Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell have been on TV our entire lives. At this point, they’re like a part of the family. They’re the crazy cousins who make every party extra fun. Now, we’re all poised for a special reunion, as the comedy duo returns to their most popular characters in Good Burger 2, which is now streaming on Paramount+. As we prepare to once again enjoy a good burger and a large orange soda, Kenan and Kel spoke to The Root about their comedy legacy and reviving Ed and Dex.
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With All That, Kenan & Kel and Good Burger available on streaming, those of us who were fans of the duo when we were young now get to enjoy their shenanigans with our kids. The longevity of their work is something the guys never take for granted.
“It’s kind of the dream. You want your work to echo [for] as long as possible because we don’t really go out there to waste anybody’s time. So for it to be well received is a blessing. Then for it to echo through time, it’s just the icing on the cake,” Thompson told The Root. “[To] hear people say, ‘I watched it as a kid and [now] I’m watching it with my kids.’ Or even grandparents being like, ‘I raised kids and now my grandkids are watching.’ All of those versions of the conversation are wild and we’re just extremely humbled and grateful for it.”
When Kenan and Kel dominated Nickelodeon in the 90s as the network’s biggest stars, there weren’t very many Black kids on TV doing sketch comedy the way they did. So when Thompson says “representation matters,” he understands that first hand. There are popular actors and comedians working today because they grew up watching the legends. Kel hopes this continues with their new movie.
“It’s always cool to hear people say that they were inspired by us. I’m shocked at some of the actors that come up and say, ‘Man, I watched the show. This is why I started acting.’ It’s awesome,” Mitchell said. “It’s good to inspire others, that’s what we want with everything that we do. What little kid is watching Good Burger 2 that’s going to become an amazing actor, producer or director? That’s what it’s all about.”
Though they’ve played Ed and Dex in short one-off skits over the years, they haven’t jumped back into the characters since the original film was released in 1997. Despite all that time, the SNL vet explained “It was almost like time didn’t even really exist.” Thompson revealed that he saw himself as the support system for Mitchell’s over-the-top Ed.
“He was the one doing all the lifting. He’s the one in the costume and doing voices,” Thompson said. “I’m just a dude named Dexter going through these things. I have moments of high energy here and there, but Kel was on 10 the whole time, which is kind of how he is in life in general. He put in a lot of work. I just wanted to be there and try to be supportive, try to make them laugh.”
Even though he’s had people quoting lines and talking to him about orange soda for nearly 30 years, Kel did not know these characters would have the staying power they’ve experienced. To him, they “were just kids having fun.” His goal was to “make everybody in the studio laugh.” For his part, Kenan just wanted to extend the fun they were having to the audience.
Kenan and Kel’s legacy as comedic role models and entertainers has been solidified for decades. However, bringing it back full circle to Good Burger honors the unbreakable connection they’ve had with fans and we’ll never stop rooting for them to succeed.
Good Burger 2 is now streaming on Paramount+.
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