Saturday Night Live has become a rite of passage for many comedians, allowing them to hone the craft they’ve already started perfecting in improv groups like The Groundlings while also making them household names in the comedy scene. Unfortunately, most cast members reach a point where they feel the need to leave the show in order to pursue new ventures. According to alumni Andy Samberg, that’s not the case for Kenan Thompson, who is still killing it on SNL while also working on other projects.
Andy Samberg has made headlines recently reflecting on his time on the historic variety show, including opening up about the popular digital short “Dick In A Box,” which he later performed with Justin Timberlake at a concert. Now he’s sitting down with fellow comedian Kevin Hart as part of the Hart to Heart Peacock original series to discuss his career.
While the episode has yet to air on the 2024 TV schedule, the official YouTube account for the series shared an exclusive look at the interview, where Hart talked about Thompson’s illustrious career on SNL. Samberg matched his enthusiasm immediately, sharing his own thoughts about the comedian’s talents on the series:
The wildest shit about Kenan is he was there before I got there and obviously now still is, and he still gets me. I'll still be watching the show, and I've seen his moves, like I know what he's going to do, but it just kills me still. And then also, he'll do some new shit. I'm like, 'How is this fool still killing it so hard?
Unlike some of the greats who have come up through SNL by way of Second City or The Groundlings, Thompson got his start in sketch comedy on the Nickelodeon variety show All That at just 16 years old. He went on to star in a handful of family movies and sitcoms before joining the cast of Saturday Nightly Live in 2003. After two years as a “featured player,” he was promoted to “repertory player,” or full-time cast member, in 2005 where he has remained since. He currently holds the record for the cast member appearing the longest at 21 years and counting.
It’s a tremendous feat, given how difficult live sketch comedy is to get right, and a testament to how much he enjoys the job, which Hart pointed out in the interview. There’s no denying that the Kenan & Kel star loves what he does, but Samberg was also quick to point out how incredibly good he is at it too:
And I would challenge anyone to go back through every episode he's been on, which is many, and find a moment where he missed a laugh, where he didn't get his laugh. If you give him a laugh, he hits it every time, and it is mind blowing. Everybody, the greats, you can watch them and be like 'Oop, they missed their cue card' or 'Oop they broke,' you know, whatever it is, I literally can't think of a single time Kenan didn't stick it exactly.
Back in 2022, Thompson made history by appearing in 1,500 sketches — a number that has definitely increased in the last two years. While not all of them go on to be the biggest sketch of the year, landing among the most popular SNL clips on YouTube, they still deserve recognition, specifically for his role in them.
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star is right to praise the SNL actor for his ability to stay in character even in the most absurd sketches. Case in point: the viral Beavis and Butt-head sketch that had everyone breaking character, except for Thompson.
There’s no denying that Thompson will go down in history as one of the greatest cast members of the variety sketch show — especially if the series ends during Season 50 as rumors suggest. However, Samberg should also hold space for his own talents on Saturday Night Live and his hard work in making the SNL Digital Shorts sketches what they are today.
You can stream Andy Samberg’s full interview with Kevin Hart with a Peacock subscription on July 11th. While you’re there, consider checking out past Saturday Night Live episodes that are also available on the popular streaming service.
