Sheaun McKinney

Born and raised in Miami, McKinney became interested in acting while attending Miami-Dade College. He received a scholarship, became president of the campus theater club, and formed a theater troupe after graduation. His stage work began when he was cast as the lead in A Lesson Before Dying at Miami's GableStage, a performance that earned him a Carbonell Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play.

McKinney co-founded the theater company Ground Up & Rising with fellow actor Bechir Sylvain and actor-writer Arturo Rossi. He also performed improv, stilt-walking, and aerial work throughout south Florida as part of the artists' group Urban Disturbance. His regional theater credits include The Brother Size, Ruined, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Topdog/Underdog, and Blue/Orange.

After moving to Los Angeles, McKinney began building a screen career with supporting appearances in productions including Burn Notice and Graceland. His first notable television role was Eddie in the first season of Graceland, followed by a series of guest and supporting appearances in programs such as Common Law, Lethal Weapon, Life in Pieces, and Room 104.

McKinney partnered with Bechir Sylvain to create, write, and produce the web series Make It Happen. The series won the audience award at the Short Cuts Film Festival. McKinney is also credited as a producer and writer on the project.

McKinney gained wider recognition as Dayshawn on HBO's dark comedy series Vice Principals, appearing in 15 episodes from 2016 to 2017. The series featured Danny McBride and Walton Goggins, and McKinney played a cafeteria worker who attempts to limit the damage caused by the show's two antagonistic vice principals.

In 2017, he joined NBC's Great News as Wayne, a recurring role spanning 15 episodes. He also appeared as Karvel in three episodes of Showtime's period drama Snowfall, which centered on the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles. The role was highlighted among his dramatic television work.

McKinney was cast as Malcolm Butler in the CBS pilot Welcome to the Neighborhood in 2018. The pilot was retitled The Neighborhood when it became a series, and McKinney remained in the main cast throughout all eight seasons, appearing in 155 episodes. His role established him as a central figure in the sitcom's ensemble.

A spinoff focused on Malcolm Butler was developed at CBS with McKinney's character as a co-lead, but the project was later canceled. His other screen credits include the films Boss Level, in which he played Dave, and Bitch Ass, in which he played Spade, as well as Zastro in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.