He was in Fat Albert, Snakes on a Plane, Barbershop 2, My Boss’s Daughter, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and Crank Yankers. You probably would not be able to pick him out in a line up unless you were watching Nickelodeon during the mid to late 1990s. He is Kenan Thompson and he deserves a little respect.

Thompson certainly paid his dues as a child actor on a couple Nickelodeon television shows and kid movies. But he has been strong enough to make the transition from child actor to adult roles. Which is no easy feat.

Thompson made his debut with The Mighty Ducks and Heavy Weights in 1994. Thompson has been working for 15 years and is just getting warmed up.

Now Thompson is a regular on Saturday Night Live. In order to survive on SNL, a cast member must be a good actor. Thompson proves week after week that he can play any role thrown at him and his impersonations are just icing on the cake.

Some would think landing a spot on SNL is the apex of an acting career. However, it is actually a pivotal point that could make or break a career.

We all know Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Chris rock, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler to name a few have enjoyed success after SNL.

But not all former cast members are as fortunate. Victoria Jackson, A. Whitney Brown, Beth Cahill, Gary Kroeger, Tom Davis, and Don Novello are a small sample of the many that dropped off the radar after SNL.

Thompson has proved he is ready to play the lead in a major movie with Fat Albert and Good Burger. He has proved he had the talent with his long resume. Thompson deserves to stand with the A-List heavy hitters. I hope he soon gets his chance.