It’s Hard To Believe Kenan Thompson’s Been On SNL For More Than 20 Years, But His Sweet Post Confirms It

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As a gamer who has spent countless hours watching Saturday Night Live, I must say that Kenan Thompson’s 21-year tenure on the show is nothing short of legendary. It seems like just yesterday when he was still rocking his Kel backpack and making us laugh with his antics on Nickelodeon’s Kenan & Kel.

Over five decades of Saturday Night Live’s groundbreaking journey, an array of comedians have graced the stage and moved on. Yet, Kenan Thompson stands out as a consistent face in the cast since 2003, making him the longest-serving cast member on SNL. It’s hard to fathom, but he’s been part of the show for more than 20 years now, and his heartfelt message affirmed that this is indeed true.

The 46-year-old comedian joined SNL in 2003, just a mere three years after his Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel ended. He’s seen plenty of cast members perform in their first and last shows, but he is still sticking around. So, with that and the series’ 50th season airing on the 2024 TV schedule in mind, Thompson took to his Instagram to share the cover of New York Magazine’s “Reasons to Love New York” issue, which is one of many that includes 60 total past and present cast members of SNL.

In his post’s title, he expressed that although there are numerous reasons to adore New York City, one of the top ones for him is the over two decades he’s spent at Saturday Night Live! Here’s a glance.

A post shared by Kenan Thompson (@kenanthompson)

A photo posted by on

It’s quite impressive that he’s been on “Saturday Night Live” for twenty-one years, and there’s no sign that he intends to depart from the show anytime soon. This could always change, but at the moment, it appears that he remains as grateful as ever to be among the legendary cast of “SNL.

Thompson, who has been a staple on the show for more than two decades, has a wealth of wild anecdotes to share. For instance, there was the time he overindulged at a party with Amy Poehler and Will Forte, only to find himself filming an SNL sketch the next day with a hangover. Another tale is about one of his most memorable sketches, “What’s Up With That?”, where Saoirse Ronan was in the audience when it first aired.

At age 25, he was among the youngest members of the Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast, a role that continues to endear him to fans. Leaving any cast always brings about a sense of uncertainty, but when Thompson eventually departs from SNL, it’s going to be noticeably different without his presence. In truth, his absence will be deeply felt, as if someone truly significant is missing.

It’s fortunate that we don’t have to worry about it as he continues to shine in the Saturday Night Live series. Looking back to 2022, he disclosed his enthusiasm for each new season of SNL, describing it as “always fresh.” Although some sketches are reused, generally speaking, it’s always evolving. You can never predict which sketches will have the cast cracking up or those that will be a bit unusual, but that’s what keeps it interesting. It’s probably this unpredictability that has allowed this comedian to stay on the show for more than two decades.

Despite the cast rotating season by season and uncertainty about who might depart or appear next, having Keanu Thompson as a mainstay has been reassuringly consistent, like an enduring promise. I sincerely hope he continues for many more seasons, but in any case, fans can enjoy his entire tenure with a Peacock subscription.

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2024-12-04 19:37