What is Heather McDonald's Net Worth and Salary?
Heather McDonald is an American actress, comedian, and author who has a net worth of $4 million.
Heather McDonald is best known for her appearances on the E! late-night comedy talk show "Chelsea Lately" and its spinoff, "After Lately." She is also known for her pop culture podcast "Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald" and her Netflix stand-up special "Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean to Brag." As an author, she has penned a pair of memoirs.
Early Life and Education
Heather McDonald was born on June 14, 1970 in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California. Her parents, both involved in real estate, raised her and her siblings Catholic. McDonald attended private Catholic schools as a youth, and after high school, attended the University of Southern California. There, she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Following her graduation from USC, McDonald took theater classes at the Groundlings improv and comedy school, and performed with the Groundlings troupe. Meanwhile, she became a licensed realtor like her parents.
Television Career
After gaining popularity through her stand-up shows in Los Angeles, McDonald began appearing on television. In 2000, she started appearing on the MTV series "The Lyricist Lounge Show," which combined sketch comedy with hip-hop music. McDonald was joined in the cast by such fellow actors as Marty Belafsky, Jordan Black, and Tracee Ellis Ross, and by such rappers as Wordsworth, Master Fuol, and BabeePower. "The Lyricist Lounge Show" ran for two seasons until 2001. After the show ended, McDonald made a guest appearance on the sitcom "Frasier" as one of Frasier's myriad blind dates. She continued to appear in guest roles on various shows over the ensuing years, including the sitcoms "Watching Ellie," "Quintuplets," and "Malcolm in the Middle." On August 11, 2006, McDonald voiced a character in the Nicktoons Network children's animated series "The Boo Crew," which comprised two specials created by the Wayans Brothers.
In the summer of 2007, McDonald began writing for, and appearing on, the newly created E! late-night comedy talk show "Chelsea Lately." Starring comedian Chelsea Handler, the show was presented in a half-hour format on weeknights until its conclusion in the summer of 2014. McDonald made frequent appearances on the show as a roundtable regular. Concurrently, from 2011 to 2013, she starred on "After Lately," a mockumentary-style spinoff show depicting the behind-the-scenes activities at the office of "Chelsea Lately." The cast included other writers and performers from "Chelsea Lately," all playing versions of themselves. After the end of "Chelsea Lately," McDonald starred in her own stand-up special, "Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean to Brag," which came out on Netflix in 2015. The next year, she appeared in an episode of the miniseries "#ThisIsCollege."
Film Career
Having collaborated with the Wayans Brothers on many previous occasions, McDonald appeared in a small role as a saleswoman in the Brothers' 2004 comedy film "White Chicks." Five years later, she appeared in the Wayans' musical comedy "Dance Flick." McDonald wasn't in another film until 2018, when she played Beverly Ann in the comedy sequel "Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate." The same year, she voiced the character Tory Reding in the comedy slasher sequel "Leprechaun Returns."
Other Endeavors
In mid-2010, McDonald published her first book, a memoir called "You'll Never Blue Ball in This Town Again: One Woman's Painfully Funny Quest to Give it Up." Focused on her college experiences at USC, the book made the New York Times Bestseller List. In 2013, McDonald published a second memoir, entitled "My Inappropriate Life (Some Stories Not Suitable for Nuns, Children, or Mature Adults)." A couple years later, she began hosting the pop culture podcast "Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald."
Fainting Incident
During a live performance in Tempe, Arizona in early 2022, McDonald collapsed on stage while discussing her experience getting the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. Taken to the hospital, she was treated for a skull fracture. The cause of the collapse was not determined.
Personal Life
In 2000, McDonald married Peter Dobias. They have three children named Drake, Brandon, and Mackenzie. Dobias works as a bank executive at Madison Mortgage. The family resides in Los Angeles.