Debra McGrath is a Canadian actress and comedian.

Early life McGrath was born in Toronto to Anne (née Munro) and James McGrath Jr. She studied theatre at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University).

Career

McGrath first started her career with three years as a member of The Second City in Toronto, Ontario, from 1983 to 1985, where she was a writer and actress, and eventually a director. She was best known for a take-off of Marilyn Monroe, and the song Condoms are a Girl's Best Friend. During the late 1980s, she appeared with Second City at anniversary, comedy festival and Club Soda performances.

In 1987, McGrath starred in Spoof, a comedy pilot written by Brian Cooke and Perry Rosemond. In 1989, she had a major role in Allan King's film Termini Station. She also appeared in Eugene Levy's 1992 TV film Partners 'N Love, in which she played a lawyer whose client's divorce was found to be invalid.

In 1990, with Linda Kash, McGrath co-created My Talk Show, a sitcom featuring a talk show broadcast from the host's basement. The series ran for one year, with fifty-nine episodes. Producer Bob Tischler cast Cynthia Stevenson as the host, while McGrath played a local dinner theatre owner, actress and head of the Chamber of Commerce. Initial reviews were very positive, predicting that McGrath would become the Carl Reiner of the 1990s. However, ratings were low, the host character left the show and McGrath's character became the host. Ratings did not improve (one reviewer considered that McGrath's character was "a grating, overbearing bimbo whose I-have-no-idea-who-my-guests-are routine gets boring fast") and the show folded after one season. McGrath was also a co-writer of the Canadian Women's Television Network's Go Girl!, a send-up of a cable TV talk show that debuted in 1997.

In 2002, McGrath appeared in the film Expecting, directed by Deborah Day, which won Most Popular Canadian Film at the 2002 Vancouver International Film Festival. McGrath played a dermatologist, the childless older sister of the pregnant star, and her performance was noted by several reviewers as "show[ing] the wounded heart beneath the careerist's brittle exterior"; "McGrath is the other standout as Anita, by far the richest character in the film. Neurotic and condescending to everyone around her, Anita is quick to deliver zingers, then filled with regret for what she's said. McGrath is sharp and touching, surprisingly substantial in a film that's ultimately fluff." For this role, McGrath won the award for Best Performance in a Feature (Female) at the 2004 Canadian Comedy Awards.

Alongside Paul O'Sullivan, Rebecca Northan, Lisa Merchant and Peter Oldring, she received a Gemini Award nomination for Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series at the 19th Gemini Awards in 2004 for The Joe Blow Show."2004 Gemini Awards top-category nominees". Montreal Gazette, December 11, 2004.

With her husband, Colin Mochrie, and Deborah Day, McGrath co-created and starred in the CBC television series Getting Along Famously (2006), about a fictional couple who star in a 1960s TV variety show. The 2005 pilot show of Getting Along Famously was nominated for two Gemini Awards, including Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series. She also starred in the children's series Seven Little Monsters (2000–2003), and in Little Mosque on the Prairie (2007–2012) in which she played Mayor Popowitcz. She co-starred with Spencer Rice in Single White Spenny in 2011.

In 2003, she formed a comedy troupe called Women Fully Clothed with four other Canadian comedy artists. Fellow cast members Kathy Greenwood, Robin Duke, Jayne Eastwood, Teresa Pavlinek and McGrath perform sketches about situations ordinary women face every day. One reviewer considered that "Although all five comedians have performance skills in spades, Kathryn Greenwood and Debra McGrath are standouts, ... the latter for her dancing skills. ... McGrath cuts a mean rug in her tap shoes, and her monologue in the routine about being on the phone with her mum and granny hit very close to the bone." McGrath left the troupe in the first half of 2009.

McGrath played Cornelia in the 2003 live-action films Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime. She has made numerous guest appearances on a variety of Canadian TV series and had a regular role in seasons one (2001) and two (2004) of Paradise Falls. She has also voiced characters in many other animated shows, including The Raccoons (1991), The Busy World of Richard Scarry (1993–1997), Stories From My Childhood (1998), George and Martha (Valerie Chuckles, 1999–2000), Babar (2000), George Shrinks (Mrs. Lopez, 2000–2001), Franklin and the Green Knight (2000) and Peep and the Big Wide World (2005–2007).

Personal life McGrath was formerly married to Dana Andersen. She married fellow comedian and Second City alumnus Colin Mochrie in 1989. They live in Leaside, Toronto. They have one child, a daughter, Kinley Mochrie. McGrath collects 1950s Italian Murano glass.

McGrath is related to Canadian actor Munro Chambers, as is her husband Mochrie by marriage. In a 2010 interview, Chambers stated:

"I could say many things... my uncle, for one thing, is Colin Mochrie. He's been my inspiration getting into the industry. He's my uncle-in-law; his wife is my dad's cousin. My dad and his cousin, they were kind of like brother and sister growing up, so he’s my uncle by law. We have a good relationship."

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1985 One Magic Christmas Mrs. Noonan 1989 Termini Station Liz Dunshane 1997 The Real Blonde Cis 2000 Franklin and the Green Knight: The Movie Warbler Direct-to-video Voice Credited as Deb McGrath 2002 Expecting Anita Writer - Dialogue 2005 Burnt Toast: The Argument Wife Video short2013 The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain Narrator Voice Documentary Credited as Deb McGrath Stag Biker Gail 2016 Duty Calls Drunk Short film2019 Home in Time Fran Short film Majic Truckspoor 2022 Junior's Giant Dale Short film; also writer and producer 2025 Magnetosphere Ms. Deering

Television Year Title Role Notes 1980 Bizarre Various characters 1983 SCTV Channel McConnachie Season 6 episode 1: "Maudlin O' the Night" 1987 Really Weird Tales Mother TV movie Segment: "I'll Be Loving" 1988 110 Lombard TV short 1989–1993 Street Legal Julia McCrindle / Real Estate Agent 2 episodes 1990 My Talk Show Anne Marie Snelling Episode: "Uptown Anne Marie" Writer - 6 episodes 1991 The Raccoons Nurse Peck Voice Season 5 episode 2: "Stress Test!" 1992 Partners 'n Love Rosemary Hudson TV movie 1993–1997 The Busy World of Richard Scarry Voice 36 episodes1994 RoboCop Bambi Taker Episode 3: "Prime Suspect" Due South Tammy Markles Season 1 episode 5: "Pizzas and Promises" 1998 Stories from My Childhood Credited as Debbie McGrath Episode 12: "The Prince and the Swan" 1997–1999 Wind at My Back Reenie Bigelow 3 episodes 1998–1999 Ned's Newt Mrs. Pluck / Agent Spam / Lion 2 Voice 5 episodes Credited as Deb McGrath 1999–2000 George and Martha Valerie Chuckles Voice Main role (26 episodes)2000 Code Name: Eternity Nurse Episode 1: "Ethaniel's Story" Babar Additional Voices Voice 13 episodes 2000–2001 George Shrinks Mrs. Lopez Voice 3 episodes 2000–2003 Seven Little Monsters Mama Voice Main role (49 episodes) 2001–2004 Paradise Falls Shirley Armstrong / Shirley 25 episodes 2002 Moville Mysteries Female Agent Voice Season 1 episode 4: "How Green Was My Lunch Meat"2003 DC 9/11: Time of Crisis Mary Matalin TV movie Eloise at Christmastime Cornelia TV movie The Joe Blow Show 2005 Getting Along Famously Ruby Kendall TV movie pilot Teleplay writer Executive producer Burnt Toast Ursula TV movie 2005–2007 Peep and the Big Wide World Beaver Mom Voice5 episodes2006 This Is Wonderland Marty Klein Episode #3.9 Getting Along Famously Ruby Kendall Main role Co-creator Writer Executive producer2007 The Jane Show Sally Season 2 episode 14: "Who's Got Spirit?" Women Fully Clothed: All Dressed Up and Places to Go Herself TV documentary 2007–2012 Little Mosque on the Prairie Mayor Ann Popowicz Main role (90 episodes and one special) 2009–2010 Winnipeg Comedy Festival Herself Host - Season 7 episode 1: "Tying the Knot" Season 8 episode 4: "The Holiday Show" - Credited as Deb McGrath Writer (2 episodes) 2009–2013 The Ron James Show Ted's Wife 8 episodes2010 Love Letters Melissa TV short Winnipeg Comedy Festival Herself TV documentary2011 Single White Spenny Sheila Main role The Casting Room Herself Season 2 episode 4: "Debra McGrath" 2012 Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town Mrs. Pepperleigh TV movie 2016 Coming In Mitchell's Mom 2 episodes 2018 Let's Get Physical Kathy Vanslooten Credited as Deb McGrath Episode 8: "CAC Fight!"2019 Private Eyes Deena Duncan Season 3 episode 12: "Glazed and Confused" Carter Gretchen Jacott Season 2 episode 1: "Harley Wears A Wig" 2020 Baroness von Sketch Show Roberta Episode: "All I'm Saying Is Her Car Has Eyelashes"

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2018 Far Cry 5 Nancy Voice

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