McGinley’s path to stardom is a story that reads like a classic Hollywood script. While an understudy in New York in the Circle-In-The-Square production of John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, he was spotted by director Oliver Stone and soon after was cast in Platoon, the first of a long list of collaborations between Stone and McGinley which includes Wall Street, Talk Radio, Born on the Fourth of July, Nixon and Any Given Sunday. McGinley is an audience favorite for his hilarious portrayal of Dr. Perry Cox in the Emmy-nominated medical comedy series, Scrubs, which ran for nine seasons and continues to be a fan favorite.
McGinley has most recently expanded his creative juices to create, produce and host a riveting podcast called Connective Tissue, where he explores storytelling in unbridled conversations with distinctly different storytellers he has connected with along his journey within the entertainment industry, to discuss current events, ethics, conflict and kindness. All of these seemingly disparate elements are brought to the same table to see if there is some Connective Tissue to be found. To date, McGinley has had provocative conversations with Brian Helgeland, Randall Wallace, Kenny Chesney, Benjamin Bryon Davis, Scott Silver, Scott Rosenberg, Brian Currie, Mike Tollin, Keith David, Rory Kennedy, Todd Garner, Peter Berg, Captain Dale Dye and Chris Cortazzo. Each colloquy explores storytelling from radically different points of view, but with abundantly similar points of connective tissue.
The iconic actor starred in and produced three seasons of IFC’s hit half-hour comedy-horror series, Stan Against Evil. He received much critical acclaim for his starring performance as disgruntled former police sheriff Stanley Miller, a sour, aging bulldog who begrudgingly joins forces with the new sheriff to fight off a plague of angry demons.
McGinley starred for two seasons in TBS’ workplace comedy series Ground Floor, which reunited him with creator Bill Lawrence (Scrubs). He had a pivotal arc in NBC’s cop comedy series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.He portrayed Frank O’Sullivan, the Head of the Patrolman’s Union, who served as the comic-foil for almost every member of the Precinct – especially when he’s pitted against Andre Braugher’s Captain Ray Holt. He had a memorable turn on season 6 of USA Networks’ hit drama series Burn Notice, and he played the recurring role of Brian Kelton on Chicago P.D.
McGinley’s impressive career in film spans a diverse range of characters in more than 70 films to date, including such features as The Good Catholic, Wild Hogs, Identity, The Animal, The Rock, Nothing to Lose, Set It Off, Seven, Office Space, Mother, Wagons East, Surviving the Game, On Deadly Ground, Point Break, Highlander II, A Midnight Clear and Fat Man and Little Boy. He also previously starred opposite Ice Cube in Sony/Revolution Studios’ feature, Are We Done Yet?, the sequel to the hit comedy Are We There Yet? He received critical acclaim for his role as Brooklyn Dodgers’ radio broadcaster Red Barber in Warner Bros.’ 42, the life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He starred opposite Tony Goldwyn in writer/producer James Gunn’s action/horror/thriller The Belko Experiment, directed by Greg McLean.
As a testament to his passion for the independent film community, McGinley has appeared in director Eriq La Salle’s Crazy As Hell and director Scott Silver’s Johns. He also worked on Truth or Consequences, N.M., Kiefer Sutherland’s feature directorial debut and on Colin Fitz, a film McGinley co-produced which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival.He starred in director D.B. Sweeney’s independent feature, Two Tickets to Paradise, which received raves on the festival circuit. For his performance in the later film, McGinley was awarded Method Fest’s Festival Director’s Award, which is awarded for special recognition/excellence in film.
McGinley is a partner at McGinley Entertainment Inc., an independent film production company. McGinley first worked both sides of the camera, serving double duty as actor and producer for the romantic comedy Watch It! (with Peter Gallagher and Lili Taylor).
He received stunning reviews for his starring role in Dean Koontz’s gripping and highly rated suspense drama, Intensity, a four-hour original film for Fox. He executive-produced and starred opposite John Cusack in HBO Pictures’ western, The Jack Bull, directed by John Badham; and he appeared in HBO’s The Pentagon Wars.
In addition to film and television, McGinley’s background is heavily rooted in theater. He received stellar reviews for his starring performance as Dave Moss in the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Glengarry Glen Ross. According to Newsday, “John C. McGinley is especially dazzling as the hothead who plans the office crime. ”The play also starred Al Pacino and Bobby Cannavale and ran through January 2013. He was previously featured on Broadway in Requiem for a Heavyweight and off-Broadway in The Ballad of Soapy Smith and the original cast production of Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio, both at the renowned Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival. He often cites Papp as the most instrumental force behind his career. In May 2005, McGinley was invited and honored to deliver the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Medicine, one of the top medical schools in the nation.
As the father of Max, his adult son with Down syndrome, McGinley is committed to building awareness and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. He currently serves as an Ambassador for Special Olympics and is a board member of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. McGinley is also one of the original creators, in conjunction with Special Olympics, of the groundbreaking “Spread the Word to End the Word” national campaign to eradicate the “R” word. He has blogged repeatedly on the Huffington Post, advocating acceptance and awareness of people with special needs as well as the importance of eliminating the “R” word.
In 2011, he won GLOBAL Down Syndrome Foundation’s Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award for his incredible contributions to the differently-abled community. McGinley serves as GLOBAL’s spokesperson and champion for people with Down syndrome.
McGinley has appeared in high profile commercial campaigns for Speed Stick (as Coach Speedman), Halls Cough Drops (as Tough Love/menthol-lyptus and Soft Love/honey-lemon) and Carhartt (as the voice of founder Hamilton Carhartt).
He resides in Los Angeles and enjoys stand-up paddle surfing, weight-lifting and golf. He married Nichole Kessler on April 7, 2007 at the couple’s home in Malibu and they now have two daughters Billie Grace and Kate Aleena, in addition to big brother Max and a 13-year-old scruffy terrier named Romeo Baci.
