Kenan Thompson Biography

Comedian Kenan Thompson went from being a young star on Nickelodeon in the 1990s to joining Saturday Night Live in 2003.

In 2017 he became SNL’s longest serving cast member.

Originally from Georgia, Kenan got the entertainment itch early; he auditioned for commercials as a young teen and ended up with some small roles in films. He then became a children’s TV star after joining the cast of Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy, All That (1995-2000).

That show spawned the series Kenan & Kel (1996-2000) with Kel Mitchell), which also became a hit show for Nickelodeon.

A busy and ambitious young entertainer, Thompson was also appearing on The Steve Harvey Show (1996-98) and taking a popular All That sketch to the big screen with the 1997 movie Good Burger.

After a few years of transitioning from kid-comedian to an adult career, Thompson won a spot as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He’s been there ever since, doing impersonations and musical numbers and gathering Emmy nominations.

When not appearing on SNL, Thompson pops up in television series and movies, usually in small roles and cameos.

In 2021 he launched his own sitcom, Kenan (co-starring Don Johnson), taping the show in between performances in New York on Saturday Night Live.