Kevin McHale

Kevin Michael McHale (born June 14, 1988 ) is an American actor, singer, and dancer.

Formerly one of the two lead vocalists of the boy band NLT, McHale is best known for his role as Artie Abrams in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee, for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award, three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and two Teen Choice Awards.

They were discovered by Chris Stokes in 2006, who subsequently signed them to his label, The Ultimate Group.

On March 13, 2007, they released their first single, "That Girl".

The following month, they opened (with Chantelle Paige) for The Pussycat Dolls.

The band also made a guest appearance in the film Bratz: The Movie as an auditioning band.

While in the group, McHale, along with Timbaland and his bandmates, co-wrote the song "She Said, I Said (Time We Let Go)".

In 2007, McHale made a guest appearance on NBC's comedy series The Office in the season four episode "Launch Party", portraying a pizza delivery boy who is taken hostage by Michael Scott (Steve Carell).

He guest starred in three episodes of Nickelodeon's teen drama series Zoey 101 as Dooley Fibadoo.

In 2008, McHale guest starred in two episodes of HBO's dark fantasy drama series True Blood, appearing as Neil Jones, a coroner's assistant.

On April 30, 2009, member Travis Michael Garland announced that NLT had split.

McHale, who has a record deal with Universal Music Group, writes original music in his spare time.

In an interview with Mario Lopez, McHale stated that he plans to pursue solo music post-Glee.

In 2009, McHale landed his breakout role as Artie Abrams in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee.

His character, who uses a wheelchair after a car accident, joins the McKinley High glee club in the first episode.

He had his first solo performance on the show when he sang "Dancing with Myself" in the episode "Wheels".

In the episode "Dream On", he danced in a fantasy sequence to "The Safety Dance", and sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me".

In the second-season episode "Britney/Brittany", he sang a solo (in a dream sequence) of "Stronger", after being anaesthetized for dental surgery.

From 2014 to 2016, he hosted the British panel show Virtually Famous on E4.

In 2015, McHale, Chris Moy, and Justin Thorne co-wrote the song "Heartless" which was featured on the latter's debut EP The Heartbreaker.

That same year, he starred in the music video for Thorne's song "Summer Nights".

In 2019, McHale and Glee co-star Jenna Ushkowitz began a podcast called Showmance, where they recap Glee episodes and interview Glee cast and crew members, as well as other people.

The podcast was rebranded in 2022 as And That’s What You Really Missed on iHeartRadio.

McHale was born in Plano, Texas, to Christopher McHale and Elizabeth Payne, the youngest of four children.

His older sister is a talent agent, and he got his start in acting by convincing her to let him audition for a local commercial.

He grew up with actor and singer Demi Lovato.

He moved to California with his parents as a teenager in order to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

McHale attended Academy of the Canyons High School in the Santa Clarita Valley in California.

Before becoming an actor, McHale joined the American four-member boy band NLT, which stands for "Not Like Them" as one of two lead singers.

In April 2019, McHale released the pop song "Help Me Now", directed by Justin Thorne.

The accompanying music video stars McHale and actor Nolan Gould.

McHale described the video as having "a bootleg kinda gay Wes Anderson vibe."

In June 2019, he released the song "James Dean".

The accompanying music video stars McHale and Pose actor Johnny Sibilly.

In 2019, McHale released his first solo album, Boy.

Also in 2019, he competed in The X Factor: Celebrity, in which he finished in seventh place.

In 2021, McHale (with Chris Moy, Shelby Rabara, Justin Thorne, and Jenna Ushkowitz) began production on a musical children's show called The AlphaBeatZ.

McHale voices Ross, one of the five animated teddy bear characters.

A five-song Christmas EP was released on December 17, 2021.

McHale is credited as co-writer of the three original songs on the EP.