Kenny Blank facts for kids

Kenny Blank, also known as Kenn Michael, is an American actor, composer, director, editor, and producer. He was born on September 15, 1977.

He is well-known for playing Michael Peterson in the TV show The Parent 'Hood from 1995 to 1997. He also wrote some music for this show. You might also recognize him from Eddie Murphy's 1992 movie, Boomerang.

Early Life and Education

Kenny Blank was born Kenneth Michael Benbow Blank in New York City. His birthday is September 15, 1977. His mother, Lola, was a dancer for James Brown. His father, Warren Benbow, was a jazz drummer who worked with famous musicians like Miles Davis and Stevie Wonder.

Kenny's parents later divorced. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, Bob Blank, who owned a music studio.

By the time he was six years old, Kenny was already playing the piano. He also enjoyed making short films. He finished high school at Stamford High School in 1995. Later, in the late 1990s, he studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California.

Kenny Blank's Acting Career

Kenny Blank started acting when he was just seven years old. As a child, he reviewed the book Jumanji on the TV show Reading Rainbow. This episode was about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He also narrated a story called "Knots on a Counting Rope."

Early Roles and Recognition

His first big acting role was as Tito in the 1991 film The Super, starring Joe Pesci. For this role, Kenny was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1992. This award recognized him as one of the best young actors in a movie.

In 1991, he played Linus Bragg in the movie Carolina Skeletons. This film was based on the true story of George Stinney. George was an African-American boy who was wrongly accused of a crime and executed at age 14. Kenny also had a small part in the 1992 movie Boomerang. He appeared in the TV miniseries Alex Haley's Queen as well.

Television Series Appearances

Kenny was a regular on the TV show Tall Hopes in 1993. He played Ernest Harris, a character who wanted to be a director. Even though the show didn't last long, Kenny's acting was praised.

He then became well-known for playing Michael Peterson in the sitcom The Parent 'Hood. This show was popular in the mid-1990s. Kenny also helped write some of the songs for the series. He left the show after its third season.

Kenny also acted in movies like Silent Story and Delivering Milo. He made guest appearances on many other TV shows. These include Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Moesha, City of Angels, Living Single, and Freaks and Geeks. He also played Jordy in the horror comedy movie Boltneck, which was released directly to video.

Voice Acting Roles

Kenny Blank is also a talented voice actor. He was the voice of Darren Patterson on the Nickelodeon animated series As Told by Ginger from 2000 to 2006. He also had a small voice role in All Grown Up!, playing J.T., a band member.

He provides one of the selectable voices for the main character, the Boss, in the Saints Row video game series. Kenny also voiced Angelino in the English version of the animated movie Mutafukaz. More recently, he was the English voice of Philly the Kid in the animated series Cannon Busters.

Other Creative Work

Since 1998, Kenny Blank has worked behind the scenes in filmmaking. He has been a cinematographer, editor, and director for many short films. He directed his first project in 1999, which was the theme song for the movie Mystery Men.

Kenny also showed an experimental film called Manifested Intent at the Urbanworld Film Festival. In 2019, he directed the TV movie In Broad Daylight for TV One.

During the 1990s, Kenny also worked as a composer. He created songs for The Montel Williams Show and wrote the title theme for The Super. As a teenager, he contributed music to commercials for companies like Kodak and Lego.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games