# Mark McKinney
**Mark McKinney** (full name Mark Douglas Brown McKinney, born 1959 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer best known as a member of the five-man sketch comedy troupe [The Kids in the Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-kids-in-the-hall), for two seasons on *Saturday Night Live*, and for playing store manager Glenn Sturgis on the sitcom *Superstore*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) • [2](https://www.kidsinthehall.ca/bio)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) |
| Signature work | The Kids in the Hall, CBC/HBO sketch series, 1988–1994; actor, writer, and director on the show[2](https://www.kidsinthehall.ca/bio) • [3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/) |
| *Saturday Night Live* | Cast member 1995–1997[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) |
| Awards | Gemini Awards for writing (1989, 1990) and performance (1993, 1994); CableACE Award; Emmy nominations for writing, 1993–1995[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mckinney-mark-1959) |
| Later series | *Slings & Arrows* (Richard Smith-Jones, 2003); *Superstore* (Glenn, 2015)[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/) |
| Family | Married Marina Gharabegian, September 1995; two children, Christopher (born 1996) and Emma (born 2001)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) |
## Early life and training
McKinney is the son of Russell McKinney, a Canadian diplomat, and Chloe McKinney, an architectural writer. Because of his father's postings, he attended schools in many cities around the world, including Trinidad, Paris, and Washington, D.C.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) He studied political science at the University of Newfoundland in 1980, according to his Encyclopedia.com career profile, which also notes earlier jobs at a college radio station and a piano shop.[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mckinney-mark-1959)
His comedy training began at the Loose Moose Theatre Company in Calgary, an improvisational theater company run by Keith Johnstone, whom McKinney has described as one of the three-headed gods of improv alongside [Del Close](https://www.edgepedia.org/del-close) and Viola Spolin.[5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2019-11-05/slings-arrows-acorn-tv-shakespeare-prequel) There he met [Bruce McCulloch](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-mcculloch), and the two formed the comedy troupe The Audience, which performed at [Theatresports](https://www.edgepedia.org/theatresports) from 1981 to 1983.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mckinney-mark-1959)
## The Kids in the Hall
After moving to Toronto, McKinney and McCulloch met [Dave Foley](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-foley) and [Kevin McDonald](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-mcdonald), and the group combined with Scott Thompson to form The Kids in the Hall.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) The troupe was discovered by *Saturday Night Live* producer [Lorne Michaels](https://www.edgepedia.org/lorne-michaels) in the late 1980s, and its sketch series aired on CBC and HBO from 1988 until its cancellation in 1994.[2](https://www.kidsinthehall.ca/bio) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) McKinney has credited the cable environment for the show's character: because the series did not need the huge audiences a network hit required, it could be more specific, more cult-like, and edgier.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/)
The show earned him multiple [Gemini Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/gemini-awards), including best writing in a comedy or variety program or series in 1989 and 1990 and best performance in a comedy program or series in 1993 and 1994, plus a CableACE Award and Emmy nominations for outstanding writing for a variety or music program in 1993, 1994, and 1995.[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mckinney-mark-1959) The troupe made the feature film *Brain Candy* (1996) and has reunited repeatedly for live shows; a new season of *The Kids in the Hall* appeared in 2022, with McKinney credited as actor, producer, and writer.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/)
## Saturday Night Live and film
After *The Kids in the Hall* ended in 1994, McKinney joined the cast of *Saturday Night Live* from 1995 to 1997.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) His film roles from this period include *A Night at the Roxbury* (1998), *Dog Park* (1998), *[Superstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/superstar-1999-film)* (1999), *The Out-of-Towners* (1999), and *The Ladies Man* (2000); *Dog Park* and *Superstar* were both directed by his Kids in the Hall co-star and friend Bruce McCulloch.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/)
## Television career after SNL
McKinney worked steadily as a character actor and writer across American and Canadian television. Metacritic credits him as actor, writer, and other crew on *Slings & Arrows* (2003), the Canadian series about a Shakespeare festival, in which he played theater general manager Richard Smith-Jones; [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) notes the role brought him three Gemini Awards and three Writers Guild of Canada Awards.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/) • [6](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mark-mckinney/bio/3000293082/) Other credits include *Sports Night* (writer, 1998), *Robson Arms*, *Corner Gas*, and *Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip* (actor and writer, 2006).[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/)
His most visible later role is Glenn Sturgis, the earnest big-box store manager on NBC's *Superstore* (2015), on which Metacritic also credits him as a director.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/) In 2024 he began hosting *Mark McKinney Needs a Hobby* on CTV and Crave, in which he tries activities including birding, fly fishing, puppetry, and hockey-playing robots.[7](https://brioux.tv/blog/2024/10/07/this-weeks-podcast-find-out-why-mark-mckinney-needs-a-hobby/) Recent credits listed on IMDb include *Wayward* (2025), *The Z-Suite* (2025), and the series *[American Hostage](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-hostage-tv-series)* (2026).[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/)
## Personal life
McKinney married Marina Gharabegian, a caterer, in September 1995; they have two children, Christopher Thomas Russell McKinney (born 1996) and Emma Jane McKinney (born 2001).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) His younger brother Nick McKinney is also a comedian, a member of the sketch troupe The Vacant Lot and a writer and producer for shows including *The Daily Show with Jon Stewart*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/) • [9](https://kithfan.org/kith/mark.html)
## Namesakes
The name Mark McKinney also belongs to a country and rock singer-songwriter from Big Spring, Texas, who records with the Texas music scene and released the album *World In Between*, and to a British company director; the comedian described in this article should not be confused with either.[10](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mark-mckinney-mn0000293540) • [11](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/uQF8Cy854vaxgNY-npon0oDmmiY/appointments)
## References
1. [Mark McKinney – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/bio/)
2. [Bio, The Kids in the Hall official site](https://www.kidsinthehall.ca/bio)
3. [Mark McKinney – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-mckinney/)
4. [McKinney, Mark 1959–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/mckinney-mark-1959)
5. [How 'Slings & Arrows' made a Shakespeare fest a cult hit, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2019-11-05/slings-arrows-acorn-tv-shakespeare-prequel)
6. [Mark McKinney Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mark-mckinney/bio/3000293082/)
7. [Find out why Mark McKinney Needs a Hobby, brioux.tv](https://brioux.tv/blog/2024/10/07/this-weeks-podcast-find-out-why-mark-mckinney-needs-a-hobby/)
8. [Mark McKinney, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571897/)
9. [KITHfan.org: Mark McKinney](https://kithfan.org/kith/mark.html)
10. [Mark McKinney – AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mark-mckinney-mn0000293540)
11. [Mark William McKinney company appointments, GOV.UK](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/uQF8Cy854vaxgNY-npon0oDmmiY/appointments)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › Drag and character comedians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license