Christy Knowings, Nickelodeon Star on All That, Dies at 46

Actress and comedian Christy Knowings, best known to ’90s kids as one of the stars of the hit Nickelodeon comedy series All That, has passed away. According to TMZ, family members of Knowings have confirmed that after suffering an asthma attack that “left her with brain damage.” Knowings was hospitalized on Friday, where she was placed on life support, with her family deciding to take her off life support on Tuesday, leading to her death that night. Christy Knowings was 46.

All That, as fans who grew up watching the show will recall, was a staple of Nickelodeon’s programming in the ’90s and early 2000s, offering a show similar to Saturday Night Live that would appeal to kids with its off-the-wall humor. Knowings appeared in 32 episodes of the show, joining in Season 4 and sticking around through Season 6.

Some of the characters that Knowings played on the series were Winter Wonders (a parody of Nickelodeon’s own Summer Sanders) plus Brenda Stone from Channel 6 1/2 News, and Jessica from Whateverrr!!!, a character she played alongside Amanda Bynes. She also took over the role of Penny Lane, the All That parody of Lois Lane for the “Super Dude” recurring sketches, playing the role originated by Angelique Bates and later Alisa Reyes)

Knowings’ fellow All That alum Kenan Thompson took to social media to pay tribute to her, writing: “Man this one hit hard!!! Rest well Christy!!! Never could have imagined this day!! Sending so much love to her family!! She was a real one and one of the funniest people out here!!! Gonna miss you buddy!!! Show @christyknowings some love y’all!!”

Ahead of her debut on All That, Knowings first appeared in the pilot for another sketch comedy series for Nickelodeon, the Rosie O’Donnell-hosted And Now This!. Though that show wasn’t picked up to series, it served as a springboard to get her on All That, where she appeared alongside Danny Tamberelli, Nick Cannon, Kel Mitchell, and Lori Beth Denberg.

After All That, Knowings would go on to appear on three episodes of Sesame Street later in her career, playing a version of herself as she shared the screen with her actual twin brother Chris Knowings, who was a member of the cast for over 100 episodes.

“Christy was a multi-talented lady,” Al Hill, her manager, wrote in a statement to Variety. “Whether it was singing, acting, dancing, she was always creating. Always professional and dedicated to her work.”

Our thoughts go out to her friends and family during this time.