What Is Kenan Thompson's Net Worth and Salary?
Kenan Thompson is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian who has a net worth of $9 million. Kenan Thompson is best known for his work on the sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live." He is the longest-serving cast member of this iconic series, having been on the show for over 20 seasons. After starting his acting career in the early '90s, Kenan gained fame after working on the sketch comedy series "All That."
He then starred in his own sitcom along with Kel Mitchell before appearing on "SNL" for the first time. Outside of his television career, Thompson is known for films such as "The Mighty Ducks," "Good Burger," and "Fat Albert." For his achievements on "SNL," Thompson won a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2023, he published the book "When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown."
Early Life
Kenan Thomspon was born on May 10, 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia. Raised alongside two siblings, he began acting at the age of five. During this period, he started performing in church theater productions and a number of local plays.
Early Career
Kenan started acting professionally at a very young age. One of his first major roles was in CNN's "Real News for Kids." He then booked a starring role in "All That" before the inception of "Kenan & Kel." While Thompson was still attending high school, he made his film debut with "D2: The Mighty Ducks." During the late '90s, Thompson also appeared in series such as "Sister, Sister," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," and "The Amanda Show."
As Kenan's career progressed, he booked roles in films such as "Good Burger," "Fat Albert," "Heavyweights," "D3: The Mighty Ducks," "Love Don't Cost a Thing," "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," "My Boss's Daughter," and "Snakes on a Plane." Thompson is also an accomplished voice actor, having booked a recurring role in the Fox series "Sit Down, Shut Up." He has appeared as Greedy Smurf in two of "The Smurfs" movies. He booked other notable voice roles in 2019's "Playmobil: The Movie" and 2020's "Trolls World Tour."
He also voiced the character of LeBron James in a series of Nike commercials in 2009. He acted in several commercials for the ticketing website Fandango, and he has served as a spokesman for Universal Parks & Resorts.
Outside of "Saturday Night Live," Thompson has appeared in a range of television shows, including "Psych," "iCarly," and "Victorious." In 2019, he served as a judge on the comedy competition series "Bring the Funny." From 2021 to 2022, he starred on "The Kenan Show," which earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination. Kenan acted as a guest judge on "America's Got Talent" in 2020 and hosted the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022.
Thompson has also been featured in the films "Hubie Halloween," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Home Sweet Home Alone," "Bros," and "Good Burger 2."
(Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
"Saturday Night Live"
In 2003, Kenan joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live." This new role would come to define his entire career. He had previously sent audition tapes to "SNL" numerous times, and each time the producers rejected him, claiming that he was too young. For the first two years, Thompson was a featured player. In 2004, Kenan released a comedy album called "Good Times."
In 2005, he was promoted to repertory player. He has remained a central part of the series for more than 20 seasons, and he is now the most senior cast member. Thompson is famous for portraying a number of celebrities, and he is quite talented in terms of impressions. However, he refused to do any more impressions of black women in 2013, citing the need for "SNL" to hire more women of color.
Many observers and critics have commented on Thompson's importance in the "SNL" cast. He is particularly praised for his ability to react comedically to various situations. Head writer Brian H. Tucker noted that in order to make a skit funny, all he needs to do is write the words "Kenan Reacts" into the script. Various critics have stated that Thompson is the person that the rest of the cast "relies on" to successfully get laughs. One media source referred to Kenan as the "glue" that holds the "SNL" cast together.
"Saturday Night Live" Salary
There are 21 episodes in a Saturday Night Live season. First-year cast members make $3,000 per episode. That works out to $63,000 for the season. Second-year cast members get a $1,000 per episode raise to $4,000 per episode. That's $84,000 per season. Fourth season cast members make $7,000 per episode/$ 147,000 for the season. If a cast member makes it to their fifth season, they make $15,000 per episode. That's $315,000 per season. The highest salary that can be reached at SNL is for people who've been there the longest or are the most important to the show. They make $25,000 per episode, which is $525,000 per year.
Kenan has been on the show since 2003, which is a longer run than any other actor in history. Because of this, his salary is almost certainly above and beyond the standard amounts we've already listed. We believe that Thompson's "SNL" salary is likely $2-3 million per year. To put this in perspective, Will Ferrell earned a record-setting $370,000 at "SNL" during his peak in 2001.
Relationships
In 2011, Kenan Thompson married model Christina Evangeline. They welcomed two children together before filing for divorce in June 2022.
