‘Look At How Bright Those Are!’ Kenan Thompson Talks Being On The SNL Stage With Eddie Murphy (And Will Ferrell’s Booty Shorts)

Despite Saturday Night Live seeing multiple departures for Season 51, its longest-tenured cast member is still kicking. Kenan Thompson joined the series in 2003, meaning he is entering his 23^rd year on the program that's airing its 51st season on the 2026 TV schedule. He doesn’t seem to be eager to leave, either. However, even considering his SNL career, Thompson still gets star-struck when it comes to working with some of the show's greats who came before him, such as Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell (and his booty shorts).

SNL’s three-hour 50^th anniversary celebration special last year brought out the big guns, with dozens of past cast members, hosts, and musical guests, bringing back plenty of old fan-favorite sketches. One of those sketches was “Scared Straight,” which made its debut in 2008 and hadn’t been seen since 2012. It was one of two sketches that Thompson did with Murphy, along with Black Jeopardy. While on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Thompson praised Murphy, calling him legendary and recalling how he never thought he’d be close to him, let alone acting with him. And when it came to “Scared Straight,” he was still singing his praises:

Murphy is arguably one of the most famous comedians to come out of Saturday Night Live. He’s had many memorable characters, including Gumby and Mr. Robinson, so for Thompson to be in not one but two sketches with him for a milestone anniversary seems to be a dream for him. Of course, Murphy had previously hosted SNL in 2019, so it’s not like that was the first time Thompson worked with him. However, even though they’re friends, it’s still a surreal thing to work with him, and I can’t say I blame him.

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell was also in the “Scared Straight” sketch, meaning Thompson was able to work alongside another SNL legend. The Kenan and Kel star recalled what it was like when the Elf actor rolled into the sketch with his very interesting costume, and I can’t stop laughing thinking about the booty shorts:

Scared Straight – SNL50 - YouTube

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Ferrell is known for having some unique costumes on Saturday Night Live, notably with his outfit for the iconic “Cowbell” sketch, which he actually had changed between the dress rehearsal and live show. But for “Scared Straight,” he opted to wear booty shorts, and it was certainly a highlight for the night, which probably helped with nerves for everyone involved.

Working with greats like Murphy and Ferrell is definitely a “pinch me” moment, and Thompson doesn’t seem to be taking it for granted. He assumes that he’ll still be around for the 60^th anniversary, but hopefully, we don’t have to wait another 10 years to get the three of them together again in one sketch.

Now, to see Thompson in action with the current cast, you can catch new episodes of SNL every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC or wth a Peacock subscription.