Mike McPhaden (born February 9, 1972) is a Canadian actor, playwright and television writer and producer,Matthew Sorrento, "Practicable Jokes in Macdonald Hall: An Interview with Mike McPhaden". Film International, March 30, 2017. most noted for his work on the television series Corner Gas Animated and Jann.
Theatre career Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba,Robert Crew, "Nerd takes off at SummerWorks fest; Flight 198 opens at Factory stage tonight". Toronto Star, August 2, 2001. he began his career doing sketch and improvisational comedy with the Higher Than the Ground comedy troupe,Greg David, "Mike McPhaden: What the Wizzle". TV, eh?, September 14, 2016. and began to have stage acting roles in the late 1990s,"Good ideas left stranded". Toronto Star, April 18, 1999. later branching out into writing with his stage play Poochwater premiering at the 2000 SummerWorks theatre festival.Kate Taylor, "The mysterious Mr. Poochwater". The Globe and Mail, August 9, 2000. The play was inspired in part by rummaging through his grandfather's possessions after the older man's death, and discovering a stash of old electronics textbooks from his grandfather's service as a radio operator during World War II.J. Kelly Nestruck, "Theatre for channel-flippers: Fast-paced comedy for those who 'watch CP24 to unwind'". National Post, February 5, 2009. He returned to SummerWorks the following year both with his own play, Flight 198, and as an actor in Shawne McKeown and Marilo Nuez's play North East Side Story.
After Poochwater received a followup staging at Theatre Passe Muraille in 2002,Kate Taylor, "Poochwater smart and delightful". The Globe and Mail, November 12, 2002. McPhaden won two Dora Mavor Moore awards in 2003, for Outstanding New Play, Independent Theatre and Best Leading Actor, Independent Theatre.Robert Crew and Christopher Hutsul, "Tarragon shows no mercy; Takes 13 of 18 Dora awards in its theatre division Nothing for Mirvish, CanStage, Passe Muraille". Toronto Star, June 24, 2003. The play received another follow-up production at Passe Muraille in 2005 due to its popularity.Kamal Al-Solaylee, "An original returns to light up the stage". The Globe and Mail, February 7, 2005.
He also received a nomination for Best Original Play, General Theatre in 2007 for Noble Parasites,Kenneth Jones, "Toronto's Seussical and We Will Rock You Are Top Getters in Dora Nominations". Playbill, June 8, 2007. and a second nomination in the independent theatre category in 2009 for The Gladstone Variations, a collaboration with Brendan Gall, Rick Roberts and Julie Tepperman.Robert Cushman, "The play is the thing, not artificial categories; Dora stipulations make for some odd award nominees". National Post, June 27, 2009.
Television work After noting as early as 2005 that his Dora award for writing Poochwater had opened far more professional doors for him than his award for acting in it did,Kamal Al-Solaylee, "Poochwater revisited". The Globe and Mail, January 28, 2005. he enrolled in the television writing program at the Canadian Film Centre in the 2006-07 cohort, and had his first television writing credits on the series Taste Buds. He is now associated principally with television writing and production, although he has continued to appear in occasional guest acting roles.
As a television writer he was a Canadian Comedy Award nominee for Best Writing in a Television Series at the 12th Canadian Comedy Awards for his work on the writing team for Men with Brooms,Sam Mooney, "Canadian Comedy Awards Nominees Announced". Mooney on Theatre, June 10, 2011. a WGC Screenwriting Award nominee in 2018 for Bruno & Boots: This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald HallRegan Reid, "Kim’s Convenience, Alias Grace scribes up for WGC Awards". Playback, February 28, 2018 and in 2020 for Jann,Greg David, "WGC Screenwriting Awards 2020 finalists announced". TV, eh?, March 5, 2020. and a Canadian Screen Award nominee as a producer of Jann at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
Personal life He is married to actress Christine Horne.
References
External links