Kenan Thompson joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2003, meaning he has been on the comedy sketch show for fifteen years. With that much time on the series and having contributed numerous performances during his run, Thompson is bound to have his share of favorite memories doing the show. Somehow managing to boil them down, Saturday Night Live's longest-running cast member shared some of his highlights. Of them, Thompson said:
Performance-wise, my first moment thanks to Maya Rudolph, the little Bill Cosby and Wanda Sykes awkwardness at the Emmys that we did was incredible to me. My first bomb, when I just flubbed my lines so hard and I was so nervous I couldn't even ad lib out of the situation. I heard an audible 'Aww' from one lady in the audience. Because those are learning lessons. All of the 'Black Jeopardies'. By the time we were doing them we were in such a groove of knowing what our comic voice was that worked on the show, as far as doing humor that had anything to do with black culture's concerns, it just felt great to communicate what we thought was funny the right way.
And there you have it! Kenan Thompson's favorite performance memories! Thompson revealed them in an interview with Deadline. And those were not the only fond memories Thompson shared. As for his favorite Saturday Night Live moments outside of performing on the series, Thompson shared quite a few.
While there are a couple people will probably recognize, there is one they have no real way of knowing happened, solely based on watching the show. That's because one of the personal highlights Kenan Thompson shares did not happen in front of the camera. Hint: It involves Paul McCartney. Revealing his best non-performance memories on the show, Thompson said:
From the first time I saw U2 do the show and Bono had this neon circle microphone he was swinging around on, that I thought was one the coolest things I'd ever seen. Paul McCartney doing extra songs after the show went off, just for the people that were there, that kind of shit was epic. Just so many different awesome things. Even Ashlee Simpson's moment, that was crazy to witness.
Who else is ready for Kenan Thompson's memoir? It should be quite a read. And while his comedic skills are beyond question, Thompson also reveals that he is open to tackling a dramatic film. Given that actors skilled in comedy are often among the best dramatic actors, such a move would be highly-anticipated.
When the 2018 Primetime Emmy nominations were announced, Kenan Thompson finally received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Saturday Night Live. Fans will have to wait and see if he wins it on September 17. The good news is that if he does not win this year, he will have a shot at it in the future.
In the same interview Kenan Thompson discusses his highlights on Saturday Night Live, the mega-talented comedian shares that he is in no rush to leave the show, something that will come as a relief to his fans and those who want to see him win an Emmy for his contribution to the forty-plus-year-old series.
And with the seasoned star sharing that he has no plans to leave the sketch comedy series any time soon, he will probably have many more moments to add to his favorites list in a few years' time. Based on this interview alone, you can tell Kenan Thompson still loves what he is doing on Saturday Night Live, which is a lovely enthusiasm to see expressed.
You can watch Kenan Thompson in Saturday Night Live Season 44 when the series returns, this fall on NBC. Check out the new shows still coming this summer with CinemaBlend's summer premiere guide. For new television that will arrive alongside Saturday Night Live this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.
