Kenan Thompson has been making audiences laugh for 20 years now through his work on Saturday Night Live. Some are probably wondering when the fan-favorite star might conclude his tenure. In the past, he's said that he plans to stay until, at least, SNL’s 50th season, which is just around the corner. So if that's the case, we still have a few more seasons to enjoy Thompson’s hilarious comedy sensibilities on the NBC mainstay. However, this doesn’t mean Thompson isn’t thinking about the future and more specifically, who he would like to see guest star on his last episode.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kenan Thompson talked about some of his favorite SNL moments ahead of his 20th season with the show. When asked who he’d like to guest star or host the future episode, Thompson revealed that he'd love one of the comedy series' most esteemed alums to drop in:
The one cast member I would want to return for my final show question was answered when Eddie Murphy hosted, so now I have to think… I've worked with Will Ferrell because he's hosted. He was another one where I was just like, 'I would just love to…' but that's happened a few times. I haven't met Cheri yet. I think Cheri Oteri would be very cool to be around. Every woman I've ever met from SNL is insanely quick-witted, funny, smart, classy, gorgeous, like all of it. You know what I mean? It's just a pleasure usually to be around them. So I would love to meet Cheri.
It sounds like the Nickelodeon legend's list has whittled down as time has gone on, but Cheri Oteri is the person that he's still waiting to work with. Oteri was a cast member on the show from 1995 to 2000 and made her mark through her hilarious impersonations of Jessica Simpson and Debbie Reynolds. She also played original characters like cheerleader Arianna and tough Philadelphia native Rita DelVecchio. Given her comedic talents, it's not hard to see why Kenan Thompson would want to work with her.
Kenan Thompson seems to relish the opportunity to work with veteran performers, as evidenced by this interview and past comments he's made. Thompson recently expressed his love for pal Maya Rudolph and discussed a particularly fond memory from one of the show's famous afterparties.
There are going to be many more opportunities for the 44-year-old actor to work with big names down the road. Miles Teller, Brendon Gleeson and Meg Thee Stallion are already confirmed hosts for season 48 and, of course, more will be announced as the season goes on. Numerous fans have campaigned for comedy legend Carol Burnett to host so, hopefully, the TV icon is among those who gets to take the stage at Studio 8H.
The series also recently announced its cast additions for the 48th season, which debuts in October. The roster features a lot of new faces, considering the show lost eight of its performers over the last few months. Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Kyle Mooney were confirmed to confirmed to be departing Saturday Night Live ahead of the Season 47 finale, and it was reported this month that Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, Chris Redd, and Aristotle Athari would also not be returning to SNL. If anything, this makes one all the more appreciative that the Kenan star is sticking around.
Kenan Thompson has faced several cast departures during his tenure, so I’m sure this will not be too difficult to navigate. Producer Lorne Michaels has stated that cast shake-ups can be a positive, and I’m sure Thompson will be there to mentor the newbies. The new cast members will (or already do) look up to him as he does Cheri Oteri. Now, that Thompson has made it known, I'm hoping that Oteri does show up for his eventual final episode. But given how entertaining Thompson still is, let's hope that definitely doesn't happen for at least a few more years.
You can catch the beloved star on Saturday Night Live Season 48 when it premieres on October 1 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. To relive previous episodes of the late night staple, stream them using a Peacock subscription. For more information on what shows are airing this fall, check out CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule.
