Throughout Saturday Night Live’s incredible 50-season run, the variety sketch series has seen so many comedians come and go. However, Kenan Thompson has been a staple in the ensemble since 2003, making him the longest-running cast member on SNL. It’s honestly hard to believe that he’s been on the show for over 20 years now, however, his sweet post confirmed that he has indeed been there for over two decades.
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 caption, he said that while he could think of a million “Reasons to Love New York,” one of “the best has gotta be the 20+ years I’ve spent on #SNL!!!” Take a look:
Twenty-one years on Saturday Night Live is a pretty remarkable feat, and even though he has been on the show for what feels like forever, there’s no indication that he plans on leaving. While that could obviously change, for now, it seems like he’s as grateful as ever to be in the good company of some other SNL legends.
Since Thompson has been on the show for over two decades, he has some pretty crazy stories. Like the time he partied too hard with Amy Poehler and Will Forte and had to film an SNL sketch hungover or the story about one of his most iconic sketches, "What's Up With That?" having Saoirse Ronan in the audience during its debut.
He was one of the youngest SNL stars when he was hired at 25, and he is still a fan favorite. As with any cast exit, it’s hard to imagine the show without them. However -- and I mean this -- when Thompson does eventually leave SNL, it will really feel like someone very important is missing, because he will be.
Thankfully, we don't need to think about that, because he's still going strong on the show. Back in 2022, he revealed why he still gets excited about each new season of SNL, saying it’s “always new.” Sure, there are definitely some sketches that get repeated, but for the most part, it’s always changing. You never know what sketches will make the cast break or which ones will be slightly bizarre, but that’s what makes it entertaining. Plus, that's likely part of the reason why this comedian has been playing on the show for over 20 years.
Even though the cast changes every season and you never know who could exit or who will join, being able to look forward to Keanan Thompson has been a constant for what feels like forever. I really hope that he stays on for as long as possible, but at the very least, fans can watch all of his seasons with a Peacock subscription.