R.I.P. All That cast member Christy Knowings

Alongside her twin brother Chris—a long-time cast member on Sesame Street—Knowings worked as a child and teen actor in New York. An audition for a Nickelodeon comedy special brought her to the attention of producers on All That, who were impressed with Knowing’s stage skills and wide array of voices; she was brought on to the show’s cast in its fourth season, where she became part of its ensemble alongside performers like Amanda Bynes, Kel Mitchell, Lori Beth Denberg, and Kenan Thompson. (Who memorialized Knowings on social media this week, writing that, “This one hit hard,” and calling Knowings “a real one and one of the funniest people out here.”)

Entering an established ensemble well into the show’s run, Knowings proved herself a strong fit for All That‘s style: Characters like newscaster Brenda Stone may not have been the most subtle comedic performances in sketch comedy history—Knowings herself acknowledged in later interviews that she was mostly throwing her best Rosie Perez impression at the wall to see what stuck—but they were energetic, well-observed, and completely committed, making her a mainstay of the show for three seasons in the 1990s.

After leaving All That, Knowings worked on a few more projects, including appearing with her brother on a few episodes of Sesame Street. Although she rarely appeared on camera after All That ended, she continued to work as a performer, working as a dancer, improviser, singer, and more, and released a few songs through the 2010s and 2020s. In a statement to Variety, Knowings’ manager called her “A multi-talented lady. Whether it was singing, acting, dancing, she was always creating. Always professional and dedicated to her work.”