See Kenneth From "30 Rock" Now at 48
Jack McBrayer played the mysterious page throughout the run of the Tina Fey sitcom.
30 Rock, the acclaimed mid-2000s NBC sitcom about the making of an SNL-style TV show, was hardly a Lost-style puzzle box, but it did develop one mystery throughout the course of its seven-season run: What was up with Kenneth the Page? How old was he? Was he raised in a cult? Was he some sort of immortal god? Jokes about the origins of the breakout side character provided one of the wacky series' most enduring gags, but no such ambiguity surrounds the post-30 Rock career of the actor who played him, Jack McBrayer. Where Kenneth was eternally youthful, time has marched on for the comedic actor, whose career has taken some interesting turns in the years since. Keep reading to find out where he is now, at age 48.
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He's been busy as a voice actor.
McBrayer's memorable voice and accent have made him a natural choice to voice animated roles, most notably Fix-It Felix in Disney's Wreck-It Ralph and its sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet. On the small screen, he has voiced a variety of characters, including Irving on Phineas and Ferb, Wander on Wander Over Yonder, and Toadie on the Disney series Amphibia. He has also put his pipes to work for a number of adult-oriented animated series, including Archer, Bob's Burgers, Big Mouth, and Star Trek: Lower Decks.
He had a sitcom with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
The Los Angeles-based actor has also logged a number of credits in live-action films and TV shows. In 2015, McBrayer, who prior to 30 Rock was best known for appearing in dozens of sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, teamed up with puppet and fellow Conan favorite Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to star in The Jack and Triumph Show. He played the former child star of a Lassie-esque show now living with his canine ex-costar, but despite the brilliance of the premise, the Adult Swim network only aired seven episodes of the series.
McBrayer was also a regular player on Drunk History, had a recurring role as Dr. Dr. Ted Goodwin on The Middle, appeared as Penny's older brother Randall on The Big Bang Theory, and cameoed as prison guard Sandy Parcell (a possible relation of Kenneth's?) on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He also has had small parts in films, including the 2014 Amy Poehler/Paul Rudd comedy They Came Together, and the 2021 Kristen Bell film, Queenpins.
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His bromance with Alexander Skarsgård is going strong.
While McBrayer has kept his personal life largely private, he has enjoyed one very public relationship: his friendship with actor Alexander Skarsgård, of True Blood fame. The two met in New York and were later neighbors in Los Angeles, becoming friends while attending many of the same Hollywood events while on 30 Rock and the HBO vampire show, McBrayer said in a 2019 Associated Press interview.
The two have been seen together at various events and outings for well over a decade, with McBrayer making appearances on what was rumored to be Skarsgård's now-defunct secret Instagram account. In 2015, the two even set sail to Antarctica in a Funny or Die/Greenpeace collaboration to raise awareness about the impact of climate change. Earlier this year, McBrayer (who appeared in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) also joined Skarsgård at the Talladega Superspeedway, where the Swedish actor was grand marshal of the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500.
He's signed up for an upcoming Jerry Seinfeld Netflix movie.
In June, Netflix announced McBrayer will be a part of Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story in an as-yet-unnamed supporting role. Billed as "a tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar and menacing milkmen," the film is written, produced, and directed by Jerry Seinfeld, who will also star—his first role in 15 years in which he won't be playing himself. McBrayer will appear alongside a cast of comedic greats, including Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, and Jim Gaffigan.
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He's a modern-day Mister Rogers.
Last November, McBrayer debuted in the first season of the Apple TV+ children's series Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show. McBrayer co-created and executive produces the compassion-focused show set in the fictional town of Clover Grove. He told CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast that he was inspired to create the show while contemplating mistreatment in the world and how lessons of how to treat others begin in early childhood.
"At least I had shows like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood when I was growing up," he said. "And then I was like, 'Jack, come on, let's revitalize that energy and show preschoolers that it's fun to be kind.' And it's easy to be kind. And it doesn't take a huge amount of effort."
