Joel McHale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joel McHale
McHale at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2023
Born	Joel Edward McHale (1971-11-20) November 20, 1971 (age 53) Rome, Italy
Education	University of Washington (BA, MFA)
Occupation	Actor comedian television presenter
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Sarah Williams McHale ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	2

Joel Edward McHale (born November 20, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, and television host. He is famous for hosting the comedy show The Soup and for playing the clever lawyer Jeff Winger on the popular sitcom Community.

McHale has appeared in many movies, including Spider-Man 2, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, and Ted. He also played the superhero Starman in the TV series Stargirl. Fans of video games might know his voice as The Scientist in Fortnite or as Johnny Cage in the Mortal Kombat Legends animated movies. He currently stars in the comedy series Animal Control and has a recurring role as a tough chef in the show The Bear.

Early Life and Education

Joel McHale was born in Rome, Italy, on November 20, 1971. His father, Jack, was an American from Chicago who worked for Loyola University's campus in Rome. His mother, Laurie, is a Canadian from Vancouver. Because of his family background, McHale has Irish and Norwegian roots.

He grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, near Seattle. After high school, he went to the University of Washington. He earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1995. While in college, he was recruited for the rowing team but decided to join the football team as a tight end. He was part of the team that played in the 1993 Rose Bowl.

McHale discovered his passion for comedy early on. He was part of a local sketch comedy show called Almost Live! and performed with an improv comedy group at Seattle's famous Pike Place Market. He later returned to the University of Washington to get a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Professional Actors Training Program.

Career

McHale's career is split between acting in movies and TV shows and hosting popular programs.

Hosting and Presenting

In 2004, McHale became the host of The Soup on the E! network. On the show, he made funny comments about the most ridiculous moments from television that week. The show was very popular and ran until 2015.

He has hosted many major events, including the 2014 White House Correspondents' Association dinner, the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards, and the 2015 ESPY Awards. He also hosted a revival of the game show Card Sharks from 2019 to 2021.

In 2020, he and his former Community co-star Ken Jeong started a podcast called The Darkest Timeline. That same year, he hosted a special episode about the popular Netflix documentary series Tiger King. Since 2021, he has hosted the baking competition show Crime Scene Kitchen on Fox.

Acting Roles

McHale at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

After getting his master's degree, McHale moved to Los Angeles to start his acting career. He had small parts in shows like CSI: Miami and Will & Grace. He also had a small role as a bank manager in the movie Spider-Man 2.

His big break came in 2009 when he was cast as Jeff Winger in the sitcom Community. The show, about a diverse group of students at a community college, became a huge hit with fans and ran for six seasons.

Besides Community, McHale has had many other notable roles. He played the superhero Starman in the DC series Stargirl. He also starred in the sitcom The Great Indoors and appeared in several episodes of The X-Files.

He is also known for his voice acting. He voiced the character X-PO in the video game Lego Dimensions and has been the voice of The Scientist in Fortnite since 2021. He also voices the famous fighter Johnny Cage in the animated Mortal Kombat Legends movies.

Personal Life

McHale married Sarah Williams in 1996. They have two sons and live in Los Angeles. In a 2018 interview, McHale shared that he is dyslexic, a learning difference that can make reading difficult. He found out after his sons were also diagnosed with it.

McHale is known for supporting charities. He has worked with the Children's Tumor Foundation, which helps people with neurofibromatosis. He also supports organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Trevor Project, and UNICEF.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Joel McHale para niños