To say that Kenan Thompson is a pro when it comes to performing Saturday Night Live sketches would be a gross understatement. As it stands, Thompson is the longest-running cast member in SNL history, and he’s quite proud of that milestone. He’s made fans laugh by way of a number of live (and pre-recorded) segments for the NBC show. Thompson certainly has the comedic chops, and he’s also skilled in the art of not breaking character. On that note, the beloved comic shared how he manages to keep his giggles amid tapings.
Because Thompson has been part of some of the funniest SNL sketches to ever make it to the air, it’s quite impressive that viewers rarely ever see him lose his composure. It seems there’s a specific reason for that, though. Thompson recently caught up with People, during which he discussed his tenure on the TV institution as well as his formative years as a child star. When asked about his tendency to not break amid sketches, Thompson revealed his strategy:
I've tried to pick my moments when I'm off camera to kind of let the release valve go a little bit and laugh at things and get back into professional mode when it snaps back.
Usually, actors try to make the most out of the moments in which they’re in front of the camera. However, it sounds like the All That icon relishes the moments at which he isn’t seen on SNL so that he can let out a chuckle or two. That’s a good idea if you ask me, and it definitely explains why the camera rarely ever catches Thompson cracking up. Still, the star is also aware of the fact that this plan can backfire, as he shared another very important point related to production:
But you have to be careful with that because, you know, it's live TV, so different buttons get pushed sometimes and the camera might cut to you ... you kind of have to stay present as much as possible, but I mean, I also enjoy what I'm doing and I enjoy the people I'm doing it with and I enjoy the reasons why.
Anything can happen on a live show, for better or worse. It would definitely be easy for a crew member to slip up and accidentally hit a button that cuts away to someone who’s not supposed to be on camera. It’s easy to imagine that the notion of such a mistake happening is enough to keep Thompson – as well as his fellow SNL cast members – on their toes.
Seriously, though, Kenan Thompson has had opportunities to take part in some truly hilarious Saturday Night Live bits. What Up with That? – for which Thompson plays recurring character Diondre Cole – would be enough to make me laugh at times. Of course, then there’s also the famous Beavis and Butt-Head sketch (which notably broke Heidi Gardner). Thompson also kept his composure during that 50th anniversary sketch with Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell.
Thompson has certainly come a long way from his first SNL audition, and it continues to be a pleasure watching him on the show. And, moving forward, whenever I watch Thompson, I’ll be thinking about his approach to keeping himself in character. Check out Saturday Night Live when it airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams with a Peacock subscription.
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