Patrick McKenna


Patrick McKenna is a Canadian comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Harold Green on the television series The [Red Green Show] and Marty Stevens on the television series Traders.

Early life

McKenna was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the second of four sons to Patricia and Ivan McKenna, a carpenter. He became interested in Second City when a high-school teacher took him to a show at Second City Toronto. After he graduated from high school, he attended Sheridan College, graduating with a business degree in 1982.

Career

To help with tuition, McKenna worked his way to being night manager at Second City, learning how improv worked. In 1983, he auditioned successfully for the main stage. During the 1980s, McKenna tried his hand at stand-up and spent five years performing his act in Canada and the United States.
One night at Second City during the late 1980s, McKenna received the acting offer which would change his life. Steve Smith was recruiting cast members, especially a sidekick, for his new project, The Red Green Show. He had come to Second City and was checking out the entire troupe, but when Patrick did his twitchy-nerd character, Smith knew he had his sidekick. He offered McKenna a job after the show. McKenna appeared on television screens throughout Canada and the US for the next 15 years as the lovable nephew Harold Green on The Red Green Show, a part he would reprise in the feature film Duct Tape Forever.
He also played Marty Stephens on Traders, working alongside future Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis Canadian actor David Hewlett. For his work on Traders and The Red Green Show, McKenna received two Gemini Awards. He is the only Canadian actor to win for both drama and comedy in the same year, at the 13th Gemini Awards on 4 October 1998.
McKenna guest-starred in two episodes of Stargate SG-1 playing List of [Tau'ri characters in Stargate SG-1#Jay Felger|Dr. Jay Felger], first in the season 6 episode "The Other Guys" and then in the season 7 episode "Avenger 2.0". He also starred in the 2002 Trudeau miniseries.
In 2006, McKenna played producer Jeffrey Littleman on the short-lived CBC television series Getting Along Famously. In 2007, he appeared in the pilot of Sabbatical. He starred as Victor in the 2011 indie horror film Silent but Deadly. In late 2011, he played the politician and Canadian Confederation leader Alexander Galt in the CBC television movie John A: Birth of a Country. Throughout the mid-2000s and early 2010s, McKenna saw work as a voice actor in Canadian animated series such as Atomic Betty, Iggy Arbuckle, Crash Canyon and Sidekick.
McKenna was the subject of the 2009 PBS documentary ADD and Loving It?! McKenna has ADHD, but was not diagnosed until he was well into his forties. He has become somewhat of a spokesman on this condition in Canada. McKenna and Rick Green, writer and performer and co-creator of The Red Green Show, made a documentary to explain some of ADHD's positives and negatives titled "ADD and Loving It." Both men open up about how it has affected them and their relationships.

Charitable work

McKenna has become involved with many charity organizations and causes including wheelchair athletes, Adult ADHD, MS Society, Lupus Canada, and McMaster Sick Kids—some of which he has personal connection with.
McKenna suffered a debilitating back injury in the early 2000s that left him unable to walk for a year. He went through times of being in a wheelchair and having to learn to walk again. It was from this experience that he became involved with wheelchair athletes.
His mother has suffered from lupus since the 1970s. McKenna's friend and fellow Second City alumnus Colin Mochrie and his wife Debra McGrath often help him with lupus charity fundraising.

Personal life

McKenna is a member of Toronto's The Second City comedy troupe.
McKenna's mother's name is Patricia, and he has three brothers. He married his high school sweetheart, Janis, in 1983. They have a son, Brendon, born in 1985. Brendon McKenna was seen in two episodes of his father's series Traders — "Dancing with Mr. D." and "The Unseen Lever" — as Marty's son, Mark Stephens.

Filmography

This is a partial filmography for Patrick McKenna.

Television

The Red Green Show Traders Little Mosque on the Prairie Stargate SG-1 Due South Getting Along Famously The Border Bill 'n' Lloyd Wingin' It The Outer Limits Remedy Forever Knight Everywhere Rick Mercer ReportThe [Ron James Show]Murdoch Mysteries Robocop: The Series Pink Is In Hard Rock Medical One Man's Treasure

Animated television and film (voices)

The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police Moville Mysteries JoJo's Circus Atomic Betty Gerald McBoing-Boing Iggy Arbuckle Best Ed Detective Squirrel Jr. Bob & Doug Spliced Clang Invasion Sidekick Scaredy Squirrel Crash Canyon The Day My Butt Went Psycho! Stories from My Childhood The ZhuZhus Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Mysticons Esme & Roy Dino Raiders

Films

Duct Tape Forever Milo 55160 John A.: Birth of a Country The Masked Saint Silent But Deadly Margarita The Music Man (2003 film) Everywhere Redder

Radio