Karen McClain was born in Los Angeles. Her father was a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter for the 1960s r&b group "Dan & The Clean Cuts". Later her parents moved back to Texas were she grew up in Houston with her younger sister Francine. She began performing in plays while in high school with Main Street Theatre. She attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and later went on to study acting at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia which she spent several years learning a range of training methods (Linklater, Meisner, IPA, LeCoq, Williamson, Fitzmaurice, Laban) as a part of her training.Karen has made numerous television appearances including guest-starring and recurring roles on Comedy Central. She has also appeared in national and regional television commercials for Capitol One, Vodafone, and Burger King.Aside from film and television, she has several stage credits. Her portrayal of Aunt Ethel in the production of "The Colored Museum" by George C. Wolfe won her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a play by the L.A Stage Alliance.Some of her other stage credits include "Once On This Island: The Musical" at the Fullerton Civic Light Opera, "Nunsense" - The Welk Resort, "South Pacific" for Carousel Theatre in Akron, Ohio and the off-Broadway production of "Ain't Misbehavin.