Michael Hitchcock

Early life

Hitchcock received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Illinois.

Career

Hitchcock is an alumnus of The Groundlings, a Los Angeles–based improvisational and sketch comedy theater troupe. Although he retired from the theatre's Main Stage Company in the mid-1990s, Hitchcock still comes back regularly to perform in The Groundlings' all-improv shows Cookin' with Gas and The Crazy Uncle Joe Show.

In 1999, Hitchcock became a writer for the FOX late-night comedy series MADtv, and became one of the series' producers in 2001. He also played the role of Simeon Dyson, an obnoxious, drug-abusing game show announcer on the recurring MADtv sketch, "The Lillian Verner Game Show." During his tenure, the MADtv writing team was nominated for three Writers Guild of America Awards in the Comedy/Variety category (in 2003, 2004, and 2005).

Hitchcock's other writing credits include the comedy films House Arrest (1996), and The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000) as well as the critically acclaimed drama Where the Day Takes You (1992), which marked the film acting debut of Will Smith and also featured Dermot Mulroney, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sean Astin, Balthazar Getty, and Christian Slater. Where the Day Takes You was nominated for the "Critics Award" at the Deauville Film Festival, and Mulroney won "Best Actor" at the Seattle International Film Festival.

As an actor, Hitchcock has appeared in several of Christopher Guest's critically acclaimed movies, including Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), For Your Consideration (2006), and Mascots (2016). Hitchcock and his co-actors from A Mighty Wind were awarded "Best Ensemble Cast" by Florida Film Critics Circle and were nominated for "Best Ensemble Acting" by the Phoenix Film Critics Society. In June 2025, The New York Times named Best in Show as one of the "Best 100 Movies of the 21st Century."

Hitchcock served as a writer and co-executive producer on seasons 5 and 6 of the FOX television series Glee. Hitchcock served as a writer and supervising producer on season 4, and became a writer and consulting producer for season 3 of the show after previously appearing in a guest role in season 1 as rival glee club director Dalton Rumba. Hitchcock reprised this role in the season 4 episode "Makeover", season 5 episode "Love Love Love" and season 6 episode "The Hurt Locker, Part Two". In addition, Hitchcock directed the season 6 episode "Child Star".

Hitchcock was a writer and executive producer on seasons 3 and 4 of the CW television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. He also served as a writer and co-executive producer on seasons 1 and 2. In addition, he has played the role of water conspiracy theorist Bert.

Hitchcock currently recurs on Sterlin Harjo's series The Lowdown as Ray, an antique dealer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who helps Ethan Hawke's character Lee Raybon expose perceived local corruption. He also recurs on Nobody Wants This as Henry, a newly out of the closet father to the characters of Kristen Bell and Justine Lupe.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

1. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330195/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_michael%2520hitch/ IMDb].
2. "Michael Hitchcock".
3. O'Connor, Kyrie. (May 10, 2001). "'Best In Show' was best comedy of 2000". Hartford Courant.