All articles tagged with #kenan thompson
Heidi Klum will fill in for Simon Cowell on NBC's America's Got Talent next week for a three-hour Season 21 quarterfinals broadcast while Cowell recovers from back surgery linked to a past e-bike accident; Klum previously judged AGT (2013–2018, 2020–2024), and Kenan Thompson has filled in this week.
Kenan Thompson revealed on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang that he nearly quit acting after finding it incredibly hard to learn hockey for D2: The Mighty Ducks; after his first day of hockey camp fell on his 15th birthday, he considered walking away, but his mother pushed him to persevere. After about eight weeks of training, he learned to ice skate and went on to build his acting career, with Poehler praising his skating skills.
Amy Poehler and Kenan Thompson discuss being so hungover while filming the 2005 SNL digital short '1-800-555-PHUNK,' a parody of the Black Eyed Peas. On Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, they recount late nights, 6 a.m. call times, and Thompson’s ongoing bit with “Should’ve Kenan,” including Poehler in a spray tan as Fergie and Thompson in heavy wigage as will.i.am, all while struggling to move and deliver the performance.
On The Good Hang, Amy Poehler hails Kenan Thompson and Maya Rudolph’s TT & Mario as one of her favorite SNL sketches, noting their Season 30 debut and a Season 49 cut-for-time return (T.T. and Mario’s New Album), plus a later Late Night with Seth Meyers baby‑serenade performance, underscoring the duo’s enduring appeal on SNL and beyond.
Kenan Thompson will join America's Got Talent as a guest judge on Sept. 1 while Simon Cowell undergoes routine back surgery and is sidelined for several weeks, with a rotating group of guest judges expected; Thompson previously filled in for Cowell during a 2020 back injury.
Kenan Thompson will replace Simon Cowell as a guest judge on America’s Got Talent while Cowell undergoes routine back surgery. Thompson has filled in for Cowell before (in 2020) and will join the show’s panel with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara, with NBC promising additional guest judges to cover the recovery period.
NBC says Kenan Thompson will serve as a guest judge on America’s Got Talent on Sept. 1 while Simon Cowell recovers from back surgery; Thompson has previously filled in during AGT’s 2020 live rounds when Cowell was absent.
Kenan Thompson will serve as a guest judge on America’s Got Talent on September 1 while Simon Cowell recovers from back surgery, NBC announced on the show's Instagram. Thompson previously filled in during the 2020 live quarterfinals. Cowell has undergone multiple back surgeries after 2020 and 2022 injuries, and more guest judges will be announced later.
Kenan Thompson will serve as a guest judge on NBC's America's Got Talent for the Quarterfinals Round 3 on September 1, filling in for Simon Cowell who is sidelined for back surgery after his 2020 e-bike accident; Thompson previously sat alongside the judges in 2020 and, this season, becomes the first guest judge during the live quarterfinals, with Mel B, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara at the judging table for that episode.
Christy Knowings, a Bronx-born actor best known for Nickelodeon’s All That, died at 46 in Long Beach after a severe asthma attack and days on life support. She joined All That in 1997 alongside Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes, becoming a standout and one of the few Black female faces on 1990s kids’ TV; she later appeared on Sesame Street. Tributes from Thompson and fellow castmates highlighted her comic brilliance and warmth, and she is survived by her father, twin brother and extended family.
Christy Knowings, the All That and Sesame Street alum, died in Los Angeles at 46 after an asthma attack led to permanent brain damage and life support until Aug. 11; she appeared on All That for three seasons and had guest spots on Sesame Street with her twin brother Chris Knowings, with tributes from Kenan Thompson and Sesame Workshop.
Matt Damon hosted SNL’s Season 51 finale and teamed with Kenan Thompson and Marcello Hernández for the ‘Tough Guys’ sketch, a macho-bit that starts off funny but takes a cringy turn when Hernández reveals a captivity twist and a gummy-bear training routine, supported by sharp writing and strong performances across the trio.
Scary Movie 6 released a Ghostface-inspired poster that directly parodies Michael Jackson promo material, featuring taglines like "Prepare to Hee-Hee" and "Touching Fans Everywhere" tied to longstanding child-abuse allegations. The film, which brings back core cast members, is slated for a June 5 release by Paramount, with a teaser showing Kenan Thompson as a bumbling pop icon. The Lionsgate biopic Michael, meanwhile, will not explore the allegations, and a New York Magazine feature about director Antoine Fuqua notes his skepticism about the accusations.
Kenan Thompson told People that he definitely thinks about leaving Saturday Night Live, acknowledging that saying goodbye would be painful after his 2003 start. As SNL’s longest-tenured member, he notes there are many people behind the scenes and that departures—like Bowen Yang and other cast shakeups in Season 51—will make the eventual farewell feel like a huge change. He even quipped about ripping the bandaid and running out the back door, underscoring how integral the show has been to his life and how difficult it will be when the time comes.
Saturday Night Live's season 51 cast has been announced, with key veterans like Kenan Thompson, Chloe Fineman, and Bowen Yang returning, while Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker are leaving. The show introduces four new cast members and maintains its tradition of cast shakeups, aiming to keep the show fresh for its upcoming season starting October 4.