Think back to your childhood. TV shows probably took up a huge chunk of your time, which, unlike now, didn’t matter. Remember shows like “All That,” “The Amanda Show” and “Kenan and Kel?” What do these classic Nickelodeon shows have in common? Answer: Kenan Thompson. He made you laugh in the ‘90s and he still does today in 2009. Continuing his tradition of comedic excellence, Thompson’s career path has led him to become one of the lead cast members on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
In a recent interview with The Eagle, Thompson said he became aware of “SNL” when Eddie Murphy was a cast member.
“I’ve been watching all through the late ‘80s and ‘90s, so I think [SNL] had a large impact on my life,” Thompson said.
As an “SNL” cast member, Thompson explained, playing various roles continues to be tough.
“It’s a challenge to go on live television every week, to come up with new material every week, and to keep it current,” he said. “It’s kind of a stressful environment.”
“SNL” is filmed and produced differently than many other shows because the cast and crew only have a week to write and produce their skits. Thompson said he still gets nervous before a show goes live.
“The countdown from 11:25 to 11:30, that’s crunch time,” Thompson told The Eagle. “Especially if you’re in the opening, then you really feel it.”
Thompson is famous for his various impersonations on “SNL.” Although he stressed that his favorite person to impersonate is Al Roker, some of his hilarious and more popular characters are Virginiaca Hastings, DJ Dynasty Handbag — the DJ on “Deephouse Dish” — and Jean K. Jean, who appears occasionally on “Weekend Update.”
“I mean, you try to go with something that’s familiar to people so they can jump on board [and laugh],” Thompson said of impersonations. “It’s really hard to mimic someone who talks regularly, like me. There’s nothing funny about that.”
The upcoming season of “Saturday Night Live” will mark the show’s 35th anniversary of being on the air, and it promises to be an exciting one.
“[We’ve got] U2 and Megan Fox,” Thompson said of the opening show. “A super sexy lady on one hand, one of the more awesome rock bands on the other hand — it’s just going to be an exclusive show.”
Thompson spoke highly of his fellow cast and crew members and their preparation for the upcoming shows.
“Hopefully we’ll all have good energy,” he said. “We’ve all been together for so long now, and we’re all very close. We enjoy each other’s company. I get excited. We’re kickin’ it off with something like 11 shows in a row ... it’s a lifetime’s worth of comedy.”
One of “SNL’s” most popular sketches in recent years is the “Digital Short” phenomenon, in which Thompson has appeared a few times. He said that despite his status as a cast member, he still rarely knows what the “Shorts” team is working on before others. “I wish I knew,” Thompson said. “I know those guys are working hard; they barely came out of the office yesterday. I mean ... we all wait ‘til the last minute — you got to keep it current.”
Recent controversy has surrounded “SNL” due to the cutting of Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson from the cast. Several gossip sites reported that Wilson was fired for failing to lose weight, though Wilson later refuted this in an exclusive statement to “People” magazine.
“I’m not quite sure at all [what happened],” Thompson said of Wilson leaving the show. “I’m sure that’s between the heads of the show. [Wilson] was super great and we all love her performances.” However, Thompson is expecting two new cast members and is very enthusiastic about them.
Since Amy Poehler left her post as “SNL” cast member last season (she will still be writing for the show), there has been talk of Thompson joining cast mate Seth Meyers for the popular “Weekend Update” sketch.
“I’m down,” Thompson said. “If they want me to do it, I’ll do it. We haven’t really discussed that this year. But I remember when we had the auditions when Seth [Meyers] took over. If they bring it back up, I’m down!”
The new season of “Saturday Night Live” premieres Sept. 26 at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
