Kenan Thompson confirmed he and Kel Mitchell had a “falling out” before reuniting for Good Burger 2, opening up about how the costars managed to rekindle their friendship on and off screen.
“It was more of a separation that kind of grew into the traditional terms of what a falling out is, which is, like, not a lot of communication,” Thompson, 45, said during an interview with Today on Monday, December 4. “Originally, it was just us kind of looking for our own individualism, basically, as adults, taking a breather from being a duo because we both came into the game as individuals.”
Thompson and Mitchell, 45, were a package deal after working together on Nickelodeon’s All That and Kenan & Kel throughout the late ’90s. Their success as a dynamic duo led to them working on the hit 1997 movie Good Burger.
“We were placed together because we worked so well together and all that. It was just a journey of being adults. Time passes and more time passes and it just became ridiculous,” Thompson added on Monday.
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Thompson and Mitchell parted ways to explore their individual career paths. Thompson has been Saturday Night Live‘s longest-tenured cast member after joining the sketch series in 2003. Mitchell, meanwhile, focused on TV projects including Clifford the Big Red Dog, City Guys, One on One, Wild Grinders, Game Shakers and being a panelist on Deliciousness.
Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson Nickelodeon/Paramount+
Thompson and Mitchell later reconnected and couldn’t “even remember what it was” that caused their rift.
“When you have a real friendship, it was five minutes into the phone call, we were back. It was like, ‘What were we waiting on all this time?’ You just never really know until you actually have that talk,” Thompson told Today. “It’s also time wasted, which is one of the biggest crimes I think you can do in life, is just waste time.”
Since hashing out their issues, Thompson and Mitchell seamlessly reunited on Good Burger 2. “It feels so good to be back with my brother and the movie is doing well. We’re so appreciative, looking forward to the next chapters,” Thompson gushed. “It was just so natural, just fun, to work with my brother and just laugh all day.”
Earlier this year, Mitchell also discussed how his friendship with Thompson was able to withstand highs and lows.
“It’s a brotherhood. It’s really a brotherhood,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in March at 90s Con. “We were praying together right before we went out to [announce the Good Burger 2 news on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon] and [had] a bunch of hugs and laughed all day. You know what I mean? That’s my bro so this is fun to us.”
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Mitchell said he and Thompson just needed time apart as their lives took their separate turns, adding, “You have to think about it, when you’re adulting within the limelight and you are just trying to find yourself within this business … we just went different ways. But I think that happens with everybody. It’s like] when you’re in high school and your friends went to different colleges, but then you stayed in contact and now you’re experiencing life as adults now. It’s just such an awesome thing. And to still be friends after that entire journey is awesome.”
Good Burger 2 is currently streaming on Paramount+.