Kenan Thompson has been in the entertainment industry for three decades now, and now he's being awarded for all the work he's done by getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Thompson went from being a teen star on multiple Nickelodeon shows to becoming one of the longest-tenured members of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Thompson was awarded a star on the Walk of Fame earlier this week to commemorate the work he's done in Hollywood over the last 30 years.
Thompson spoke humbly at the ceremony, believing he'd never get this far as an actor. "I never thought any of this would be possible. I just wanted to act and entertain and have a good time and put smiles on my family members' faces, and that grew into the world now, apparently. I don't know man, it's just an honor and a privilege," he said. Thompson also praised SNL showrunner Lorne Michaels, whose star is right next to Thompson's. "Going in next to the GOAT, Lorne Michaels, that's really cool."
These days, Thompson is known best for his work on SNL more than anything. However, people forget how immensely popular he was when he was on Nickelodeon throughout the '90s, and not just from All That. On top of that, he starred in what is considered a cult classic from All That's popular sketch, Good Burger, and then starred in his own sitcom alongside Kel Mitchell in Kenan and Kel. While he's not the biggest star to come out of Nickelodeon, he was definitely among the first. Even better, he's one of the few Nickelodeon stars from the old days who still gets acting work to this day.
Perhaps that's why Thompson is getting his due now. He is a teen star who transitioned seamlessly into Hollywood acting-wise as an adult. Better yet, he was not met with any drug or behavioral issues of any kind while growing into an adult in a brutal industry like Hollywood. That doesn't happen all too often, knowing the acting industry. Either the child star is eventually phased out because their appeal is gone, or their issues behind the scenes get the best of them. Or both. Thompson, however, pulled through well enough that he now will be immortalized in Hollywood.
Thompson, he carved out his own niche in Hollywood, which, again, not many teen stars manage to do in their adult years. His career could be used as a template for how actors can still get work as they mature from teens to adults.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC.
Source: ABC 7