Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Kenan’s Kimrie Lewis

Kimrie Lewis has quickly become one of the industry’s most sought-after talents. She’s an actress, director, and writer who has captivated audiences in projects including Chasing Life, Scandal, and Single Parents.

This January, she can be seen bringing the laughs in Season 2 of NBC’s hit series Kenan.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Kimrie about the new season, what’s ahead for her character Mika, and why this has been one of her favorite projects to date.

PC: Season 2 of Kenan is dropping early this year. What’s ahead for Mika?
Kimrie: As we all know, Mika’s very focused on her career. She is focused and she’s fabulous, but she’s definitely flawed. We’ll see a lot of her trying to juggle all of the things in Season 2, whether it be her personal life, which we didn’t get to see a lot of last season, or her work life, which is a struggle. She’s on the struggle bus for both of those things.

PC: There are so many great relationships and dynamics within the series. Which was your favorite to explore and why? Has that changed from Season 1 into Season 2?
Kimrie: Much of the dynamic between Mika and Kenan definitely shifted this season. This season, you really get to see them show up for each other and be there in ways that they both find unexpected. They’re vulnerable. They’re exposed this season in ways that you didn’t see last season. They’re challenged and it’s nice seeing the other step in and show up in ways that you never would’ve thought.

PC: You’ve said in the past that this is one of your favorite jobs ever. What was it about this particular project and character that has made it so special for you?
Kimrie: I have to say that I’ve been a news baby my whole life. My mom was an executive producer of a morning show. It was a morning news show on NBC. That personal connection is something that I feel made it a more intimate relationship with me playing this character versus other characters that I’ve played in the past. That and the stable of badass folks that I’m working with. When you have Kenan, Lorne Michaels, Chris Redd, Fortune [Feimster], Taylor [Louderman], Dani [Lockett], Dannah [Lane], and Don Johnson, you’re just so blessed to be able to call this your job. For all of those reasons, it’s still my favorite job ever.

PC: Speaking of this incredible cast, there’s great chemistry that comes off the screen between all of you. How were you all able to build that during a pandemic?
Kimrie: Kenan mentioned this and I think it’s so true. When you’re in a pandemic, you’re not really allowed to have a personal life outside of showing up to work to shoot because of all the COVID protocols. We’re all trying to be safe. All we had was each other. It’s like, “Hey, you again. You’re still here. We both got tested today. Guess, we’re going to be here all day.” It gave us a chance to really get to know each other, both professionally and in terms of building a friendship. We’re all such great friends. It’s nice to be able to work with your friends and especially during a pandemic.

PC: The first season was incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Kimrie: It starts from a place of authenticity. It starts from a place of realness. You know all of these characters are awesomely flawed. No one has it all going on. There are holes in all of us. What’s nice is that people are connecting with this community. This cast shows up on the screen in ways that you may not see with other shows. We’re very fortunate in that regard.

PC: This is the gold standard for comedy. As a cast, how are you all able to continue to push each other?
Kimrie: We literally push each other over, you know what I mean? “Excuse me! Coming through.” [laughs] That’s usually Kenan. He’s the one who’s pushing people out of the way. You know how he gets. [laughs] No, we show up prepared first and then you’re able to have fun. When you show up and you know you can count on Kenan (who has all the lines in the world) to be on and never need help with his lines, it’s like, “All right. I have no excuse.” We have to be prepared. Once you show up and you’re prepared then you can have fun with it.

PC: You’ve said in the past that this is a really collaborative environment and you had a hand in shaping your character. If you could write a storyline for Mika, what would it be and why?
Kimrie: Oh my gosh. With Mika, the fun lies in her thinking that she has it all together and then it falls completely apart—her thinking that she could do it all on her own and it’s like, “Nah, girl. You need all the help in the world.” [laughs] It would probably be a storyline along those lines. Maybe it’s me trying to do a show myself or trying to be an on-air personality and produce it at the same time. It would be a hot mess. That would be pretty fun.

PC: With this being a comedy, do you all have the opportunity to improv? Is there a scene that was improvised in Season 1 that you were super excited for fans to see?
Kimrie: In Season 1, we did quite a bit of that. The producers on this show are so great with allowing us to make these lines our own. They trust that we know these characters the best. A lot of our little ad-libs or improvisations make it into the show. Whenever we get it on tape, we’re like, “You all saw that right? The cameras were rolling, right?” [laughs]

PC: Something that I love about this series is that despite it being a comedy, it really does tackle a lot of timely and relevant themes. Was there one, either season, that really hit home for you?
Kimrie: Yeah, the theme of losing someone. We’ve all experienced that. In the first season, we tackled a lot of that. What I see in Mika is what I see in a lot of people who are closest to me, which is the juggle. The juggle of trying to balance being great at work, showing up, and being on your s.h.*.t. It’s NBC, you know, you got to spell that out. [laughs] At the same time, it’s about showing up in your personal life for the people that you love. I know I struggle with that. I know my best friends struggle with that. I know my mom struggled with that. As women, there’s a lot that’s asked of us, you know? We try to be there for everyone, but it can be a lot of work sometimes. It’s fun to be able to show that in a comedy.

PC: With two seasons under your belt, has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself being a part of this project?
Kimrie: I was super scared in the beginning. You know, you have names like Kenan Thompson and Lorne Michaels. It’s terrifying to go into these kinds of things, but you learn that you belong. You learn that you’re there for a reason. These guys have been doing it for so long. They know who to pick. They know who to hire. They know who’s capable of doing these jobs, so it’s the ultimate compliment to be able to continue to play on this show. That’s one of the things that I’ve definitely learned.

PC: If you had to summarize Season 2 in a sentence, what would it be?
Kimrie: I would say hot mess with a lot of love.

To keep up with Kimrie, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Season 2 of Kenan every Monday at 8/7c on NBC.

Photo Credit: Kevin Scanlon