who becomes the new owner of Kitty Galore (voiced by Bette Midler) in the live action sequel, "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" (2010). The following year, he was a voice guest star on "Bob's Burgers" (Fox, 2011- ) and "The Simpsons" (Fox, 1989- ), before returning to features for small roles in the much-maligned Eddie Murphy comedy "A Thousand Words" (2012), political satire "The Campaign" (2012), '90s-set coming of age comedy "The To Do List" (2013) and David Wain's romantic comedy parody "They Came Together" (2014). On television, McBrayer teamed with animation vets Craig McCracken and April Winchell for the wacky outer space kids' show "Wander Over Yonder" (Disney 2013-16), and teamed with Robert Smigel for "The Jack and Triumph Show" (Adult Swim 2015), a sitcom parody starring Smigel's character Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Life Events
2004
Made feature debut in a bit part in the comedy "Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story"
2005
Appeared as a country club waiter in two episodes of the FOX comedy, "Arrested Development"
2006
Made regular sketch appearances on "Late Night with Conan O¿Brien" (NBC)
2006
Played the innocent pit member in the Will Ferrell comedy, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"
2006
Cast as naïve page, Kenneth, on NBC's "30 Rock"; created by SNL alumni Tina Fey; earned an Emmy nomination in 2009 for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
2008
Featured in the comedy film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" as a newly married man having trouble pleasing his wife
2009
Nominated for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
2010
Voiced the character of Tourist Dad in the animated film "Despicable Me"
2010
Appeared in "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," the sequel to the 2001 family film "Cats & Dogs"
