Whether managing the largest family operated organic farm in the Northeast or playing a Bach piano concerto for thousands of people, Jefferson always approaches things with maximum effort. Jefferson was born into a showbiz family and seeing the success of his uncles, Daniel McDonald (Tony Nominee, Steel Pier) and Chris McDonald (Happy Gilmore, Requiem for a Dream), Jefferson dreamed of a time where he might not have to gut chickens for a living. But he did gut those chickens, and faster than anyone else in the world. His fingers were so lightning fast, in fact, that a music teacher asked him to close his eyes and place his hands on a keyboard and imagine he was gutting something: He started playing Mozart with a natural ease and would never stop.
From that time, music would become an important part of his life. His two records, Memphis & Man of the Road can be heard just about anywhere music exists.
As a playwright, Jefferson has written nine plays. Two of them were even produced: JERRY LEE LEWIS VS JERRY LEE LEWIS at Playhouse Stage Co and RUMPELSTILTSKIN. JERRY LEE LEWIS VS JERRY LEE LEWIS received rave reviews from Nippertown’s Patrick White who declared the inaugural production a “thrill” that “ends explosively.”
Jefferson’s pursued his passion for acting at the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT), with Tom Todoroff at his studio in NYC, in London with Patsy Rodenberg and holds degrees from Ithaca College and an MFA in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. It is there that he worked with Andrei Malaev-Babel, whose work on Method Training techniques had a significant impact on Jefferson’s approach to character development.
At the Asolo, Michael Donald Edwards cast McDonald as Spike in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which caused him to be featured – shirtless - in a New York Times article. Since then, comedy and nudity have been essential trademarks for Jefferson. In subsequent years, McDonald received critical acclaim for playing Jerry Lee Lewis in thirteen productions of the Tony Award winning musical Million Dollar Quartet. His interpretation of Jerry Lee Lewis has been described as “an unparalleled performance that defies description” (Broadwayworld) and “one of the most shockingly brilliant performances I’ve seen anywhere by anyone” (The Frenetic Peripatetic). He recently won Best Performer and Music Direction for a production of MDQ at Studio Tenn, in Franklin, TN. Jefferson hasn’t read any of these reviews, of course, and maintains a very humble disposition.
You can find Jefferson touring the world with his rock and roll band, making sketch comedy videos with his lovely girlfriend, or putting finishing touches on his new musical, THE BALLAD OF BILLY STONE WALKER.