Kel Mitchell
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Kel Johari Rice Mitchell (born August 25, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, rapper, singer, and TV host. He was an original cast member of the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
series '' All That'' for its first five seasons (1994–1999), where he was often paired with
Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since Saturday Night Live season 29, 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the ...
. His role as Ed in the ''All That'' sketch was reprised for the 1997 teen comedy film loosely based on the series, ''
Good Burger ''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...
''. He co-starred with Thompson on the Nickelodeon sitcom '' Kenan & Kel'' from 1996 to 2000. Mitchell received two
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
nominations for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for his role as "T-Bone" in the children's animated series ''
Clifford the Big Red Dog ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'' is an American children's book series which focuses on the adventures of an 8-year old blonde haired girl named Emily Elizabeth and her titular pet: a gigantic, red-furred dog named Clifford. It was first published ...
'' (2000–2003). From 2015 to 2019, he starred as Double G on the Nickelodeon sitcom '' Game Shakers''.


Early life

Mitchell was born August 25, 1978, in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois, and is from the South Side. He attended Chicago Vocational High School and took drama classes at the ETA Creative Arts Foundation. He has two sisters, Kenyatta and Kyra.


Career

Mitchell started his acting career alongside
Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since Saturday Night Live season 29, 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the ...
at the age of 15, in the Nickelodeon comedy sketch series ''All That'', from 1994 to 1999. He and Thompson worked on the series ''Kenan & Kel'' from 1996 to 2000. They starred in the 1997 film ''
Good Burger ''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...
'', which grew out of one of Mitchell's sketches from ''All That''. The duo appeared together in an episode of '' Sister, Sister'' with Tia and Tamera Mowry, four episodes of '' The Steve Harvey Show'', and in a special two-part episode of '' Cousin Skeeter''. They were also featured in an episode of ''
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appea ...
''. Outside of his ventures with Kenan Thompson, Mitchell provided the voice of a mild-mannered and playful dog named T-Bone in the children's cartoon series ''
Clifford the Big Red Dog ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'' is an American children's book series which focuses on the adventures of an 8-year old blonde haired girl named Emily Elizabeth and her titular pet: a gigantic, red-furred dog named Clifford. It was first published ...
'', alongside
John Ritter Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American comedian and actor. He was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason Ritter, Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is best known for ...
, from 2000 to 2003. Additionally, he made an appearance in the 2004
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
music video " All Falls Down" as a valet. Mitchell co-hosted '' Dance 360'' with Fredro Starr; the show lasted for only one season. From 2005 until 2006, Mitchell portrayed Manny Sellers in the sitcom '' One on One'', and in 2007 Mitchell starred in BET's '' Take the Cake''. Some of his other credits include '' Honeydripper'' and ''
Mystery Men ''Mystery Men'' is a 1999 American superhero comedy film directed by Kinka Usher (in his feature-length directorial debut), written by Neil Cuthbert, loosely based on Bob Burden's '' Flaming Carrot Comics'', starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, ...
''. In 2003, both Mitchell and his '' Kenan & Kel'' co-star
Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since Saturday Night Live season 29, 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the ...
auditioned for ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', but only Thompson made the cut. In 2006, Mitchell was the subject of a death hoax, when a rumor was spread around
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. In March 2008, he filmed his writing and producing debut, '' Dance Fu'', in which he also starred as the lead role. Also in 2008, Mitchell appeared in two Detroit-based stage productions, ''Affairs'' and ''Laundromat'', the latter written by Carlos Faison and also starred comedian Buddy Lewis, Leanne "Lelee" Lyons of R&B group SWV, celebrity impersonator/stage actor Matt Macis, and vocalist and performer Lauren "Lexxi" Alexis. Mitchell was a part of G4's '' Attack of the Show!'', playing various characters. He also has a recurring role on the PBS Kids show ''Curious George''. Mitchell appeared at the 2011 Comikaze Expo with several of his ''All That'' cast members, and has appeared in numerous panels of the same kind since, including at
New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, Film, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,00 ...
in 2015, and filmed segments with them for the show's 22nd anniversary celebration on The Splat in April 2016. Mitchell guest starred on '' Sam & Cat'' as rapper Peezy B, in the episode "#PeezyB". Mitchell was a cast member on Dan Schneider's sitcom '' Game Shakers'', which premiered on
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
on September 12, 2015. Mitchell played the role of Double G, a rap superstar and business partner of the Game Shakers company. Around the same time, Mitchell also guest starred in an episode of the
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
show '' Loiter Squad'', and in an episode of TV One's ''
Love That Girl! ''Love That Girl!'' is an American sitcom that airs on TV One (American TV channel), TV One and debuted on January 19, 2010. The series started off as a four episode, independently produced series presentation that aired as a special three-night ...
.'' He also wrote and directed the inspirational film ''She Is Not My Sister,'' and produced several music videos. On September 23, 2015, Mitchell appeared on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...
'' in a skit featuring his iconic role as Ed from ''
Good Burger ''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...
''. Mitchell was also reunited with his former '' Kenan & Kel'' costar
Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since Saturday Night Live season 29, 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the ...
, who reprised his role as "Lester Oakes, Construction Worker". They later competed against one another in an episode of the revived Nickelodeon game show '' Double Dare'' that aired in November 2018. They also teamed as executive producers for the
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of '' All That'' which premiered in June 2019 and ran until 2020. Mitchell also returned as a recurring cast member. Mitchell hosted the TV series ''Tails of Valor'', which focused on true stories of service animals whose work has changed people's lives. Also in 2019, Mitchell competed as a celebrity contestant on the 28th season of ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
'', with his partner
Witney Carson Witney Capri Carson McAllister (née Carson; born October 17, 1993) is an American professional Latin dance, Latin ballroom dancer and choreographer. She first gained attention in 2012, when the then-18-year-old as the last female contestant in ...
and finished in second place. Starting in December 2020, Mitchell appeared as a panelists for
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's '' Ridiculousness'' spinoff, ''Deliciousness''. In 2022, Mitchell released a book entitled ''Blessed Mode: 90 Days to Level Up Your Faith'', available physically, digitally, and as an audiobook. A song titled "Blessed Mode" was later released to streaming services like
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
and
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. He and wife Asia also competed in an episode of ''
Guy's Grocery Games '' Guy's Grocery Games'' (often nicknamed ''Triple G'') is an American reality competition television series hosted by Guy Fieri and his son Hunter on Food Network. Each episode features four chefs competing in a three-round elimination contest ...
'' against Ross Mathews. Later that year he released the children's book, ''Prank Day'

The same year, Mitchell would team up with Thompson once more on ''Saturday Night Live'' for the "Kenan and Kelly" sketch in the December 3, 2022, episode hosted by Keke Palmer. He also starred in the
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
television movie ''All I Didn't Want For Christmas'' with Gabourey Sidibe, which premiered on December 7. In April 2025, Kel starred as Moonface Martin i
OFC Creations Theatre Center
s production of Anything Goes in Rochester, NY.


Personal life

Mitchell was married to Tyisha Hampton from 1999 until their divorce in 2005. They have two children together, a son and a daughter. Tyisha Mitchell helped create Kel Videos Live (KVL), and Ganked, which she wrote and produced. Although Mitchell's character Kel is renowned for his love for orange soda, Mitchell cited in an interview with 'People' magazine that he has never had carbonated drinks. Mitchell married rapper Asia Lee on February 25, 2012. They have two children together, a daughter born in July 2017 and a son born in October 2020. Mitchell and Lee received an award from the Carson Black Chamber in 2016 for their show ''The Back House Party''. He is the spokesperson for Black College Expo. He is a convert to
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
. In December 2019, he became a youth pastor at Spirit Food Christian Center in
Winnetka, Los Angeles Winnetka () is a neighborhood in the west-central San Fernando Valley in the city of Los Angeles. It is an ethnically diverse area, both for the city and for Los Angeles County, with a relatively large percentage of Hispanic and Asian people. ...
.


Filmography


Film


Television


Theatre


Music videos


Video games


Web


Accolades


Discography


Singles

* 1995: "Chillin" (by Aftermath feat. Kel Mitchell) from '' All That'' live performance on April 1, 1995 * 1996: "Watch Me Do My Thing" (by Immature featuring Smooth and Kel Mitchell) from '' All That: The Album'' * 1997: "We're All Dudes" (by
Less Than Jake Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone) and Matt Yonker ...
and Kel Mitchell)
from the '' Good Burger soundtrack'' * 1999: "Who Are Those Mystery Men" (by Kel Mitchell and the M.A.F.T. Emcees featuring Romaine Jones and Simbi Khali) from the ''
Mystery Men ''Mystery Men'' is a 1999 American superhero comedy film directed by Kinka Usher (in his feature-length directorial debut), written by Neil Cuthbert, loosely based on Bob Burden's '' Flaming Carrot Comics'', starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, ...
'' soundtrack * 1999: "Pedal to the Steel" (by
Youngstown Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
featuring Kel Mitchell)
from Youngstown's '' Let's Roll'' * 2015: "Kel Mitchell" (by Spec featuring Asia Lee and Kel Mitchell) from ''Spec Vacancy'' * 2022: "Blessed Mode" (by Kel Mitchell featuring nobigdyl and Scootie Wop) * 2023: "Go Time" (by Kel Mitchell) * 2023: "All Dudes Remix" from '' Good Burger 2'' * 2024: "Won’t Get Blocked" (collaboration with Rising Lab)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Kel 1978 births Living people 20th-century African-American male actors 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Christians 21st-century African-American male actors 21st-century African-American musicians 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century Christians African-American Christians African-American male child actors African-American stand-up comedians American male child actors American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American sketch comedians American stand-up comedians Comedians from Chicago Male actors from Chicago Musicians from Chicago Nickelodeon people Santa Monica College alumni