Don Mckellar Biography

Donald "Don" McKellar (born August 17, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian actor, writer, and filmmaker.

He studied English at the University of Toronto's Victoria College. After beginning his career in the theatre, McKellar was lured into the realm of Canadian cinema, where he has since become a ubiquitous presence.
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McKellar made his first screen appearance in 1989 in Bruce McDonald's film Roadkill, for which he also wrote the screenplay. McKellar's work on Roadkill earned him Genie Award nominations for best supporting actor and best screenwriter, attracting the attention of many in Canada. Roadkill also won the Toronto-Citytv Award for best Canadian feature.

McKellar collaborated again with McDonald for his 1991 film Highway 61, writing the screenplay and playing the starring role as the charismatic barber, Pokey Jones. Again McKellar's work solicited wide praise, earning him a second Genie nomination for best screenwriter and a nomination for best actor. McKellar's most recent collaboration with McDonald spawned the cult classic television series Twitch City, in which McKellar played the starring role as Curtis, a television addict.

Since his entry into Canadian cinema, McKellar has also been involved in countless other projects. He appeared in Atom Egoyan's films The Adjuster (1991) and Exotica (1994), the latter of which earned him the Genie for best supporting actor. McKellar collaborated with François Girard, authoring the screenplays for his films Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1992), and the Academy Award winning (Best Original Score) The Red Violin (1998). In the latter film, McKellar starred alongside Samuel L. Jackson. Additionally, McKellar appeared in David Cronenberg's 1999 film eXistenZ, which cast him alongside Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

McKellar has recently emerged as a filmmaker in his own right. His directorial debut, Last Night (1998), garnered impressive critical acclaim, winning the Prix de la Jeunesse at the Cannes Film Festival and the Claude Jutra Award at the Genies. In 2004, McKellar's second film, Childstar, opened at the Toronto International Film Festival to enthusiastic reviews.

McKellar also stars in the animated sitcom Odd Job Jack as the titular hero, Jack Ryder. As of 2005 the show is in its third hit season on The Comedy Network in Canada.

"Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story" (2006) (mini) TV Series (post-production) .... Treasurer.

DON MCKELLAR PICTURES

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DON MCKELLAR BIOGRAPHY