Kenan Thompson

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. He is also known 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.


Early life and career


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. One of his earliest roles was as an entertainment for CNN's "Fake News for Kids", and he would go on to star in All That, and Kenan & Kel. 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.




Movie and TV career


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,he also starred in Rocky and Bullwinkle the movie with co-star Kel Mitchell, 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. He was voice acting principal, "Sue Sezno," who, as evidenced by her last name, always says no. The series premiered on April 19, 2009, 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.






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


On September 30, 2011, US Weekly announced that Thompson and his girlfriend Christina Evangeline are engaged to be married on November 11, 2011.




SNL characters


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 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)
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.






Celebrity impersonations
Thompson's celebrity impersonations include:
Amber Riley (as Mercedes Jones from Glee)
Al Roker
Al Sharpton
Alfonso Ribeiro (as himself and as Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
apl.de.ap from The Black Eyed Peas
Aretha Franklin
Barry Bonds
Bernie Mac
Bill Cosby (whom Thompson also impersonated on *All That)
Charles Barkley
Charles Rangel
Colin Powell
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
Leslie David Baker (as Stanley Hudson)
Louis Armstrong
Maya Angelou
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 did a physical and vocal impersonation of Kanye West)
Quincy Jones
Mo'Nique
Tyler Perry
SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels
Cee Lo Green
Ice Cube
Theodore Roosevelt.






Filmography


Television




Performing "An Evening with Kenan Thompson" in 2010
All That (1994–1999) - cast member
Kenan & Kel (1996–2000) - Kenan Rockmore
The Steve Harvey Show (1996–2002) - guest appearance
Sister, Sister (1997) - guest appearance
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1998) - guest appearance
The Amanda Show (1999) - guest appearance
Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1999–2000) - host
Felicity (2001) - guest appearance
Saturday Night Live (2003 – present) - cast member
The Parkers (2003) - guest appearance
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2003) Hamburger (1 episode)
Wild 'N Out (2006) - guest appearance
Crank Yankers (2007) - guest appearance
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007 (2007) - guest appearance
The Mighty B (2008–2009) - voice
Sit Down, Shut Up (2009) - Sue Sezno
Psych (2009) - guest appearance
Victorious (2010) - Cameo In Audience (Jade Dumps Beck)
iParty With Victorious, an iCarly and Victorious crossover (2011) - guest appearance
Toronto Zoo Penguins (2011) - various penguins (commercial)




Film




Thompson at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con
D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) - Russ Tyler
Heavyweights (1995) - Roy
D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) - Russ Tyler
Good Burger (1997) - Dexter Reed
Cousin Skeeter (1999) - guest appearance
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) - Lewis
Two Heads Are Better Than None (2000)
Big Fat Liar (2002) - party guest
The Master of Disguise (2002) - Guy on computer
Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) - Walter Colley
My Boss's Daughter (2003) - Hans
Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) - Kenard
Fat Albert (2004) - Albert
Snakes on a Plane (2006) - Troy
Space Chimps (2008) - Ringmaster
Wieners (2008) - Wyatt
Stan Helsing (2009) - Teddy
The Smurfs (2011) - Greedy Smurf