Kenan Thompson has revealed he felt ‘exploited’ while working on comedy Heavyweights in 1995 in his emotional new memoir, When I Was Your Age.
The actor, 45, who promoted his new film Good Burger 2 at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, was still a teenager when he made the film – a comedy about overweight kids who were lured into joining a posh fat camp with the promise of quick weight loss and good times run by a psycho ex-fitness instructor.
In excerpts from his memoir obtained by People, the star said while making the Judd Apatow directed comedy he felt ‘exploited a little’ and convinced himself ‘it wasn’t happening to him.’
The actor also said he ‘hated’ having to take his shirt off while filming the 2008 road trip movie Wieners.
While working on the 2019 series All That, the star said his body shape resulted in his being cast as the ‘huggable cutie’ while castmate Kel Mitchell was cast as the ‘smooth talker and Josh Server was designated ‘the heartthrob.’
Kenan Thompson has revealed he felt ‘exploited’ while working on comedy Heavyweights in 1995 in his emotional new memoir, When I Was Your Age
The actor, 45, who promoted his new film Good Burger 2 at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, was still a teenager when he made the film – a comedy about overweight kids who were lured into joining a posh fat camp
‘I was aight with that,’ he wrote, while adding that it’s now difficult for him to re- watch SNL performances when ‘I was at my heaviest moment.’
The Emmy winner has since lost weight, and has credited better eating habits that include cutting out sugary drinks and turning to plant-based Impossible or Beyond Meat burgers on Access Hollywood.
The Saturday Night Live star said was terrified to open up about his life in his memoir.
‘I’ve always been so performance-heavy. I haven’t had to do a whole lot of, ‘Let me explain where Kenan is now’ kind of stuff.’
The former Nickelodeon star has also reunited with his longtime friend and co-star Kel Mitchell for Good Burger 2.
The two had a falling out for several years with Kenan writing that he first began ‘seeing a change’ in Kel during their Nickelodeon days, and their friendship began to strain over the years.
‘By the very end of All That and Kenan & Kel things got pretty bad. And a lot of that was due to Kel’s funkiness,’ the former child star explained.
It turned out among other things, Kel, 45, was dealing with depression after his marriage to Tyisha Hampton ended in 2004, and he turned to drugs to deal with his feelings.
The actor has struggled with body issues over the years and has lost weight. He says it’s now difficult for him to re- watch SNL performances when ‘I was at my heaviest moment’
After falling out with friend and co-star Kel Mitchell, 45, for several years, the two have reunited for Good Burger 2, not streaming on Paramount +
In an interview with Today’s Hoda Kotb on Monday, Kenan said ‘originally, it was just us looking for our own individualism, basically. We were just taking a breather from being a duo.’
He said the breather became several years but ‘five minutes into the phone call we were back, like what were we waiting on?’
The two reunited to work on Good Burger 2, which is now streaming on Paramount +.
When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories and Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown is available at bookstores and online.
