Kenan Thompson's Tragic True Life Story
For 20 years now, Kenan Thompson has been a consistent joy on television screens every week since joining the cast of "Saturday Night Live." But the actor's career in comedy started way earlier; Thompson first gained recognition as a child star on Nickelodeon's sketch program "All That!" and stayed in the cast from 1994 to 1999. As his stardom rose as a teenager, Thompson gained even more notoriety for his sitcom "Kenan & Kel" alongside "All That!" co-star Kel Mitchell, who he also shared the screen with in 1997's "Good Burger."
Although Kenan spent a while as one of the freshest faces on the cast of "SNL," he quickly became one of the show's most dependable cast members, often compared to the likes of Phil Hartman and Darrell Hammond for his longevity on the show and reliability in sketches. As "SNL" senior writer Bryan Tucker once wrote about Thompson for Slate, "Kenan knows how to take ordinary lines and make them funny and take funny lines and make them special."
However, outside of his work on NBC and Nickelodeon, Kenan Thompson's personal life has been a mix of ups and downs. His ambition for success has resulted in fractured friendships, marital turmoil, and at times, financial distress. Although none of it has stopped him from showing up to 30 Rockefeller Plaza every Saturday ready to perform, Thompson's life hasn't been without tragedy and struggle.
His family struggled financially early in his career
Kenan Thompson first gained success in Hollywood as a child actor — perhaps the most paradoxically easy-looking but emotionally merciless job out there. Thankfully, in those years, Thompson could rely on the guidance from his parents, particularly his mother Ann Thompson. Thompson's family grew up in Georgia, where the future "SNL" star started acting classes at only 5 years old. It was during this time when Thompson became acquainted with rejection, finally landing his first role in a local production of "The Wiz" as Toto.
Although his mother was supportive, it wasn't always easy for Thompson to afford to pursue a career in entertaining people. At one point, the comedian got a job as an entertainment reporter on CNN's "Real News for Kids," which would later get him his breakout role in "D2: The Mighty Ducks" in 1994, prior to being cast on "All That!."
Sadly, as is the case with many young up-and-comers, Thompson's early career was subject to exploitation. As he recalled on The Big Stage podcast, finances were a sore spot throughout his career: "I had a bad accountant growing up, someone who kind of like sweet-talked my mother into a situation of controlling my s–t and ended up burning me severely."
Kenan's first commercial gig was regrettable in hindsight
By 2023, Kenan Thompson is no stranger to acting in commercials. In recent years, the comedian has done ad spots for Autotrader, the Nintendo Switch, and Fandango. However, in 1988, a commercial gig was Thompson's very first paid acting job when he was only 10 years old, though he doesn't have completely fond feelings towards his first opportunity now that he's older.
The commercial was an advertisement for Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, a brand of fried chicken, and it apparently only aired in limited areas throughout the United States. As Thompson described the experience to Vanity Fair, "It was super-racist, and I had a good time." Whatever the moral implications there may be, the commercial resulted in Thompson's first big payout as a young actor, earning $800 for a brief appearance in the ad.
Before he even landed the Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken gig, however, Thompson had to endure a ton of rejection. Although he had his mother to console him, the future comedian tried out for 100 commercials before landing his very first. Thankfully, he would soon luck out with his role in "D2: The Mighty Ducks," which eventually put him on a path to a starring role on Nickelodeon.
Nickelodeon brought huge success ... with a child actor stereotype
Kenan Thompson was an immediate standout on the cast of Nickelodeon's "All That!," which debuted in 1994. He quickly developed a comedic chemistry with co-star Kel Mitchell, which turned them into a dynamic duo on children's television. It was their relationship both on-screen and off-screen on "All That!" that led to their Nickelodeon sitcom, "Kenan & Kel," which they starred in alongside their final years on "All That!"
Although the quick career growth was a difficult adjustment for Thompson, he embraced the newfound fame with open arms, as did Mitchell. This all culminated in 1997's "Good Burger," based on a recurring sketch from "All That!" which transformed the duo from child stars to cult classic icons thanks to the highly quotable film. Thompson's relationship with Nickelodeon ended for a time after "Kenan & Kel" wrapped up in 2000, but the actor soon found it difficult to adjust to life after Nickelodeon.
As he later told Entertainment Weekly, "I mean leaving Nickelodeon was definitely an adjustment, [because] then it was back to the real world of, 'Now I'm an adult looking for a job,' as opposed to a kid that's getting introduced to all these people like, 'Look how cute this little kid is, don't you want to put him on your show?'" However, Kenan quickly found a new comedic horizon to set his sights on.
Saturday Night Live rejected him for many years
During his years on "All That!," Kenan Thompson definitely saw the similarities between that show and "Saturday Night Live." Soon after he departed from working for Nickelodeon, he felt the urge to graduate to a higher level of sketch comedy. Sadly, Thompson would experience a whole new level of disappointment during this stage of his career. For years after leaving Nickelodeon, Thompson was rejected by the NBC sketch comedy show due to his young age, which was quite disheartening as a comedian in search of a future career.
Thompson didn't get an opportunity to audition for "SNL" until he was 25 years old, but once he got the tryout, he quickly learned that only the easy part was over. As an actor primarily trained in sketch and sitcom, Thompson felt the pressure to do well against the audition lineup of stand-up comics and improvisers. He later described the audition to People as "the most nervous experience of my life," but for good reason, as, "If you get there and you get a chance to do it well, your life is going to be completely different."
Even though Thompson felt he hadn't performed well during his audition, he was invited to a callback and ended up securing the job, officially joining the cast in 2003 as the replacement for Tracy Morgan. This time, however, Kenan would be facing the pressure all on his own.
Kenan parted ways with Kel Mitchell after Good Burger
While Kenan Thompson transitioned from his Nickelodeon years to "Saturday Night Live," Kel Mitchell didn't come along with him. Mitchell also auditioned for "Saturday Night Live," though his audition seemingly went even worse than Thompson thought his went. Nevertheless, the once inseparable comedic duo parted ways for the time being, which Thompson considered a good thing at the time, as he wanted audiences to see them as individual performers with their own merits.
Their relationship has gone through ups and downs since, with Mitchell at one point telling TMZ, "The truth is Kenan does not want to be seen with me in any form of media, or even have my name mentioned around him," though he respected the "SNL" star's decision to fly solo. Luckily, though there may have been rough patches in their friendship, things have never been better for Kenan and Kel.
More recently, the duo reunited on "Saturday Night Live" in a sketch paying tribute to "Kenan & Kel" starring Keke Palmer. Nostalgic fans for the '90s era of Nickelodeon were also delighted to hear they would be reprising their roles in a "Good Burger" sequel, set to release in November 2023 on Paramount+. The duo also executive produced Nickelodeon's revival of "All That!" in 2019, which they also made cameos on.
He was criticized for comments he made on SNL's lack of diversity
Throughout the entire history of "Saturday Night Live," the show has frequently struggled to maintain a diverse cast. When Kenan Thompson joined the cast in Season 29, he, Maya Rudolph, and Finesse Mitchell were the only black cast members. Once Rudolph departed the show in 2007, black women would be entirely absent from the cast for several years, which prompted controversy and landed Thompson in hot water for his explanations.
During an interview with TV Guide, Thompson addressed the lack of black women on the cast of "Saturday Night Live," particularly when it comes to either him or fellow cast mate Jay Pharoah impersonating famous black women in the news and pop culture. Thompson said, "It's just a tough part of the business ... Like in auditions, they just never find ones that are ready."
Thompson faced criticism for his remarks, which seemed to imply there were no funny black and female comedians, but years later he'd defend himself, claiming his words were misrepresented. Thompson has reiterated that his point was more directed towards a lack of opportunities in the comedy world for black women, though in an effort to encourage "SNL" to hire more black women, he and Pharoah refused to dress in drag for the remainder of their tenure.
The Bill Cosby allegations rocked his world
A year after joining the cast of "Saturday Night Live," Kenan Thompson starred in the 2004 live-action film adaptation of "Fat Albert," which was originally an animated series created by comedian Bill Cosby in the 1970s. Thompson not only played the titular character, but also appeared on-screen with Cosby himself during a scene in the movie. Sadly, the film's legacy would be tainted in the mid-2010s, when over 60 women came out with allegations against Cosby for sexual assault, resulting in a legal fallout that destroyed the reputation of "America's Dad."
As someone who not only worked with Cosby but was influenced by his comedy, Thompson was heartbroken at learning the truth about a figure he considered an inspiration, telling Variety in 2021, regarding "The Cosby Show," "It was a show that brought everybody together, and it was all positive. It's tough to separate the man from the art."
However, Thompson may have been one of few people who recognized clues that something with Cosby was amiss, albeit in hindsight. During an interview on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Thompson recalled an instance while filming "Fat Albert" where — in terms far too crass for Cliff Huxtable to ever use — Cosby advised him to be prepared for all the attention from women he would get after the movie.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
One divisive SNL episode was a physical challenge for Kenan
Since the departure of Seth Meyers from "Saturday Night Live" in 2014, Kenan Thompson has remained the most senior member of the cast, which comes with both privilege and responsibility. Furthermore, the show's dependence on him has also resulted in some pretty huge sacrifices from Thompson over the years. One of his most admirable instances of this was in 2015, during a controversial week in which then-presidential candidate Donald Trump hosted the show.
As later revealed, Thompson got into a bike accident on his way to "SNL" and ended up breaking his arm. Selflessly, Kenan's first thought was to consider the hard work of the writers that would be derailed if his broken arm was a problem. As he told The Washington Post in 2019, "Even just the smallest distraction throws off the potential of the experience of the joke ... You kind of don't have permission to not be perfect."
Thankfully, Thompson's on-camera appearances throughout the episode were limited, and he made use of his screen time to not let his broken arm be a distraction thanks to camera angles and timing. It shows a level of commitment rarely seen on "Saturday Night Live," particularly for an episode that notoriously resulted in bad press for the show.
He and his wife separated during the pandemic
The year of 2020 was rough for many people, Kenan Thompson included. While "Saturday Night Live" getting shutdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was bad enough, his home life in quarantine wasn't exactly prospering, either. Thompson and his wife Christina Evangeline, who had been married since 2011, announced in 2022 that they had been separated since November of 2020.
Thompson officially filed for divorce in 2022, shortly after news leaked of their split, though Us Weekly was told by an anonymous source that "They remain close as co-parents and have remained very close throughout the separation." While it seems that everything was amicable, the reasoning behind their separation was kept under wraps as the two continued to parent their two daughters. However, some have speculated that the roots of their marital troubles could be found in Kenan's work outside of "SNL."
While simultaneously remaining on "Saturday Night Live," Thompson also began starring in an NBC sitcom of his own, called "Kenan." The show follows Thompson's character, a morning show anchor grappling with raising two daughters after his wife passes away. Thompson noted that his wife didn't appreciate his character being widowed in the sitcom, jokingly telling Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" that she took offense to it.
His NBC show got canceled after two seasons
Whether Kenan Thompson's now-ex-wife liked the premise of his NBC sitcom or not, the show didn't last very long on Thompson's home network. Although "Kenan" was renewed for a second season, the show was canceled by NBC in May of 2022. The cancellation was part of a major cleanup of NBC's lineup, with the network also axing Ted Danson's "Mr. Mayor," as well as Morena Baccarin's crime drama "The Endgame."
In the years prior, Thompson had been debating a departure from "Saturday Night Live," with "Kenan" potentially seeming like a platform for him to sign off after becoming the sketch show's longest-running cast member. Although he missed out on some episodes due to his filming commitments to "Kenan," the comedian iterated in 2022 that he was in no rush to leave. As he told People Magazine before he hosted the 2022 Emmy Awards, "It's really exciting to find new, funny things, especially when you're further down your tenure."
Although Thompson has not commented on the show's cancellation, one could imagine he was disappointed by it. Thompson had spoken highly of the show's crew and originality, particularly given that they filmed it during the height of the pandemic.
Kenan lost an SNL co-star in the midst of his divorce
Kenan Thompson didn't transition to his NBC sitcom alone, as he brought along his "Saturday Night Live" co-star Chris Redd to play his younger brother on the show. At the time, Redd described to Variety how much he appreciated the opportunity to do "Kenan": "I'm just having fun being able to create with one of my best friends and also be able to still go and do sketch."
Redd would go on to leave "Saturday Night Live" just before the show's 48th season in 2022, as part of a mass exodus that included the likes of Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, and Melissa Villaseñor. However, gossip circles quickly started to spread rumors about why Redd left the show, considering it seemed like he had lots of potential left. These rumors were validated when it was confirmed that Redd was apparently dating Thompson's ex-wife, whom he had been friends with long before he was hired on "Saturday Night Live."
As one would expect, the rumor mill ran wild with theories that Thompson was responsible for Redd's exit from the late-night sketch show, but Thompson was apparently supportive of the relationship. However, it's no surprise that the two would probably prefer to not remain friends, nor work together, given this development in their personal lives.
Kenan Thompson is prepared for SNL to end
As of 2023, Kenan Thompson remains an irreplaceable part of the "SNL" cast even 20 seasons in. Additionally, Thompson is set to reunite on-screen with Kel Mitchell in "Good Burger 2" for Paramount+ in late November. Nevertheless, a huge question hangs over "Saturday Night Live" in its 49th season as speculation increases regarding the potential for the show to end after Season 50.
Lorne Michaels even confirmed in 2023 that there were already plans in motion for "SNL" to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special at Radio City Music Hall, inviting all former cast members, guests, and musical acts to make appearances. Michaels has also suggested that he's not opposed to leaving "Saturday Night Live" after its 50th season, though nothing has been made official yet. For what it's worth, Thompson seems to be on the same page.
During an appearance on Charlamagne tha God's "Hell of a Week" on Comedy Central, Thompson said he feels that Michaels' retirement should probably be the end of "Saturday Night Live": "He's the one that's had his touch on the whole thing, so if somebody tries to come into his shoes ... it's a good opportunity for NBC to save money as well." Thankfully, Thompson has some plans for his post-"SNL" career, founding a production company in 2021 called Artists on Artists, but hopefully the comedian gets to enjoy his last few years on "Saturday Night Live" if the show really ends with a bang.