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Gary McDonald (born in London in 1961) is an English actor of Jamaican origin. While studying at Elliott School in Putney, McDonald played football for Wimbledon under Dario Gradi.

From 1979 to 1980 he was a member of the Royal Court Theatre, appearing in various theatre plays such as "Hard Time Pressure," "Hero's Welcome" and Che Walker's "Been So Long." In the 1980s he performed with the Talawa theatre company in productions of "The Black Jacobins," "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "A Raisin in the Sun" with Black Theatre. He appeared at the Royal National Theatre in "Macbeth" and "The Black Macs," "Rhapsody in Black and White," as well as at the Cottesloe Theatre in "Blood Wedding." Other theatre work includes "Scrape of the Black" and Mike Leigh's "It's a Great Big Shame" at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.

His first notable television role came in 1987, when he was cast as Darren Roberts in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders." He left the role in 1988. He also appeared in "The Bill," "Between the Lines," "South of the Border," as Captain John Black in "Dream Team" (1999–2006) and in "Brothers and Sisters," among others. He has also appeared in various films.