Kenan Thompson
Thompson in November 2007
Born	(1978-05-10) May 10, 1978 (age 34) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Actor/Comedian
Years active	1994–present
Spouse	Christina Evangeline (2011 – present)
Website
www.kenanthompson.net

Kenan Thompson (born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, as well for his starring roles in the films Good Burger and Fat Albert, his portrayal of Kenan Rockmore on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel, and as an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That. He ranks at #88 on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars. Throughout the 1990s, he frequently collaborated with fellow comedian Kel Mitchell, and the two are cultural icons for the millennial generation.

Early life and career[link]

He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Fletcher and Elizabeth Ann Thompson. He has one sibling, Kerwin Thompson. He began acting at age 15, appearing in the school play The Gingerbread Duck.^[1] One of his earliest roles was as an entertainment reporter for CNN's "Real News for Kids",^[2] and he would go on to star in All That, and Kenan & Kel.^[2] While Kenan attended Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School in East Point, Georgia, he began filming his first movie, D2: The Mighty Ducks.

Film and television career[link]

Kenan has starred in several films including Good Burger, based on the All That sketch of the same name, and Fat Albert, in which he played the title character. He has also had supporting roles in the movies Heavyweights, D2: The Mighty Ducks, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, My Boss's Daughter, and Snakes on a Plane. Kenan had a recurring role on The Steve Harvey Show as Junior, with co-star Kel Mitchell. Recently, he returned to Nickelodeon for the show The Mighty B! as the voice of Rocky Rhodes.

In 2009, Thompson was a regular voice actor in the Fox cartoon series, Sit Down, Shut Up, portraying Sue Sezno, who, as evidenced by her last name, always says no.^[3] The series premiered on April 19, 2009,^[3] but was canceled after only four episodes due to low ratings and less than favorable reviews. Thompson provided the voice for 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 on the USA Network TV show Psych, Season 4's "High Top Fade Out" (episode 7). He played an estranged college singing buddy of the character Gus. In 2011 he briefly returned to Nickelodeon, as he guest starred in "iParty with Victorious", a crossover episode of TV sitcoms "iCarly" and "Victorious". Thompson is the current host of TeenNick's 1990's programming block, The '90s Are All That.

[edit] Saturday Night Live

Kenan Thompson returned to sketch comedy when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2003, becoming the first SNL cast member to be born after SNL's premiere in 1975 and the first SNL cast member to have been a cast member on children's shows (All That and Kenan and Kel). He was a feature 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).

Personal life[link]

On September 30, 2010, US Weekly announced that Thompson and his girlfriend Christina Evangeline had become engaged. They married on November 11, 2011.^[4]

SNL characters[link]

Thompson's recurring characters on Saturday Night Live include:

• Deandre Cole (a talk-show host whose entire show, BET's "What Up With That?," is little more than an extended musical number)
• Barbara Birmingham (a chain-smoking nanny with outre advice on disciplining children)
• DJ Dynasty Handbag from MTV4's Deep House Dish
• Jake Denmont (Mrs. Denmont's son on Appalachian Emergency Room)
• Jean K. Jean (a French Def Comedy Jam performer)
• Lorenzo McIntosh (an imprisoned convict hired by local authorities to scare juvenile delinquents straight by using movie references. Is often partnered with other criminals -- played by the host, including a memorable role in which Lindsay Lohan played herself as a convict)
• Oscar Rogers (a financial analyst whose only advice for solving the current economic crisis is to "fix it!")
• Virginiaca Hastings, a sassy woman who flirts with store clerks and has a string of stepchildren (played by Ellen Page, Justin Timberlake, Scarlett Johanssen, and Blake Lively)
• Dave "Beef Jelly" Winfield, one of the comedians in the "Original Kings of Catchphrase Comedy" video series
• Steve Kane: Booker T. Washington High School's coach who always barks at the kids to shut up and defends Principal Frye (Jay Pharoah) and the teachers during school functions.

Celebrity impersonations[link]

• Al Roker
• Al Sharpton
• Alfonso Ribeiro (as himself and as Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
• apl.de.ap
• Aretha Franklin
• B.B. King
• Barry Bonds
• Bernie Mac
• Bill Cosby (whom Thompson also impersonated on All That)
• Cee-Lo Green
• Chaka Khan
• Charles Barkley
• Charles Rangel
• Chris Clark
• Colin Powell
• Dr. Cornel West
• Desmond Tutu
• Don King
• Emmanuel Lewis
• Esther Rolle, (as Florida Evans on Good Times)
• Flavor Flav
• Fred Berry
• Gary Coleman
• George Clinton
• George Foreman
• Greg Gumbel
• Herman Cain
• James Harrison
• Jennifer Hudson
• Jeremiah Wright
• Jimmy McMillan
• Lil' Kim
• LL Cool J
• Leslie David Baker (as Stanley Hudson)
• Louis Armstrong
• Maya Angelou
• Marlon Brando
• Michael Clark Duncan
• Bobbi Kristina Brown
• Michael Steele
• Nipsey Russell
• O.J. Simpson
• Patti LaBelle
• Plaxico Burress
• Randy Jackson
• Raven Symoné
• Reba McEntire
• Roland Burris
• Sammy Sosa
• Serena Williams
• Sinbad
• Sir Mix-A-Lot
• Star Jones
• Steve Harvey
• Wanda Sykes
• Whitman Mayo (as Grady Wilson)
• Whoopi Goldberg
• will.i.am
• William "The Refrigerator" Perry
• Donovan McNabb's mother, Wilma
• Boyd Tinsley
• Stuart Scott
• Tiger Woods
• Kanye West (vocal impression only; Jay Pharoah later performed a physical and vocal impersonation of Kanye West)
• Quincy Jones
• Mo'Nique
• Tyler Perry
• SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels
• Ice Cube
• Theodore Roosevelt.^[5]

Filmography[link]

Thompson at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con

Performing "An Evening with Kenan Thompson" in 2010

• All That (1994–1999) various roles
• D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) as Russ Tyler
• Heavyweights (1995) as Roy
• The Steve Harvey Show (1996–1998) as Junior
• Kenan & Kel (1996–2000) as Kenan Rockmore
• D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) as Russ Tyler
• Sister, Sister: "Inherit the Twin" (1997) as Trevor
• Good Burger (1997) as Dexter Reed
• Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1998) guest appearance
• The Amanda Show (1999) as himself
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1999–2000) host
• Cousin Skeeter: "The Hoo, I'm Wild Wild West" (1999) as Kenan Rockmore
• Two Heads Are Better Than None (2000) as Kenan Rockmore
• The Parkers: "Trading Places" (2000) as Damon
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) as Lewis
• Big Fat Liar (2002) as party guest
• The Master of Disguise (2002) as guy on computer
• Saturday Night Live (2003—) various roles
• Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) as Walter Colley
• My Boss's Daughter (2003) as Hans
• Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) as Kenard
• Fat Albert (2004) as Fat Albert
• Snakes on a Plane (2006) as Troy
• Wild 'N Out (2006)
• Crank Yankers: "Episode #4.1" (2007) as Mark Thomas
• Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards '07 (2007) guest appearance
• Space Chimps (2008) as Ringmaster
• Wieners (2008) as Wyatt
• Psych: "High Top Fade Out" (2009) as Joon
• Stan Helsing (2009) as Teddy
• Sit Down, Shut Up (2009) as Sue Sezno
• iCarly: "iParty With Victorious" (2011) as himself
• The Smurfs (2011) as Greedy Smurf
• The '90s Are All That (2011) host

Solo album[link]

• The Good Times Comedy CD (2004)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kenan Thompson

• Official website
• Kenan Thompson at the Internet Movie Database
• Kenan Thompson at the Notable Names Database
• Kenan on Twitter