Bruce McCulloch

Forming a comedy troupe bearing the moniker the Audience early on, the pair crossed paths with future Kids Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald (who had been working together with Luciano Casamiri under the name the Kids in the Hall) in 1984, marking the formal birth of the troupe as they are known today. Scott Thompson came on board as the fifth and final member soon thereafter (hounding them at live performances until they eventually caved in and accepted him as a member) and following a short period in which they pursued separate interests (McCulloch actually served a brief stint as an SNL writer before the troupe regrouped and shot to fame), The Kids in the Hall debuted as an HBO pilot in 1988. With a distinctly edgy and frequently surreal style, The Kids in the Hall slowly gained a loyal fan base. McCulloch's quirky monologues and oddball characterizations such as the chauvinist Cabbage Head and happy-go-lucky Flying Pig served as the very definition of the bizarre antics that separated the Kids' unique comedy style from the rest of the pack. Following their cancellation in 1994, the troupe would receive mixed reviews with an attempt to translate their humor to the big screen with The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, and find success touring the U.S. and Canada as a live stage act. McCulloch's bizarre 1995 debut album Shame Based Man received critical success and struck a solid chord with dedicated fans, and McCulloch continued to find success as the director of such films as Dog Park (1998) and the SNL character feature Superstar the following year. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide