A founding member of sketch comedy group Kids in the Hall, Kevin McDonald has gone on to forge an impressive movie career on his own. He chats with AMC News about what went wrong with Kids in the Hall's Brain Candy, what went right with Epic Movie, and his appearance in the recent Cannes selection, Year of the Carnivore.

A: I think it is a necessary evolution for a sketch troupe to go from TV to movies. Python did it. The Marx Brothers went from Broadway to movies -- before there was TV. Our TV show was over, it was time for movies. You always have to go to the next step or you stagnate.

Q: What can you tell us about the new Kids in the Hall project?

A: The new KITH show is a miniseries -- a comedy Roots if you will. It will be eight episodes and called Death Comes to Town. And it's about a small town where people keep getting murdered. There's a big trial -- it's sort of a comedy whodunit. Miss Marple meets Woody Allen.

Q: In 2007 you played Harry Potter in Epic Movie.

A: The writer/directors asked me to do it. And I saw Not Another Teen Movie and I thought it was pretty funny. It sounded like fun, so I said yes. It did not turn out the way that I thought it could have, but I learned how to fence for it.

Q: Its directors, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, don't have a lot of fans among critics. Do you think about that when you're choosing a project?

A: Ultimately, I pick my projects for my own reasons. I did not agree with what the critics said about their other movies made before Epic Movie so I ignored them. You have to know that I grew up loving Mel Brooks movies and Big Bus and Airplane so I'm a kindred spirit with parody movies. I only wish I was better in Epic Movie. When I saw it, I started coming up with ideas of what more I could have done.

Q: Did you get a chance to discuss the role with Daniel Radcliffe, or J.K. Rowling?

A: Yes, they were both on set with me, advising me the whole way. I couldn't have done it without Daniel's constant notes and I admit to having a bit of affair with J.K. Or was it the other way, around? I forget now.

Q: Let's talk about Year of the Carnivore, which just played at Cannes. It's more dramatic than the other movies you've appeared in.

A: I play the father of the lead character in Carnivore. I got to act with Canadian legend, Sheila McCarthy. The lead actor was a sweet kid who's parents had gotten her into the Kids in the Hall. She was extremely talented as well. The director was someone I had know back in the '90s a little bit and she used to be a lead singer of a great rock band. My part had just enough comedy that I was very comfortable doing it, though, I would like to do more dramatic parts.

Q: And last but not least, you'll be appearing live in New York at SketchFest NYC.

A: My one-man show that I'll be doing in New York is called "Hammy and the Kids." It's a true story about being in my 20s, dealing with my drunk dad and and starting out with the Kids in the Hall. It has a few songs in it, which I apologize for because I can't sing -- but do anyway.