Harold McBride

Lore & Background

Harold's parenting style contrasts with Howard's; he is calm, collected, and concerned with Clyde's safety and health above everything else, but also a little more willing to be lenient. The McBrides serve as foils to Lincoln's less worrisome parents. A running gag is the McBrides' impractically large and ever-expanding repertoire of hobbies and former jobs, which increases to include any skill set that an episode's plot demands. The only constant hobby is Harold's talent for preparing home-cooked meals for Clyde and Howard, particularly one of Clyde's favorite foods: Swiss chard frittatas. Both of the McBrides have a fondness for cats and have adopted two, Cleopawtra and Nepurttiti (named after Cleopatra and Nefertiti, two Egyptian queens).

In Their Own Story

Harold and Howard made their on-screen debut in "Overnight Success", in which they bring Clyde to a sleepover at Lincoln's house and Howard has trouble letting him leave. They had been mentioned previously in "A Tale of Two Tables" and "Hand-Me-Downer", which were the first two full-length episodes of *The Loud House* to be released online. Their names are derived from the married uncles of a guest at a party which writer Kevin Sullivan attended after being tasked to write their debut episode. Harold and Howard's sexual orientation is intentionally never mentioned on the program, and they are portrayed as any other couple would be. They do not exhibit stereotypical mannerisms of gay men, such as exaggerated effeminacy and flamboyance.

Reader's Guide

Harold is straightforward and even-tempered, the opposite of Howard's sensitive and neurotic demeanor. Whenever one of the Loud children learns something new from Howard and Harold, they will simply say that "Mr. McBride" taught them, leaving it intentionally ambiguous as to which dad possesses each skill. The McBrides are helicopter parents to Clyde and tend to be overprotective of him. Harold's demeanor is the opposite of Howard's; he is straightforward and even-tempered. The characters have been met with praise from television critics and fans for being a positive representation of an interracial gay married couple. Positive reviews have also called attention to the lack of focus placed on their sexual orientations, as well as their depiction as fit and capable LGBT parents.

Did You Know?

• Harold was voiced by Wayne Brady until 2022, when he was replaced by Khary Payton.
• Harold and Howard are the first married gay couple to be featured in a Nickelodeon animated series.
• The McBrides' names are derived from the married uncles of a guest at a party attended by writer Kevin Sullivan.
• Harold's only constant hobby is preparing home-cooked meals, especially Swiss chard frittatas.
• The McBrides have adopted two cats named Cleopawtra and Nepurttiti, after Egyptian queens Cleopatra and Nefertiti.