Christopher McDonald is an American actor. He is known for playing pompous, arrogant and/or villainous characters, such as Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore and Tappy Tibbons from Requiem for a Dream.

He was born in New York City, the son of Patricia, a nursing professor and real estate agent, and James McDonald, an educator. He was raised in upstate Romulus, New York and is a graduate of Hobart College in Geneva, New York, where he was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Society.

McDonald has numerous film and television roles to his name, often as a supporting actor. In addition to the above, his credits also include Thelma and Louise, Grumpy Old Men, Quiz Show, Flubber, The Faculty, The Perfect Storm, House Arrest, Dirty Work, American Pie 5: The Naked Mile, Broken Flowers and Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams. He was featured as Ward Cleaver in the movie version of Leave It to Beaver and famous baseball broadcaster Mel Allen in 61*. In 1994 he starred in the film Terminal Velocity as an aggressive Russian mafia villain alongside Charlie Sheen

In the realm of television, along with recurring roles on the television series Family Law, North Shore and Veronica's Closet, McDonald has also made guest appearances on Cheers, Riptide, Knight Rider, The Sopranos, Home Improvement and Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lt. Richard Castillo in the season 3 episode Yesterday's Enterprise.

His voice work includes the determined government agent Kent Mansley in the animated film The Iron Giant. He also voiced Superman's father Jor-El in Superman: The Animated Series and subsequently a much older Superman in the Batman Beyond two part episode The Call. He has recalled great affection for these roles, saying that he enjoyed them because he was (and continues to be) such a fan of Superman and because they were in such contrast to his less than sympathetic on screen roles that he is famous for. He subbed for Burt Reynoldsas Boss Hogg in The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning.

He was also in Peter Gabriel's music video for the song The Barry Williams Show with McDonald as the eponymous lead. He also replaced Robert De Niro in the Midnight Run movie franchise; he played "Jack Walsh" in three TV films - Another Midnight Run, Midnight Runaround, and Midnight Run for Your Life.

He portrayed baseball player Joe DiMaggio in the ESPN original series The Bronx Is Burning. McDonald has been able to successfully portray a wide range of characters. In Happy Gilmore, The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning and Dirty Work, McDonald played the devious villain. On Home Improvement, he played Stu Culter, Tim's obnoxious, party animal roommate in college.