Chemistry between comedic actors can depart an enduring affect.
Recommended VideosThough it’s been more than twenty years since two pals turned youngster humor into something extra, people still often have fond memories of the hit Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel.
And that results in fans from that generation in addition to ones possibly just discovering it to wonder — what are the ones two up to this present day?
For one, it’s a little bit more uncomplicated to know what the former is as much as, as Kenan Thompson, who played Kenan Rockmore on the display, may also be noticed still operating his craft on numerous skits as a Saturday Night Live staple.
As for Kel Mitchell, who performed Kel Kimbie, he hasn’t been as prominently in the spotlight, though he for sure has popped up on our radars time and again.
Starting as a part of the ensemble cast of All That, it changed into transparent that Kel and Kenan had a herbal chemistry between them above everybody else, leading them to get their derivative display that ran from 1996 to 2000.
They additionally got a spinoff movie from one of their sketches on All That, the extremely rewatchable Good Burger, appearing that the two of them had such ridiculous rapport with every other that they might elevate comedy projects virtually on their own.
In the 22 years since the show went off the air, what have the duo been as much as, as well as the rest of the cast, and is there any hope of them reuniting for different initiatives?
Kenan Thompson
Now a mainstay member of SNL for 19 years — beginning in 2003 — Thompson is in fact the longest-tenured SNL cast member in the display’s 47-year history.
He’s seemed in different presentations and flicks via the years, maximum just lately starring in his personal sitcom, one who had a well-known title simply lacking its spouse, in the NBC display known as Kenan. The display got here to be in the beginning of 2021, and was once renewed for a 2d season earlier this 12 months, but the display was once cancelled in May.
The show had its ups, together with the cast and of course, Kenan’s likability, incomes him a Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy nomination in 2021, but the show did not do the rest to determine itself outside of the conventional sitcom tropes, sadly.
The 44-year-old actor has gave the impression in four other shows in 2022 — an episode each of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, The Kids in the Hall reboot, and That Damn Michael Che.
Considering he has stated he wants to “get to 20” years of being on SNL, we fully be expecting to peer him when the next season premieres.
Kel Mitchell
While one-half of the dynamic duo stayed in the comedic sphere, the different went in a holy, er wholly, different path.
That’s right, following his status and career as an actor, the 43-year-old Kel determined to grow to be a licensed pastor. Speaking on the show Today, Kel said he went thru very tricky occasions all the way through and after his comedic profession, not unlike others who have walked down that same highway, which sooner or later led him to take the non secular trail of turning into a pastor.
“Similar to Robin Williams when he was once doing characters and bringing happiness to us all, proper, same manner with the characters that I was doing. I was bringing happiness inside of it but going through my own battles, you understand?” he informed Today. “And it was actually finding that pleasure regardless of the instances.”
Earlier this 12 months Kel gave the impression on Guy Fieri’s program Guy’s Grocery Games (which is in season 30?!) on an episode titled “Comedy Couples Cookoff” which aired in April.
In case you overlooked it, he also nearly gained Dancing with the Stars back in 2019, the identical yr he turned into a pastor, completing runner-up on the hit dance show. And if you wish to practice more of Kel’s spiritual trail, he not too long ago wrote a book titled Blessed Mode: 90 Days to Level Up Your Faith.
Vanessa Baden
After playing the little sister to Kenan on the display — Kyra Rockmore — Baden has stayed in the scene each in entrance of and in the back of the camera. Based on how prolific she’s been as a author and extra, Baden must be a family title as smartly.
After attending Florida State and returning to the Hollywood scene, Baden earned her method in as a showrunner’s assistant on a little-known Netflix sequence that simply concluded referred to as Ozark.
Currently, she used to be the government story editor for HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, which was once co-created by way of Mindy Kaling. She also wrote one episode, the 7th one in every of the series titled “I Think I’m a Sex Addict”, and the show has been renewed for a second season already.
Furthermore, she is a staff writer for the darkish comedy display Guilty Party that is streaming on Paramount Plus starring Kate Beckinsdale, the place Baden additionally wrote the 7th episode, “A Denver Ten”.
And a 3rd challenge is ongoing that involves Baden as smartly, every other TV series set to debut on Amazon Prime Video called Paper Girls, in keeping with the science fiction comic e book.
She wrote more than 20 episodes of the TNT display Animal Kingdom, where she used to be additionally a story editor. Plus, she was once a creator for the 2019 internet sequence Unapologetically Black.
Back in 2017, whilst operating on Ozark she was once also operating on every other project from literally either side. She received a Daytime Emmy Award for her appearing in a web sequence she starred in, cowrote, and co-produced, referred to as Giants.
The 36-year-old also published a number of essays in 2021, titled Far Away from Close to Home: A Black Millennial Woman in Progress.
Ken Foree
Though his movie appearances have bogged down, the once (and kinda still) horror actor’s filmography is going from the scare and thrill genre to comedy TV for Kenan & Kel, then right back again.
Playing Kenan’s dad, Roger Rockmore, the 74-year-old Foree most lately gave the impression in 2020’s John Henry, a thriller starring Terry Crews and Ludacris.
And in 2019, he appeared in Jordan Peele’s documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror which is completely price revisiting.
Teal Marchande
Playing Kenan’s mom, Sheryl, Kenan & Kel was once in reality her final acting gig, as she moved clear of the occupation in 2000. She’s still lively on Twitter, together with her bio line declaring she’s an “Actress. Writer, Radio Host, Speaker, Advocate & so a lot more.”
Dan Frischman
And of course, there’s Kenan’s awkward boss, Chris Potter, played through Frischman. While he isn’t acting these days, he penned a children’s e book titled Jackson & Jenks, Master Magicians, and in keeping with his website online, is running on a memoir.
Reuniting
First, the pair seemed in a Good Burger cartoon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon again in 2015. Then, even with Kel’s newfound profession, the two teamed up to reboot All That in 2019 (although they appear on the show, they aren’t regulars in the display), and due to one of Kel’s youngsters, the concept of a Good Burger reboot isn’t out of the image, either.
“You know, we’ve been speaking about it,” he mentioned in the same Today interview. “Kenan and I, we’re all about it, however we’re permitting them to paintings it out contractually and all that stuff like that. But yeah, me and Kenan, we’re down.”
He persisted, “My youngest one wants me to do Good Burger all the time,” he stated. “I’m doing bedtime tales.”
Kenan talked about how proud he is of Kel and his new path in an interview with Good Day Atlanta (Fox) previous this 12 months, with clear joy on his face when talking about his good pal, in addition to addressing (perhaps tongue-in-cheek) their visions for reuniting.
“Hopefully we’ll be getting that Good Burger 2 going or no matter, we’ll possibly reboot that Kenan & Kel or one thing,” the Atlanta local Kenan said. “I’m with all of that. I just omit working with my brother all the time.”
Well, perhaps we will have Kenan, Kel, and Baden as the grown-up little sister all living out their lives as adults with children of their very own on a reboot of Kenan & Kel. After what we’ve mentioned previous, we know Baden may just almost definitely write the heck out of the script and that Kenan still has his comedic chops.
After all, she said in an interview with Atlanta Black Star last yr that she and Kenan stay close buddies, and that she nonetheless runs into people from her Nickelodeon days continuously.
The original model still has reruns airing on Nickelodeon’s Pluto TV channel, and some simple looking can lead you to various clips of the show.
Whatever shape a new Kenan & Kel would take, fanatics new and previous would most definitely a minimum of take a flier on what a brand new version, up to date reboot, or something in between, Kenan & Kel would tackle in modern times.
Just a few years in the past, in speaking about the reboot of All That, Kenan and Kel confirmed their still-sparkling chemistry and love for every different in an interview with Complex News, in which they addressed every other venture on everyone’s minds — Good Burger 2.
“People stay asking we already stated it, yeah, yeah,” Kenan responded. “It’s not in our hands. (It’s in the hands of) the individuals who gotta make it occur, they gotta give them the check, after which they gotta tell them, nothing, they don’t wanna be told what to do.
“So I get that, and then, you recognize, we will do it. We can probably get it finished in what, six weeks?”
Being that one reboot is airing now, and the duo have mentioned their other initiatives more than a few instances the past few years, a new Kenan & Kel seems more than just a dream. Even if it’s Kenan and Kel (and others) getting in combination for the 2d Good Burger, that’s excellent on our end.
Someone collect up some orange soda, and let’s move!
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