Kenan Thompson Filmography

Actor and comedian Kenan Thompson has appeared in a wide variety of films. Most notably, he was part of the original cast of Nickelodeon’s All That and co-starred in the sitcom Kenan & Kel. Other roles include Heavyweights and D2: The Mighty Ducks.

In addition to acting, he also lent his voice to the cartoon series Sit Down, Shut Up and the LeBron James Nike commercials during the 2009 NBA playoffs.

All That

Kenan Thompson first rose to prominence as an original cast member of Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy series All That. After All That ended, he and Kel Mitchell continued to collaborate on the sitcom Kenan & Kel for four seasons. The show was a big hit and won the 1998 Kids’ Choice Awards for Favorite TV Show. He is also known for his roles in the films Good Burger and Fat Albert. Thompson has been nominated for six Emmy Awards and won one. He is ranked #88 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Teen Stars.

In 2003, Thompson joined the NBC long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live as a featured player and was promoted to repertory status in 2005. He has created numerous characters on the series, including Black Jeopardy host Darnell Hayes and a spot-on Steve Harvey. He has also written for the show, earning a 2018 Emmy nomination for writing SNL’s 90s R&B-inspired “Come Back Barack” musical sketch.

Thompson has made appearances on other television and film projects, such as the 1998 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch titled “Kenan Rockmore.” He has also voiced characters in various animated shows, including Lewis in the 2000 adaptation of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and the circus ringmaster Bricklebaum in the 2008 animated feature Space Chimps.

Kenan & Kel

Thompson made his film debut in the 1994 film D2: The Mighty Ducks and had his TV acting career launched with a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That. He starred on the show for its original five seasons, playing such characters as Principal Pimpell, Miss Piddlin, Pierre Escargot, and Superdude. In 1996 he began starring with co-star Kel Mitchell on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel.

In 2003, Thompson became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live created by Lorne Michaels. He would remain a featured player until 2005 (spanning the 29th and 30th seasons).

Alongside his time on SNL, Thompson has appeared in numerous television shows, including ‘Wild ‘n Out’ (2005), ‘Crank Yankers’ (2007), ‘Sister, Sister’ (1997–1998), ‘Sabrina, the Teenage Witch’ (1998–1999), ‘Cousin Skeeter’ (2000), ‘The Parkers’ (2002), and ‘Felicity’ (2002).

In 2015, the solarmovie film ticketing website Fandango hired Thompson to portray their brand character Miles Mouvay for 18 videos, eight 30-second commercials, and several comedic skits. He has also made appearances on the talk show circuit and competed against his All That co-star Mitchell in an episode of the rebooted Nickelodeon game Double Dare. Thompson has been the host of TeenNick’s 1990s programming block, The ’90s Are All That. In 2021, he and Mitchell launched the single-camera comedy The Kenan Show.

Good Burger

The scheming high school pranksters from the popular Nickelodeon sketch show All That are back in Good Burger, a zany film that follows the misfit crew at a run-down fast food restaurant. Though widely panned, this family-friendly comedy is surprisingly harmless and still has some laughs to offer.

Kenan Thompson stars as Dexter, who takes a summer job at Good Burger to pay off a damage bill from hitting his teacher’s car. He’s paired with the restaurant’s most loyal employee, Ed. Despite the low wages, they become close friends and help keep the place running. When a huge corporation called Mondo Burger threatens to steal their sauce recipe, they enlist their fellow workers to fight back.

Now 26 years later, the gang is back in the aptly titled sequel Good Burger 2, which premiered Nov. 22 on Paramount. The movie brings the same David-and-Goliath plot to a whole new generation. This time the restaurant’s survival is threatened by a nefarious conglomerate named MegaCorp, whose reps (played by Jillian Bell and Lil Rel Howery) want to turn Good Burger into a franchise.

The chemistry between the actors is solid, creating a fun reunion that’s not afraid to make a few jokes at its own expense. Also, the film’s sharper script — courtesy of original Good Burger writers Keith Kopelow and Heath Seifert — adds clever expressions and quirky references that give the movie more heft than its predecessor.

Fat Albert

One of the most beloved animated characters to ever grace a television screen, Fat Albert and his friends leave cartoon land for real life in this live-action film adaptation of the famous TV show. Bill Cosby penned the script and also appears as himself in this 2004 release from 20th Century Fox.

The film opens with a traditional animation sequence with the Junkyard Gang performing their theme song, Gonna Have A Good Time. After that, the boys notice a girl named Doris and try to help her with her social anxiety by inviting her to an outdoor party. She reluctantly agrees. At the party, Albert notices her and attempts to make a move. She rebuffs him, and Reggie then tries to make her jealous by dancing with Kel.

In addition to his recurring roles on All That and Kenan & Kel, Thompson became a cast member on the long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live in 2003, which he would remain with for two decades, becoming the longest-serving cast member after the show’s first season. He was known for his numerous celebrity impressions including Al Sharpton, Whoopi Goldberg, R. Kelly, and O.J. Simpson.

Alongside his SNL duties, Thompson starred in the films Good Burger (based on an All That sketch), Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and Barbershop 2: Back in Business. He also guest starred on the sitcoms iCarly and Victorious and appeared as Ron in the tv revival of The Kids in the Hall.