Born in 1978, Kenan starred on "All That" from 1994-1999, and he and Kel Mitchell starred in "Kenan and Kel" from 1996-2000. They managed to transition to the big screen with "Good Burger" in 1997, but Kenan was no stranger to movies: by that point, he already had 1995's "Heavyweights" and 1996's "D2: The Mighty Ducks" under his belt (in which he played a scrappy Southern California street hockey player who helped the Ducks beat the evil Icelandic team). Kenan joined "SNL" as a featured player in 2003 and became a cast member in 2005. He still works in film, with movies like "Snakes on a Plane," "Fat Albert," "My Boss's Daughter" and "The Master of Disguise." Take from that list what you will.
Kenan's upcoming films include this summer's animated "Space Chimps" and the movie "Weiners," which IMDB describes as "a road trip comedy about three friends who travel across the country in a Wiener Wagon to beat up a popular daytime talk show therapist." Frankly (get it?!), I like the sound of that.
While we wait for summer movie season to get into full swing, let's enjoy a mini Kenan retrospective. Here's a clip from Amanda Bynes's first episode at "All That" in 1996 (she was ten). The cold open is about her fitting in with the cast, with some good Kenan face time. Keep watching, though (you know you want to hear that TLC song, anyway): the first skit after the credit sequence is a Lil' Kenan gem--Cooking with Randy, the chef who is obsessed with chocolate.
And, twelve years later: Kenan as French Def Comedy Jam stand-up comic Jean K. Jean on Weekend Update.
Of course, it isn't all TV and movies for Kenan. He is a man of varied interests--he wrote the intro to Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul, and had a piece about getting spanked for lying to his dad in Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul. And last month when Kenan was pulled over in New Jersey, and the cops discovered weed in the car? Kenan, that smooth operator, only got tagged for driving erratically--his passenger, however was charged with possession. Incroyable!
* "Clarissa Explains It All," "GUTS," "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," "The Secret World of Alex Mack." But of course you knew all that.
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2 comments:
The second Jean K Jean appearance this weekend was not as funny as this one (and geez it seemed like 80% of the skits this week were repeaters), but I do love this character and hope he keeps popping up, because this first one is just hilarious every time. "Bitch! A Citroen ain't nothin' but a Fiat with a sun roof!" Funny also how close his delivery there is to the decade-old All That skit: "Get on out of my kitchen with your vegetables and such!" Sometimes good comic timing is just innate.
Yeah, there were a lot of repeaters. I love a good "MacGruber," though. And Bill Hader's Italian talk show host/Charlie Rose guy is always entertaining.
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