Daniel Richard McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, director and producer. Known for his unique acting and writing style, the accolades he has received include nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and four Satellite Awards.

McBride made his film debut with a supporting role in the romantic drama All the Real Girls (2003), which was directed and written by his later longtime collaborator David Gordon Green. After his first starring role in a film with The Foot Fist Way (2006), McBride gained mainstream recognition with starring roles in comedy films such as Hot Rod (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), and Tropic Thunder (2008). He had his breakout with a lead role as Kenny Powers on the HBO television series Eastbound & Down (2009–2013), which he also co-created with frequent collaborator Jody Hill. Following Eastbound & Down, McBride also starred in the films Land of the Lost (2009) and Up in the Air (2009).

In the 2010s, McBride starred in the comedy films Your Highness (2011), 30 Minutes or Less (2011), This Is the End (2013), and Aloha (2015), and had a main role as Neal Gamby on the HBO dark comedy series Vice Principals (2016–2017), which he co-created with Hill. McBride had starring voice roles in the animated feature films Despicable Me (2010), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), The Angry Birds Movie (2016), Sausage Party (2016), and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), and played against type with starring roles in the drama film As I Lay Dying (2013) and the science fiction horror film Alien: Covenant (2017). He also provided the voice of Duane Earl, the fictional host of a conservative radio talk show in the video game Grand Theft Auto V (2013). In the late 2010s, he created and starred as Jesse Gemstone on the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones (2019–2025).

Outside of acting in and creating comedic works, McBride was a writer for Blumhouse Productions' Halloween film trilogy (2018–2022) and co-wrote the story for the supernatural horror film The Exorcist: Believer (2023). As an executive producer for the HBO true crime documentary series Telemarketers (2023), he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.

Early life McBride was born in Statesboro, Georgia. His mother, Kathy Rudy, and his stepfather both work at Marine Corps Base Quantico, as civilian support. McBride has Irish, Scottish, English and Jewish ancestry, with Catholic ancestors from Ulster who immigrated to Virginia in the 1870s. He was raised Baptist and has said, "church was very much part of my life when I was a kid. My parents were really involved and went all the time." His mother performed sermons in church using puppets, and McBride stated that his "interest in telling stories comes from her." He was raised in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, where he graduated from Courtland High School. He attended University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and became one of the "Three Flavas" along with director Jody Hill and Kris Baucom.Dynamic Duos ; The Free Lance-Star, accessed February 19, 2022.Updates from Ferry Farm and Hollywood ; The Free Lance-Star, accessed February 19, 2022.

Career McBride was a second unit director for David Gordon Green's feature film debut George Washington, released in 2000. McBride made his acting debut in 2003, appearing in a supporting role in Green's second film All the Real Girls.

In 2006, McBride played Fred Simmons in the low-budget comedy film The Foot Fist Way, which he co-wrote with collaborators Jody Hill and Ben Best. His character later appeared in Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 26, 2008. McBride wrote and starred in the HBO original comedy series Eastbound & Down (also a collaboration with Hill and Best), as Kenny Powers, a washed-up former major league baseball pitcher with anger management issues. The series was produced by Gary Sanchez Productions, and the pilot episode premiered in February 2009, featuring Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson.

HBO renewed the series for a second season in April 2009, and a fourth in July 2012. The series ended in November 2013. In March 2009, because of his role as Powers, he received an offer to play semi-professional baseball from the Pensacola Pelicans, a team in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

In 2010, he signed an endorsement deal with K-Swiss shoes. He played the eponymous roadie in the Tenacious D music video for "Roadie" in 2012. McBride co-created and co-starred in the HBO comedy series Vice Principals from 2016 to 2017.

McBride voiced Duane Earl, a fictional talk radio host in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. Earl is the host of Beyond Insemination, a satirical show where he converses with callers.

In 2017, McBride appeared in the prequel film Alien: Covenant, alongside Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender and Billy Crudup. McBride told Vanity Fair in an interview that he was both surprised and glad for the opportunity to be involved with the Alien movie since he had been a longtime fan of the franchise.

In January 2018, two trailers were released online for what was supposedly a Crocodile Dundee sequel, titled Dundee: The Son of a Legend Returns Home, and purportedly starring McBride as Brian Dundee, the son of the original Crocodile Dundee. The trailers feature cameo appearances by Australian actors Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie and Ruby Rose. From the beginning, various aspects of the campaign made some publications believe that film was an elaborate hoax. It was later reported that these ads were actually part of a lead-up to a Super Bowl commercial for Tourism Australia.

McBride served as an executive producer and co-writer for the films Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022), which served as one of the final films for the franchise of the same name. The sequel trilogy is directed and written by Green and produced by Jason Blum.

Since 2018, McBride has been the face of bookmaker Coral's television commercials in the United Kingdom, playing a character called "Sports Rodstein", described as "the world's biggest sports fan (although not the savviest)".

In late 2018, HBO ordered The Righteous Gemstones, from McBride and his Rough House Pictures label, straight to series. The series also stars John Goodman, Adam Devine and Edi Patterson. It follows a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work.

In 2021, McBride voiced Rick Mitchell in the Sony Pictures Animation film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. In 2026, McBride published a collection of short stories titled Thrilling Tales of Modern Men that explores masculinity.

McBride will make his feature directorial debut with a film based on the G.I. Joe franchise, for which he will also pen the script.

Personal life McBride married art director Gia Ruiz in 2010. They have a son and a daughter.

Filmography Film Year TitleActorWriterExecutive producer Role Notes 2003 All the Real Girls Bust-Ass 2006 The Foot Fist Way Fred Simmons 2007 Hot Rod Rico Brown Superbad Buddy at Party The Heartbreak Kid Martin2008 Drillbit Taylor Don Armstrong Pineapple Express Red Tropic Thunder Cody Underwood2009 Fanboys Head of Security Observe and Report Caucasian Crackhead Land of the Lost Will Stanton Up in the Air Jim Miller 2010 Despicable Me Fred McDade (voice) Due Date Lonnie2011 Your Highness Thadeous Fight for Your Right Revisited MCA Short film Kung Fu Panda 2 Wolf Boss (voice) 30 Minutes or Less Dwayne KingThe Catechism CataclysmProducer2012The Comedy2013 As I Lay Dying Vernon Tull This Is the End HimselfPrince AvalancheJoeManglehorn2014 The Sound and the Fury Police Sheriff Don Verdean Tony Lazarus2015 Aloha Colonel Lacy Hell and Back Orpheus (voice) Rock the Kasbah NickThe D Train2016 The Angry Birds Movie Bomb (voice) Sausage Party Honey Mustard (voice) In Dubious Battle TrampDonald CriedMasterminds2017 Alien: Covenant - Prologue: Last Supper Tennessee Faris Short film Alien: Covenant The Disaster Artist HimselfDayveonFlower2018 Arizona Sonny Also producer The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter Don Halloween2019 The Angry Birds Movie 2 Bomb (voice) Zeroville Financier2020Fatman2021 The Mitchells vs. the Machines Rick Mitchell (voice) Halloween Kills 2022 Halloween Ends 2023The Exorcist: Believer 2026The Angry Birds Movie 3 Bomb (voice)

Television Year TitleActorDirectorWriterExecutive ProducerCreator Role Notes 2009–2013 Eastbound & Down Kenny Powers 29 episodes 2011 Good Vibes Voneeta Teets (voice) 12 episodes 2013 Clear History Frank Television film 2014 Chozen Jimmy (voice) 8 episodes 2016Animals Gregory (voice) Episode: "Turkeys" 2016–2017 Vice Principals Neal Gamby 18 episodes and directed 2 episodes 2019–2025The Righteous Gemstones Jesse Gemstone 36 episodes and directed 7 episodes 2023 Telemarketers

Music videos Year Title Artist(s) Role Notes 2011 "Make Some Noise" The Beastie Boys MCA 2012 "Roadie" Tenacious D Sebastian / "The Roadie" 2013 "YOLO" The Lonely Island featuring Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar Drug dealer Cameo

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2013 Grand Theft Auto V Duane Earl Voice role Grand Theft Auto V . Gameinformer; retrieved September 28, 2013 Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult2008Austin Film Critics AssociationBreakthrough Artist AwardPineapple Express, The Foot Fist Way, Tropic ThunderDetroit Film Critics SocietyBest NewcomerPineapple Express2009MTV Movie & TV AwardsBest Fight Satellite AwardsBest Actor – Television Series Musical or ComedyEastbound & DownTeen Choice AwardsChoice TV: Male Breakout StarWashington D.C. Area Film Critics AssociationBest EnsembleUp in the AirAwards Circuit Community AwardsBest Cast Ensemble2010Satellite AwardsBest Actor – Television Series Musical or ComedyEastbound & DownWriters Guild of AmericaEpisodic ComedyCentral Ohio Film Critics AssociationBest EnsembleUp in the AirDenver Film Critics SocietyBest Acting EnsembleGold Derby AwardsEnsemble Cast2014American Comedy AwardsComedy Supporting Actor – FilmThis is the EndMTV Movie & TV AwardsBest WTF Moment 2016SXSW Film FestivalEpisodicVice PrincipalsBehind the Voice Actors AwardsBest Vocal Ensemble in a Feature FilmHell and Back2017The BAM AwardsBest CastThe Disaster Artist2018Fright Meter AwardsBest ScreenplayHalloween2019Satellite AwardsBest Actor – Television Series Musical or ComedyThe Righteous GemstonesIGN Summer Movie AwardsBest TV EnsembleHollywood Music in Media AwardsBest Original Song – TV Show/Limited SeriesNorth Carolina Film Critics AssociationTar Heel AwardHalloween2022Austin Film Critics AssociationBest Voice Acting/Animated/Digital PerformanceThe Mitchells vs. the MachinesNorth Carolina Film Critics AssociationBest Vocal Performance in Animation or Mixed MediaHawaii Film Critics SocietyBest Vocal/Motion Capture PerformanceHollywood Critics Association Television AwardsBest Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series – ComedyThe Righteous GemstonesBest Directing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series – Comedy2023Satellite AwardsBest Actor – Television Series Musical or ComedyGotham AwardsBreakthrough Series – Over 40 MinutesTelemarketers2024International Documentary AssociationBest Episodic SeriesPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series

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