Library 3.0

Keith ( Special ‘K’ ) McCary Sr.

Cuz’n Pete from the movie Poetic Justice

The son of an Alabama steel laborer Andrew C. McCary and laundry worker Naomi Motley, Keith A. McCary Sr. grew up as an only child in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio where he was constantly encouraged and urged by his parents to study and at the very least, do something that circumstances prohibited them from doing, that was to finish high school. He remembers his late dad’s words as if they were spoken just yesterday, “My only wish, is that you won’t have to labor like I do to make a living, learn to use your head instead of your hands!”

Keith would use his mind, and his voice to become a great speaker, which in turn would create opportunities for him to be called on quite frequently to give talks at his local Kingdom Hall.  He would sneak into the basement to listen, and then memorize party albums by a few of the classic comedians of the sixties and seventies, Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, George Carlin, and Rudy Ray Moore just to name a few.

This would eventually lead him to the historic Karamu House Theatre, where under the name of Special ‘K’ McCray, he would make his professional theatrical debut as ‘Deacon Crow for Day’ in their 1984 stage production of   Langston Hughes’ “Tambourines to Glory”!  He was smitten by the acting bug and would go on to play in other community and church plays before earning a role in “The Creators” under Don Chiodo’s Manhattan Repertory Theatre. He would tour for two years with David Peyton’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and then reprise the role of ‘Stan’ in the sequel “Ain’t No Woman Like the One I Got”. Keith’s crowning moment would be when he made history at the historic Martin Theater in Panama City, Florida where he would perform in

front of (18 ) sold out audiences as ‘Walter Lee’, a role made famous by Sidney Poitier in the Lorraine Hansberry classic “A Raisin in the Sun” in 1998.           

In between stage gigs, he would continue to tour the country as a stand- up comedian working all the mainstream rooms, and then the cruise ships, resorts and casinos.  It was while working as a regular in a Lakeland, Florida Comedy Club that he would be discovered for his first motion picture, a small role as ‘Big Money Bunny’ in Orion Pictures ‘Chinamoon’ starring Ed Harris,

Madeline Stowe, and Benicio Del Toro.

That role would lead to the role of ‘Willie Red’ in MGM’s ‘Rush’ with Jason Patric, Sam Elliott,

Jennifer Jason-Leigh, and Greg Allman, which in turn led to the role that endeared him as “America’s Favorite Relative”, ‘Cousin Pete’ in John Singleton’s ‘Poetic Justice’ that starred 

Janet Jackson, Maya Angelou, Joe Torry, Regina King and the late Tupac Shakur.  Mr. McCary

returned to the motion picture screen as ‘Milton Madaris’ in the Best Selling New York Time’s Author Brenda Jackson’s second feature film “Truly Everlasting” that premiered Nov. 5^th, 2011.  

Current projects include, pre-production for his first TV sitcom “KinFolks”, the motion picture

that sets the stage for the sitcom called “Cuz’n Pete Takes A Vacation”, and his one man stage show “Which Way Is Up?” highlighting his ups and downs in a career that spans over 25 years.

All in all the summer of 2012 looks to be very busy for Keith ( Special ‘K’ ) McCary Sr. because in addition to the for mentioned projects, he is also scheduling appearances and gospel comedy performances at a variety of churches around the country.   

MOTION PICTURES

Truly Everlasting       Five Alive Pictures ( Released / Nov, 2011 ) Milton Madaris

Poetic Justice              New Deal / Columbia Pictures             Cousin Pete

Rush                            MGM / Zanuck Productions                 Willie Red

China Moon                Orion Pictures                                      Big Money Bunny

TELEVISION

A Tribute to Flip Wilson Showcase                                        Principle

Russell Simmon’s Def Comedy Jam                                       Feature

A&E’s Evening at the Improv                                                           Special Guest

Showtime / Comedy Central                                                  Feature

TNN’s Crook & Chase                                                                       Special Feature

B.E.T. / VH-One / MTV                                                         Feature

THEATRICAL STAGE

A Raisin in the Sun                 Martin Theatre / Panama City    Walter Lee

A Good Man is Hard to Find National Tour                          Stan

Ain’t No Woman Like/I Got  National Tour                          Stan

The Creators                          David Chiodo/ New York Rep    Roderick Speed

Tambourines to Glory                        Karamu House / Cleveland, Oh Deacon Crow For Day

The Book of Life                     National Tour                          Willie West & CJ

I Just Wanna Be Right                       National Tour                          Woodrow

Rise Again                              Springhill MBC / GSV, FLA       Pastor Jackson

Club Appearances include…Comedy Store, Improvs, Punchlines, Comedy Zones, Coconuts, Zanies,

Funny Bones, in Comedy Clubs, Casinos, College Campuses & Resorts in the Caribbean & across the USA! 

In Concert with…Lee Williams, Patti Labelle, Williams Brothers, Luther Vandross, Isley Brothers & More!

Radio Personality…WRXB 1590 Gospel Morning Show / Mid-Day Café ‘Pete’s Comic Views o/News’

      WJFP w/ Jumpin Joe, WTMP 1150, WXVI 1490w/Sunshine Lady,

                 Praize 107.7 FM Gospel Mic/Watch Night Host ‘09/ Special Guest ‘08…