Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell’s friendship (both on and off screen) was widely loved by viewers who watched Nickelodeon back in the '90s. Between their years on All That and their beloved sitcom, Kenan and Kel, the two seemed to be practically inseparable. But does the comedic pair hang out now? Well, Mitchell has provided some clarity on the state of their friendship and also discussed his old colleague's role on Saturday Night Live.
After the cancellation of Kenan and Kel in 2000, the two lead stars parted ways creatively. Rumors of a falling out between them would emerge around the time they both auditioned for SNL in 2003. While Kenan Thompson became the show’s longest-running cast member, Kel Mitchell didn’t get hired due to what he considers to be a disastrous audition. That situation doesn't seem to have affected their friendship, though, as the two still appear to be close (as evidenced by their Good Burger reunion on The Tonight Show in 2015. And Mitchell seems to enjoying seeing his friend on the NBC sketch comedy series:
I love Kenan, and I love watching him on there. We talk all the time. It’s more about us both being dads now and talking about the kids and things like that.
You love to see this kind of support among stars, especially those who are as closely associated with each other as the two Nick alums are. Sure, former co-stars may not be all that close in some instances. Yet when you've been through what these two have, it's easy to see why their bond has remained strong. And based on Kel Mitchell's later comments during his interview with Yahoo!, their relationship and on-screen chemistry was truly strengthened during their All That tenure:
They put us in every sketch together because Kenan and I would always, like, hang out after a sketch, after a show. We were just hanging out, joking around, and doing pranks, all kinds of stuff, on set.
That was a brilliant move on the producers’ part to capitalize on the chemistry the two had in order to create comedic gold. I, for one, am grateful for that, especially considering the quality work the two were able to gift viewers with during their time as child stars.
The slime-centric kids network seemed to have a big impact on the stars. Kenan Thompson previously credited Nick for his ability to balance his job as an Saturday Night Live cast member and his duties on his NBC sitcom, Kenan. The work ethic he cultivated back in his teen years is probably why he's had such a long run on the NBC sketch show and has been able to reach major SNL milestones in the process.
Through all their professional and personal highs and lows though, it's just comforting to know that Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell are still close. Let's hope we get to see more of their camaraderie on screen sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule. You can also watch Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live when it airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. There are also other shows and films featuring Thompson that you can stream across the web.
