Kenan Thompson’s sitcom adds Saturday Night Live cast member

Kenan Thompson’s sitcom will get help from a Saturday Night Live costar

When Kenan Thompson makes the jump from sketch comedy to sitcom, he’ll do so with help from a fellow Saturday Night Live cast member. Chris Redd has been cast in Kenan coming to NBC this fall.

Both Thompson and Redd will return to Saturday Night Live for season 46 when it also returns to NBC in the fall. They’ll pull double duty on Kenan which will also feature their SNL boss Lorne Michaels as executive producer.

Redd joined SNL in 2017 as a featured player and got the bump to repertory status for season 45 that wrapped up back in May. His previous television credits include Empire, Disjointed, and Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later. Kenan will mark the most high-profile role Redd has landed on television outside of SNL. He’ll play the brother to Kenan Thompson’s character, a recent widower trying to balance his career and family.

Kenan also added Watchmen star Don Johnson to the cast. Johnson takes over a role previously filled by Andy Garcia, playing the father-in-law to Thompson’s character. Also joining the cast is Kimrie Lewis (Single Parents).

The sitcom has gone through a number of changes in its creation and development. Redd, Johnson, and Lewis are all taking over roles originally cast with different actors. The 2019 pilot was written by Jackie Clarke and directed by Chris Rock. It has since been redeveloped after NBC ordered it to series. Sticking with the premise and Thompson shows that NBC is confident that the longtime SNL performer, along with Lorne Michaels, can deliver.

Chris Redd and Kenan Thompson have been a dynamic duo on Saturday Night Live

Kenan Thompson has a long history of elevating sketches and the performances of those around him at Saturday Night Live. It is hard to think of a cast member that hasn’t had chemistry with Thompson during his 17 seasons at SNL.

Chris Redd is among those who have benefited from acting alongside Thompson. But Redd has also proved that he has the creativity and comedy talent to mesh perfectly with his Kenan co-star. Look no further than their Emmy-winning collaboration on “Come Back Barack” in 2017:

The two have partnered on a number of song parodies on SNL which have quickly become Redd’s strong suit at the show. Sketches like “Them Trumps” and “Black Jeopardy” have also demonstrated how well Thompson and Redd work together when the material hits the mark.

NBC is hoping that the same energy and laughs generated by Thompson and Redd will translate to Kenan. Given the talent behind the scenes and in front of the camera, it’s hard to imagine why it won’t be a success.

Are you excited for the debut of Kenan? What do you think of Chris Redd, Don Johnson, and Kimrie Lewis joining the cast? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Keep checking Last Night On for more news from Saturday Night Live and the rest of late night television.