Kenan Thompson

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Kenan Thompson (Template:IPAc-en; born May 10, 1978)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live since 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history.<ref name="Izadi_2019">Template:Cite news</ref> He was also the first regular cast member born after the show's premiere in 1975. Outside of SNL, Thompson starred on NBC's sitcom Kenan from 2021 to 2022.

Thompson began his acting career in the early 1990s, and was an original cast member of Nickelodeon's sketch comedy series All That (1994–2005), where he often collaborated with co-star Kel Mitchell. Beginning in 1996, they starred in their own sitcom Kenan & Kel (1996–2000). Thompson also had roles in The Mighty Ducks franchise, Good Burger and its sequel Good Burger 2, and as the title character in the 2004 film Fat Albert.

He has been nominated six times for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on SNL, winning once.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is ranked at No. 88 on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars.

Early life

Thompson was born on May 10, 1978, in Columbus, Ohio.<ref name="Feinberg_2018" /> His parents are Fletcher and Elizabeth Ann Thompson. He has two siblings: an older brother and a younger sister. His family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, when he was 9 months old.<ref name="youtube.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Thompson's mother enrolled him in acting classes at age five. His first role as Toto in a church production of The Wiz had no lines.<ref name="Izadi_2019" /> He continued acting throughout his youth, appearing in school plays such as The Gingerbread Duck.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He auditioned for a theater company, The Youth Ensemble of Atlanta (YEA).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As a child, he was a fan of The Price Is Right, which he has called "my first love" and "very joyful viewing" that shaped his acting style.<ref name="Vanityfair">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Career

1994–2002: Breakthrough with Kenan & Kel

One of Thompson's earliest roles was as an entertainment reporter for CNN's "Real News for Kids".<ref name="Film">Template:Citation</ref> He went on to star in the original run of All That for its first five seasons, playing such characters as Principal Pimpell, Miss Piddlin, Pierre Escargot, and Superdude. He starred as Kenan Rockmore on Nickelodeon's Kenan & Kel from 1996 to 2000, mostly while still working on All That.<ref name=Film /> He began acting in his first film, D2: The Mighty Ducks, while attending Tri-Cities High School, a visual and performing arts magnet school in East Point, Georgia.

Thompson has starred in several films including Good Burger (1997), based on the All That sketch of the same title, and Fat Albert (2004), in which he played the title character. He has also had supporting roles in D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994), D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), as well as films such as Heavyweights (1995), Big Fat Liar (2002), Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003), and My Boss's Daughter (2003).

2003–present: Saturday Night Live and acclaim

File:Kenan Thompson 2012 (cropped).jpg

Thompson in 2012

Thompson returned to sketch comedy when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2003, becoming the show's first cast member born after its 1975 premiere.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thompson said he had sent several audition tapes to SNL, which dismissed him as looking too young; he said "it was a couple years' worth of that".<ref name=Vanityfair/> Thompson said that he feared his addition to the cast would be a "disservice" to the show: "It was weird for me for a long time".<ref name=Vanityfair/> Thompson was a featured player until 2005 (spanning the 29th and 30th seasons) and was promoted to repertory player at the beginning of season 31 (the 2005–2006 season).

In 2013, he began refusing to portray black women characters on the show and demanded SNL hire black women instead.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Thompson has been a cast member on SNL for 22 years,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="S50E17">Template:Cite episode</ref> breaking the record for the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history previously held by former castmate Darrell Hammond, who was on the show for 14 years. Thompson became the most senior cast member in the second half of the 2013–14 season, following the departure of Seth Meyers. Thompson also holds the record for most celebrity impressions performed on the show, performing 139, beating Hammond's previous record of 107.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed Although early on he planned to stay on the show until something else came along, by 2019 he noted that SNL was his "forever plan".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Izadi_2019"/>

Thompson has been nominated for five Primetime Emmys for his work on SNL, winning once. He has thrice been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, in 2018, 2020 and 2021. For co-writing the song "Last Christmas", in 2017 he was nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, an award he then won in 2018 for the lyrics to "Come Back Barack" (along with Chris Redd and Will Stephen).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2014, SNL head writer Brian H. Tucker noted that simply putting "KENAN REACTS" would get a script more laughs, further elaborating, "Put him in your sketch somewhere, anywhere, and your sketch will get better. Because Kenan knows how to take ordinary lines and make them funny, and take funny lines and make them special."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Similarly, Lorne Michaels in a 2019 article referred to Thompson as "the person I most rely on in the cast".<ref name="Izadi_2019"/> Vulture referred to him as the "heir apparent" to Phil Hartman, both being "the glue" of their respective casts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Thompson's celebrity impressions on SNL include Al Sharpton, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Cosby, Charles Barkley, David Ortiz, O. J. Simpson, and Steve Harvey.<ref name="SNL Archives">Template:Cite web</ref> He has performed in over 1,500 sketches, hitting the mark during the March 5, 2022, episode hosted by Oscar Isaac.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In commemoration of his 20th anniversary on the show, Thompson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 11, 2022. It was placed next to Lorne Michaels's star.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Recurring characters

• Darnell Hayes, the host of Black Jeopardy!<ref name="SNL Archives"/>
• Diondre Cole, the host of What Up with That? (What's Up with That? in some episodes), who is repeatedly distracted by the show's theme song
• Reese De'What, the host of Cinema Classics
• Willie, Michael Che's overly optimistic neighbor
• Jean K. Jean, a French comedian
• Lorenzo McIntosh, a prisoner in the Scared Straight sketches
• Steve Kane, the gym teacher in the Daniel Frye sketches
• Tre, a character in the Californians sketches
• Virginiaca Hastings, an argumentative shopper
• Elliot Pants, Host of What's Wrong with This Picture?

Film and television roles

During this time he has also taken supporting roles in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), and Snakes on a Plane (2006). In 2009, Thompson was a regular voice actor in the Fox animated series Sit Down, Shut Up, portraying Sue Sezno who, like her last name, always says no.<ref name="sdsu">Template:Cite web</ref> The series premiered on April 19, 2009,<ref name="sdsu"/> but was canceled after only four episodes due to low ratings and poor reviews. Thompson voiced the LeBron James puppet in Nike's MVP "Most Valuable Puppets" commercials, which were produced to be shown throughout the 2009 NBA playoffs. Thompson also guest-starred as Gus's estranged college singing buddy on the USA Network series Psych in the fourth-season episode "High Top Fade Out". In 2011, he returned to Nickelodeon, guest-starring in "iParty with Victorious", a crossover episode of sitcoms iCarly and Victorious.

Thompson appeared as a host of sorts of TeenNick's retro programming block, The '90s Are All That, appearing in many of the block's early bumpers and hyping material. He would return to the block, eventually called NickRewind but at the time called The Splat, for All ThatTemplate:'s 22nd anniversary, with segments filmed at the 2015 New York Comic Con.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Thompson waving

Thompson at a Washington Capitals event with the Stanley Cup in 2018

In 2015, film ticketing website Fandango announced that Thompson would play their brand character, Miles Mouvay. Thompson would play Mouvay in 18 videos, eight 30-second commercials, and several comedic skits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 23, 2015, Thompson appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon alongside former All That co-star Kel Mitchell in which they reprised their popular Good Burger roles as "Ed" and "Lester Oakes, Construction Worker". They later competed against one another in an episode of the revived Nickelodeon game show Double Dare that aired in November 2018.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2019, Thompson served as a judge for NBC's comedy competition series Bring the Funny.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also became an executive producer with Mitchell for Nickelodeon's All That revival, premiering in June.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2019, NBC announced they had picked up Thompson's single-camera comedy The Kenan Show to series. The series, retitled Kenan, premiered in 2021 on NBC, featuring Thompson as a newly-widowed father determined to be a "super dad".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series after its first season. In May 2022, the series was canceled after its second season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He appears in the third episode of the revival of The Kids in the Hall as Ron, a Friend of the Kids in the Hall,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and hosted the NHL Awards in June 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He hosted the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 12, 2022.<ref name="deadline1">Template:Cite web</ref> To promote SNL's 50th Anniversary, Thompson made several announcements on the New York City Subway from February 10, 2025, to February 16, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Thompson married model Christina Evangeline in 2011. On June 20, 2014, the couple had their first child, Georgia Marie. On July 31, 2018, they welcomed their second child, Gianna Michelle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 7, 2022, it was announced that the two had been separated for over a year, and are co-parenting their daughters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 15, 2022, it was announced that Thompson was officially filing for divorce.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2020, he became the spokesman for Universal Destinations & Experiences' "Let Yourself Woah" campaign,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was set to host the 2020 White House Correspondents' Dinner before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2021 would also see Thompson be named host of that year's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and People's Choice Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also hosted The Jonas Brothers Family Roast on Netflix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In December 2021, Thompson co-founded the production company and talent incubator Artists for Artists (AFA). Their first announced project, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth Part 2 is in collaboration with Mike Tyson and wife Lakiha "Kiki" Spicer and a sequel to the boxer's 2013 HBO special. In March 2022, AFA fully funded the launch of Twenty Two Entertainment, led by actors Michael Rainey Jr. and Gianni Paolo, best known from the Starz series Power Book II: Ghost.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In December 2023, Thompson released a memoir titled When I Was Your Age.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In early 2024, Thompson was diagnosed with GERD.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 21, 2024, Thompson appeared at the Democratic National Convention tying Project 2025 to the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, claiming, "You vote for him. You vote for all of this."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	D2: The Mighty Ducks	Russ Tyler
1995	Heavyweights	Roy Murphy
1996	D3: The Mighty Ducks	Russ Tyler
1997	Good Burger	Dexter Reed
2000	Template:Sort	Lewis
2002	Big Fat Liar	Party Guest
	Template:Sort	Guy on Computer
2003	Love Don't Cost a Thing	Walter Colley
	My Boss's Daughter	Hans
2004	Barbershop 2: Back in Business	Kenard
	Fat Albert	Fat Albert	<ref name="btva">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
2005	Here Comes Peter Cottontail: The Movie	Flutter	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2006	Snakes on a Plane	Troy
2008	Space Chimps	Ringmaster	Voice<ref name="btva" />
	Wieners	Wyatt
2009	Stan Helsing	Teddy
2010	Saturday Night	Himself	Documentary
2011	Template:Sort	Greedy Smurf	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2012	Template:Sort	Henry
2013	Template:Sort	Greedy Smurf	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2014	They Came Together	Teddy
	Template:Sort	Mitch
2016	Rock Dog	Riff	Voice<ref name="btva" />
	Brother Nature	Miesha
2017	Going in Style	Keith
2018	Template:Sort	Bricklebaum	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2019	Wonder Park	Gus (US version)
	Playmobil: The Movie	Bloodbones
	Dads	Himself	Documentary
2020	Trolls World Tour	Tiny Diamond	Voice<ref name="btva" />
	Hubie Halloween	Sergeant Blake
2021	Clifford the Big Red Dog	Clifford's veterinarian
	Home Sweet Home Alone	Gavin Washington
2022	Bros	James Baldwin
2023	Trolls Band Together	Tiny Diamond	Voice
	Good Burger 2	Dexter Reed	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	Child Star	Himself	Documentary<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
TBD	Macho		Producer Documentary <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994–1999, 2002, 2005, 2019–2020	All That	Various roles	Main role (Seasons 1-5); guest role (Season 7); guest role (Seasons 10-11); Executive producer (Season 11)
1996–1998	Template:Sort	Junior	4 episodes
1996–2000	Kenan & Kel	Kenan Rockmore	Main role
1997	Sister, Sister	Trevor	Episode: "Inherit the Twin"
1998	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch	Kenan Rockmore	Episode: "Sabrina's Choice"
1999	Oh Yeah! Cartoons	Host
1999	Template:Sort	Himself	Episode: "Episode 1"
	Cousin Skeeter	Kenan Rockmore	Episodes: "Hoo, I'm Wild Wild West" (Parts 1 & 2)
2000	Template:Sort	Damon	Episode: "Trading Places"
2001	Untitled Sisqo Project		NBC television sitcom pilot
2001	Felicity	DeForrest Ingram	4 episodes
2002	Off Centre	MC French	2 episodes
2003	Clifford the Big Red Dog	Hamburger	Voice; episode: "Food for Thought/Friends Forever"<ref name="btva" />
2003–present	Saturday Night Live	Himself/Various roles	Featured player (Seasons 29–30); Repertory player (Season 31–present)
2005, 2018	Wild 'n Out	Himself	2 episodes
2005	Rugrats	Magic Mirror	Voice; Direct-to-video episode: "Tales from the Crib: Snow White"<ref name="btva" />
2007	Crank Yankers	Mark Thomas	Episode: "4.1"
2008	Template:Sort	Rocky Rhodes	Voice; 5 episodes
2009	Psych	Joon	Episode: "High Top Fade-Out"
	Sit Down, Shut Up	Sue Sezno	Voice: 13 episodes
2011	iCarly	Himself	Episode: "iParty with Victorious"
	Template:Sort	Host
2013	Wonder Pets!	Lion	Voice; episode: "In the Land of Oz"
	Martha Speaks	Stanley	Voice; episode: "Stanley Saves the Day"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2013–15	Template:Sort	Austin "Impresario" Sullivan	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2015	Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja	Socko	Voice; episode: "Rorg: A Hero of a Past"
	Template:Sort	Lester Oakes	Episode: "James Spader/Andrew Rannells/Brian Regan"
2015–17	Nature Cat	Ronald	Voice, season 1 only<ref name="btva" />
2016	Maya & Marty	Various roles	Main role
2016, 2019	Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt	Roland	2 episodes
2017–19	Match Game	Himself/Panelist	4 episodes<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018	Double Dare	Himself	Contestant; episode: "Team Kel vs. Team Kenan"
	Studio C	Himself, various roles	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019	Template:Sort	Himself	Guest judge; episodes 8, 9<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?		Voice; episode: "Quit Clowning!"<ref name="animationmagazine2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="btva" />
	Bring the Funny		Judge<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020	America's Got Talent	Guest judge	Season 15, two episodesTemplate:Ref
2020–22	Trolls: TrollsTopia	Tiny Diamond	Voice
2021–22	Kenan	Kenan Williams	Main role and executive producer
2021	2021 Kids' Choice Awards	Himself	Host
	Trolls: Holiday in Harmony	Tiny Diamond	Voice<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	47th People's Choice Awards	Himself	Host
	Jonas Brothers Family Roast
	Bless the Harts	Travis	Voice; 6 episodes
2022	Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock	Jack Hammer Doozer	Voice; episode: "Wembley the Spokesfraggle"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Template:Sort	Mo-Slo's Dad	Voice; episode: "An Animated Short Where Pissed-Off Supes Kill Their Parents"<ref name="btva" />
	Template:Sort	Ron	Episode 3
	That Damn Michael Che	Himself	Episode: "Join the Club"
	Archer	The Broker (voice)	Episode: "Saturday"
	74th Primetime Emmy Awards	Himself	Host<ref name="deadline1" />
	48th People's Choice Awards		Host
2023	Bupkis	Referee/Barista	Episode: "ISO"
	Praise Petey	Elder Amos (voice)	6 episodes
	Chucky	Cab Driver	Episode: "Jennifer's Body"

Template:Note Thompson stood in for Simon Cowell, who was still recovering from a back injury the previous week that required him to rest under medical observation.<ref name="AGT-Cowell">Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

Kenan Thompson albums

Year	Title	Notes
2004	Good Times	Comedy album

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result	Template:Abbr
2017	Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Music and Lyrics	Saturday Night Live: "Last Christmas"	Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Saturday Night Live: "John Mulaney"	Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
		Outstanding Music and Lyrics	Saturday Night Live: "Come Back, Barack"	Template:Won
2020		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Saturday Night Live: "At Home #2"	Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Kenan: "Flirting"	Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Saturday Night Live: "Dave Chappelle"	Template:Nom
2025	Las Culturistas Culture Awards	Titian of Culture		Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book Memoir.

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:IMDb name