Some people are just born to be performers. Just as screen legend Buster Keaton got his start as a child on the vaudeville stage as part of his family’s traveling troupe, so too has Kenan Thompson molded and expanded on his comedy from a very young age. First appearing on TV in the kid’s sketch series “All That” at age 16, Thompson would go on to co-lead the sitcom “Kenan & Kel” and co-star in films like “D2: The Mighty Ducks” and “Good Burger.” This all before landing the dream gig of “Saturday Night Live” in 2003. After 22 seasons, Thompson remains on the show and now holds the record for longest-running cast member, but has no plans to leave any time soon.
“I guess the only other milestone would be just to be the forever cast member,” Thompson said in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Just never leave the show.”
To hear him explain it, a number is just a number and after hitting 20 seasons on “SNL,” remaining with the show wasn’t about reaching another goal, but continuing to find joy in his work.
“Twenty was just such a thing that nobody had ever done. People had gotten into their teens before, but nobody had gotten all the way up to 20. And then I was close to doing it,” said Thompson. “Once I started getting into 17, I was like, well, if I can, I would love to stick around till 20. And now here we are at 22, so I don’t know.”
Much like octogenarian executive producer Lorne Michaels, Thompson is happy to “ride until the wheels fall off,” but has been experiencing health issues related to GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). Thompson started to notice problems when he began losing his voice, an unusual occurrence for someone who’d been performing for decades.
“I sing the warm-up before the show actually comes on, and that’s kind of my major gauge, whether or not I can talk normally afterwards. And that’s when I know if I’m in my better health zone or not,” Thompson told EW. “There were some cold opens where I was very raspy and hoarse and voice crackly because I had just finished singing and my throat hadn’t had a chance to calm down yet, but we had to go right into the show.”
This weekend’s episode of “SNL 50” marks a special occasion for Thompson, as the first host he ever got to perform with on the show, Jack Black, returns to host alongside musical guests Brandi Carlile and Elton John.
