Kenan Thompson Details “Bittersweet” Experience Of Working At ‘SNL’ So Long

After more than 20 years, Kenan Thompson has seen a lot during his time at Studio 8H.

The Emmy winner recently explained there are “a lot of bittersweet” emotions that come with his tenure as the longest-running Saturday Night Live cast member after joining the cast of the NBC sketch comedy show in 2003.

“Being there a long time, you watch people come and go,” he explained on co-star Ego Nwodim’s Thanks Dad podcast. “So you have to deal with the parting of friendships, that kind of thing. The mourning of the loss of certain people’s presence and all that. So there’s a lot of bittersweet to it.”

Thompson noted the emotional farewells extend beyond co-stars leaving the show. “We’ve had crew members die. All kinds of s—. So, like, it’s a heavier thing than just like ‘s— is sweet for me cause I’ve been there a long time’ kind of thing,” he added.

During his 22-season run on SNL, Thompson has become known for such recurring characters as ‘Black Jeopardy!’ host Darnell Hayes, ‘What Up with That?’ host Diondre Cole and French comedian Jean K. Jean, to name a few.

The comedian previously explained at Cannes Lions that SNL‘s continued to success is due to the fact that the format is “constantly changing,” adding: “Every week there’s a new host, every season there’s a new cast, also it’s weird how the crowd all seems to stay young, and I keep getting older.”

Thompson added, “It’s more than format changes, it’s reach. For decades, SNL had only one maybe two Black cast members. Today, I’m one of five, and we also have Asian, Hispanic, LGBTQ+ members in our cast. It’s just not about appearances, it allows the show to do comedy it never could before. With a sketch like ‘Black Jeopardy’, it only works if we have enough Black cast members to make it feel authentic to the community. Sketches like ‘Black Jeopardy’ open up the show to a whole new audience who never felt the show was for them.

“My boss Lorne Michaels likes to remind us that we’re on in all 52 states,” he said. “It’s his way of saying we’re a big tent show and our mission is to appeal to all ages and ideologies, just one night when we Americans and all of us across the globe come together and laugh at stuff. The big tent that Lorne Michaels always talks about just keeps getting bigger.”