Kalen Allen was born and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He attended Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, a high school in Kansas City.[1] He subsequently went to Temple University where he majored in film, theater, and media arts.[4] Using Temple University's Los Angeles Study Away program, he graduated in 2018 soon after his rise in popularity.[2] As of 2022, Allen is enrolled in a master's in journalism program at New York University.[5]
In 2017, while still a college student, Allen stumbled upon a video tutorial for a peculiar dish called 7-Up Salad. The recipe consisted of soda, marshmallows, lime Jell-O, cream cheese, and other unlikely ingredients. Intrigued by the absurdity of the recipe, Allen recorded his reaction and posted it on social media, adding humorous commentary. The video went viral.[4][6]
Allen started the YouTube channel Kalen Reacts,[7] which primarily featured him reacting to other bizarre and unconventional videos of people making food with unusual recipes.[8] He posted his first Kalen Reacts video in November 2017.[9] But these videos quickly gained traction, garnering millions of views and attracting widespread attention.[10]Ellen DeGeneres took notice of them and expressed her admiration on her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, in an episode that aired on December 7, 2017.[7][9] She invited him to appear on her show and later also offered him a job opportunity. During his appearance on January 2, 2018, Allen was officially hired to create reaction videos for the show.[9]
Allen won a Webby Award in 2020 for OMKalen.[5] He made his film acting debut the same year in An American Pickle starring Seth Rogen.[11] The film's plot revolves around a man who falls into a vat of pickles in 1918, is preserved, and reemerges in present-day Brooklyn. Allen plays one half of a Brooklyn gay couple who help the man establish a successful pickle business.[1] In November 2020, Allen released debut album For Christmas Sake![12]
