‘I Would Always See His Name On The List’: Kenan Thompson Reveals The Fan-Favorite Actor He Regularly Auditioned Against Early In His Career

With the 2025 TV schedule and Saturday Night Live’s 50th season, history is the buzzword of the moment. And while longtime cast member Kenan Thompson and the rest of his colleagues are forging a path ahead, it’s also an interesting time to look back.

Which leads us to the story of how the Nickelodeon mainstay of shows like All That and Kenan & Kel seemed to see a specific actor from one of the best 2000s movies always auditioning against him in his early career. That’s not to say that Mr. Thompson was upset about this fact, but rather he noticed a pattern that he highlighted when on the People podcast People in the ‘90s.

And according to his own account, Kenan Thompson was always up against the following TV and movie mainstay:

The ‘90s were certainly kind to both Kenan Thompson and Anthony Anderson. Whereas Thompson started his career with D2: The Mighty Ducks and migrated to those Nickelodeon gigs, Anderson had guest spots on NYPD Blue and roles in films like Liberty Heights.

Though strangely enough, both would make their own respective marks on cinematic fast food through parts in Good Burger and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Albeit in very different ways, and with only Anthony Anderson threatening to burn down his respective restaurant.

However, there’s one of Anderson’s projects that Kenan Thompson holds up as the high water mark for his career. And if you were guessing it was 2005’s The Departed, you’d be absolutely correct. Thompson reflected on what that meant to him with this anecdote:

While one can’t speak for what Anthony Anderson holds as his most valued Kenan Thompson performance, it’s a valid guess that it would probably come from his work on SNL. Between Heidi Gardner highlighting the “perfection” of a recent sketch featuring the man himself. Or even the fact that Kenan Thompson’s SNL scripts are written differently in a flattering and trusting way, there’s a lot to choose from.

At any rate, it feels long overdue for Thompson and Anderson to show up in some sort of project together. Their experiences in the industry, as well as their acting talents, could make for an out of this world project. And the best part is, they wouldn’t have to audition at all for something that’s started with them in mind.

Kenan Thompson’s latest exploits on Saturday Night Live’s 50th season, as well as the Anthony Anderson seasons of Law & Order, can all be found in one place! If you’ve got a Peacock subscription, you can catch up with the recent work of both of these gentlemen.