Who is Colin Mochrie’s wife? All about family as ‘Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’ star undergoes emergency eye surgery

On January 2, Scottish-Canadian actor and improv comedian Colin Mochrie announced via Facebook that he needed “emergency eye surgery” and had to postpone his upcoming stage shows.

“Hi, everyone. I’m very sorry to say that I won’t be able to perform in HYPROV as planned this weekend. I’ve been diagnosed with a detached retina and am undergoing emergency eye surgery today. My doctors have advised that I need to rest and recover before returning to the stage. I look forward to seeing you again very soon,” the post read.

According to MLive, Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis refers to an improv comedy show featuring the 68-year-old Colin Mochrie and well-known hypnotist Asad Mecci.

Colin Mochrie has been married to Canadian actress-comedian Debra McGrath for the last 37 years. They have a daughter named Kinley.

Hyprov also addressed the matter. In Friday’s Facebook statement, they wrote:

“Dear HYPROV fans and ticket holders, we regret to inform you that our upcoming shows will be postponed due to a medical situation involving Colin Mochrie… His medical team is optimistic about his full recovery, but he needs time to rest and heal.”

The statement continued:

“We understand this news is disappointing for those who were looking forward to the performances, and we truly appreciate your understanding… Colin is incredibly grateful for your support and well-wishes. He looks forward to being back on stage and sharing many more laughs with you in the near future.”

Hyprov assured fans that they would be able to use their existing tickets for the rescheduled shows. In case the ticket holder couldn’t attend on the new dates, they would get a full refund.

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All we know about Colin Mochrie’s wife

Debra McGrath, 71, was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, to Anne Munro and James McGrath Jr. She was a theater student at the Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, now called Toronto Metropolitan University.

McGrath began her career as a member of the improv comedy and theater troupe The Second City and served as a writer, actress, and director. Her skit as Marilyn Monroe at Club Soda earned her widespread recognition.

Her breakout role as Liz Dunshane came in Allan King’s 1989 drama film Termini Station. Since then, Debra McGrath has appeared in various feature films, TV movies, short films, videos, documentaries, and more, mostly in comedy roles.

Colin Mochie’s wife’s film credits include One Magic Christmas, Expecting, The Real Blonde, and Junior’s Grant. Her recent role as Ms Deering was in the 2025 coming-of-age dramedy Magnestosphere.

From 2007 to 2012, Debra McGrath became a fan-favorite for playing the protagonist, Mayor Ann Popowicz, on the sitcom, Little Mosque on the Prairie.

McGrath’s other notable TV appearances were in Paradise Falls, Street Legal, the Ron James Show, and Single White Spenny.

As a voice artist, Debra worked on Peep and the Big Wide World, George and Martha, Seven Little Monsters, Ned’s Newt, and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. In 2018, she lent her voice to the Far Cry 5 video game.

Debra McGrath and fellow Canadian actress Linda Kash co-created the sitcom, The Talk Show, in 1990. She also co-wrote the female-centric talk show Go Girl! in 1997.

With Colin Mochrie, Debra co-created and co-starred on CBC’s Getting Along Famously between 2005 and 2006.

McGrath also founded the all-female comedy troupe Women Fully Clothed in 2003 with Canadian A-listers Kathy Greenwood, Jayne Eastwood, Robin Duke, and Teresa Pavlinek.

Debra McGrath auditioned Colin Mochrie for a Second City production and fell in love. They walked down the aisle in 1989 and have since then lived in Leaside, Toronto.

Their only child, Kinley, came out as a trans woman in 2017. Actor Munro Chambers is the couple’s nephew.

Debra McGrath told Broadview in June 2021 about her faith, LGBTQ2S+ activism, where and how they merge, and how she “reckoned” with her faith after Kinley came out.

“Those first few days, as I’ve said to people, were never about not liking her choice or never about, ‘Oh, what am I going to do? My boy is not a boy anymore.’ It went right to the core of a parent, which is, ‘Oh, my goodness, is she going to be safe?’” McGrath recalled.

McGrath was previously married to Canadian actor, filmmaker, writer, director, and improvisor Dana Andersen for three years in the mid-1980s.

During a February 2013 interview with Salvationist, Debra recalled her original impression of her husband:

“We weren't interested in each other at first. I loved his charm, but he kind of stood back—didn't put himself forward. But I hired him, and love grew. We've been married 23 years.”

Meanwhile, Colin Mochrie noted:

“Deb is a sunny personality, an optimist. I'm pretty much the opposite. Going to church helps reaffirm that, oh yeah, we're not all horrible… In our business, you come across a lot of people who aren't as nice. And it's a constant struggle for me, because I easily go to the dark place… but as long as you can laugh, you can keep going on.”

McGrath agreed and added:

“And sometimes we'd go straight from crying to laughing… Many comedians have a lot of bitterness, a lot of regret, a lot of fear. And out of that come huge amounts of funny.”

The Who’s Line Is It Anyway? star called laughter an “underrated tool” and that those who could see the “humor in the darkest of situations” often came out as survivors.

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According to MLive, Colin Mochrie’s postponed shows were in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on January 2 and 3. The next shows are scheduled for February 14 in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. It is undisclosed whether Mochrie will return for the same next month.

Meanwhile, Colin Mochrie’s two-man show with fellow actor-comedian Brad Sherwood might also be postponed, given they have several gigs lined up for this month.