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Kenan from 'Kenan & Kel' Turns 40 Today And We Feel Very Old

Kenan from 'Kenan & Kel' Turns 40 Today And We Feel Very Old

Kenan Thompson found fame as a teenager with appearances on sketch show 'All That' and then 'Kenan & Kel'

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa Pearlmen

Broadcast between 1996 and 2000, for a whole bunch of us, Kenan & Kel was a staple of childhood TV. It followed the hilarious (mis)adventures of teenagers Kenan Rockmore, played by Kenan Thompson, and Kel Kimble, played by Kel Mitchell.

Well, if being reminded of the show didn't already make you feel old wondering when the hell the last time you watched it actually was, then this might: today is Kenan Thompson's 40th birthday. Yes. 40. Fuck.

Anyway, his birthday seemed like a good time to investigate and see what Kenan is up to nowadays, some 18 years after the show ended, and it turns out quite a lot.

If you remember - Kenan was a high school student who had a job at a local grocery store, and was always hanging out with his somewhat clumsy best friend, Kel.

While their adventures were often hilarious, it was the way in which the show frequently broke the rules of TV that made it so memorable. The characters would often interact directly with the audience, standing in front of a red curtain that hid the main set but keeping ion character as they did so.

There was also a running gag in the opening sequence, which involved Kenan refusing to tell Kel what the evening's episode was about, which, if you think about it, is all pretty post-modern and subversive for a kids' TV show.

That's something that clearly paid off for Kenan - in addition to starring in a number of films (including Good Burger, Fat Albert and Snakes On A Plane), he's been a regular cast member of Saturday Night Live since 2004. With 15 seasons under his belt, he's now the longest-running cast member.

Kenan Thompson pictured in 2017 (
PA)

Busy as that's made him, he's still in touch with Kel. In 2015, the pair appeared together on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to reprise the roles they'd played on Good Burger. And according to The Huffington Post, they text and call each other all the time.

It wasn't always like, though. After the show ended, the pair apparently fell out of contact and their strained relationship even became the subject of tabloid gossip.

Thankfully, the trouble seems to be water under the bridge now. Which hopefully means the pair are off celebrating Kenan's birthday like they would have done as teenagers back in the day.

Happy birthday, Kenan.

Featured Image Credit: Nickelodeon

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film