Raised in Sea Cliff, a small town on Long Island NY

Began acting in plays at age 14 and performed in 22 of them by the time he graduated from high school (date approximate)

Performed for a time with the Left Banke singing group in the late 1960s before returning to college, this time enrolling in New York University's school of the arts

Moved to Los Angeles; helped form the comedy group The Credibility Gap, which also featured Harry Shearer, David L. Lander and Richard Bebe and for a time had a program on the radio

Also toured with The Credibility Gap

Hired as a writer for the upcoming sitcom, "Laverne and Shirley", along with Shearer and Lander; reportedly, series star Penny Marshall suggested that McKean and Lander could play recurring oddball characters, which led to the roles of Lenny and Squiggy

First came to prominence on his TV series debut with the hit ABC sitcom, "Laverne and Shirley", in which he played Lenny Kosnoski

Made feature film debut in "Cracking Up"

First TV-movie, "More Than Friends"; also marked early collaboration with Rob Reiner

Notable early collaboration with Christopher Guest (and also Harry Shearer from The Credibility Gap), "The TV Show", a pilot for a comedy series involving sketches which spoofed television

Played first leading role in a feature in "Young Doctors in Love"

First feature credit as screenwriter, song performer and songwriter, "This Is Spinal Tap", directed by Reiner and co-starring Reiner, Guest and Shearer; the four of them also co-wrote the screenplay

Played first leading role in a TV-movie, "Classified Love"; also marked his first romantic lead on TV

Played two roles in the TV-movie spy spoof, "Double Agent"

Directed the Showtime TV comedy special, "The Rich Hall Show"

First non-US film, "Earth Girls Are Easy"

Co-wrote the screenplay for a second film, "The Big Picture", directed by Christopher Guest

Played one of the leading roles, that of Tom Smithson, on the NBC comedy series, "Grand"

Directed an episode, "Felines...Nothing More Than Felines", of the HBO comedy series, "Dream On"; also performed on the show

Joined cast of HBO comedy series "Dream On" in recurring role of Gibby

Directed one episode, and wrote another, for the short-lived CBS sitcom, "Morton & Hayes", whose executive producers included Rob Reiner (who also "hosted" the series) and Christopher Guest

Played Dan Carver on the six-episode HBO comedy series, "Sessions"

First TV producing credit, as one of the co-producers of the NBC rock'n'roll comedy special, "A Spinal Tap Reunion"; was also one of the writers of the special, and recreated his role as David St. Hubbins from the film, "This Is Spinal Tap"

Joined the regular cast of NBC's variety series, "Saturday Night Live"

Cast as the villainous neighbor in "The Brady Bunch Movie"

Had featured role in the feature remake of "That Darn Cat"

Portrayed the high school principal in "Teaching Mrs. Tingle"

Hosted a series of specials on Comedy Central, "Uncomfortably Close With Michael McKean"

Cast as one half of a gay couple in "Best in Show", directed by Christopher Guest

Appeared in the beauty pageant spoof "Beautiful"

Co-starred as bandleader Adrien Van Vorhees on the Comedy Central series "Primetime Glick", starring Martin Short

Appeared in director Christine Lahti's debut feature "My First Mister"

Starred in writer-director Harry Shearer's ensemble corporate retreat comedy "Teddy Bears' Picnic"

Had supporting role in the fiftysomething romantic comedy "Never Again"

Co-starred in the Hollywood/Bollywood satire "The Guru"

Featured in the comedy "A Mighty Wind", with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy; received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song

Replaced Harvey Fierstein in the role of Edna Turnblad in the broadway production of "Hairspray"

Played a prison trustee in the movie musical "The Producers," based on the stage musical by Mel Brooks and starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick

Reunited with Guest to play a screenwriter in "For Your Consideration"

Co-starred with Sam Rockwell in the dramedy "Joshua"; screened at sundance