Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell are on a serious hot
streak. The talented teens already star in Nickelodeon's
two most popular shows: the ensemble sketch comedy All
That and their own sitcom, Kenan & Kel. And on
July 25, their first film hits theaters. But all that mad
success doesn't mean these incorrigible cutups don't have
problems. On the beach in Marina Del Ray, California, a
crisis had broken out as they shoot a music video for
"We're All Dudes," from the "Good Burger" soundtrack:
Thompson and Mitchell are out of ammunition for the
imposing water guns they are wielding with deadly accuracy
before, during, and after takes of the video. That
wouldn't seem to be much of a setback, given that the
Pacific Ocean is literally lapping at their feet. But the
merry marksmen refuse to gum up their plastic weapons with
salt water. You see, to Thompson and Mitchell, these
aren't disposable props--they plan to take these water
guns home at the end of the day and add them to their
personal arsenals.
This silly scene in the sand sums up the duo's appeal: irrestible immaturity tinged with manic mischief--making and delivered with unbridled enthusiasm. Their exuberence was evident during the making of "Good Burger," a Nickelodeon-produced comedy about two warring fast-food joints. "Between takes they dance and dance," marvels vetern actor Abe Vigoda, who plays the world's oldest fry cook in the film.
There are other celebrities with supporting roles in "Good Burger"--including Sinbad, Carmen Electra, and Shaquille O'Neal-- but Thompson and Mitchell are the big enchiladas in this food farce. And the young actors (Thompson is 19, Mitchell 18) are unfazed at launching their film careers in the thick of the Hollywood's summer blockbuster season. "I'm loving it," says Thompson, the more subtle comedian of the two. Thompson, who began his acting career at age 5 as the gingerbread man in a school play, is the duo's showbiz vetern. He reviewed movies for CNN's Real News for Kids and cohosted an ABC special, Night Crawlers, about kids who spend the night in a zoo. He's also had roles in the 1994 feature film "Heavyweights" and the last two "Mighty Ducks" movies. But it was on Nickelodeon's All That, and adolescent version of Saturday Night Live, that the Atlanta native met Mitchell and really began to blossom.
Mitchell was a novice whose experience was limited to local theatrical productions in his hometown of Chicago. Like Thompson, he was plucked from among the thousands of teens who tried out for All That in 1994. Mitchell, the last to audition, tripped over a camera cord on his way to the stage. When talent scouts laughed, he went with it and wowed them with his off-the-cuff antics.
On All That's set in Orlando, Florida, Thompson and Mitchell immediately gravitated toward each other. Paired in a sketch as grousing old men named Mavis and Clavis, the two were soon as-libbing and gibing in a way that made everyone sit up and take notice. "I think they're potentially a great comedy duo like Carney and Gleason," says Nickelodeon president Herb Scannell. "The chemistry really works."
Small wonder. The pair have similar backgrounds: Both were raised in the church and have strong relationships with their mothers, Ann Thompson and Marieth Mitchell, who travel with them. "They are not Hollywood kids," points out All That's cocreator and executive producer Brian Robbins (himself a former teen actor on Head of the Class). After one season Robbins decided to develop a spin-off for his two budding stars. Kenan & Kel, in which they play Chicago-based goofballs, recalls an updated, adolescent version of The Abbott and Costello Show.
On- and off-screen, both actors projects a carefree air that is genuine and endearing. For instance, when Mitchell gets a break from filming the music video, he immediately asks is TV GUIDE interviewer for a big hug-- despite the fact that he's caked with sand, soaking wet, and a total stranger.
Since 11 A.M. on this hot summer day, Mitchell has been bouncing around this beach near Los Angeles, lip-synching "We're All Dudes," a daffy ditty he wrote. Now, as the sun sets, his only complaint is that he'd like a dry pair of underpants. They'll be shooting until midnight, but Thompson and Mitchell show no signs of slowing down.
Indeed, there is already talk of a "Good Burger" sequal. The two actors are planning a Kenan and Kel clothing line and writing more songs. Thompson wants to take courses at UCLA's film school. And neither expects to say good-bye to television anytime soon, with full seasons of their shows in the pipeline.
But the highest item, on their lists is staying together. "We're going to do our own things," says Mitchell, "just so we don't end up getting on each other's nerves. But we're building a dynasty. By the end of the year 2000, it's going to be 'Kenan and Kel Own America.'" The two look at each other, dissolve into giggles and simultaneoulsy lunge for their water guns.
Written by Mary F. Pols
