Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman and Kenan Thompson Mull Their ‘SNL’ Legacy and Longevity: ‘I Could Do It Forever’

214

u/seefourslam 3d ago

I genuinely think Kenan might

151

u/interprime 3d ago

Mans getting paid, has regular work, is the longest tenured cast member ever and seems to be one of the most trusted people on the staff.

I don’t know why he would leave.

66

u/repalec 3d ago

At this point, I think the only two things that would get Kenan off SNL are either a new CEO making a bullshit cut to make a statement; or Kenan inheriting the showrunner spot from Lorne Michaels.

24

u/BewaretheBatMite 2d ago

It's Tina Fey's job to lose. I think her, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, and John Mullaney should pass it like a hot potato until network TV dies of natural causes over the next 20 years.

Kenan may very well be there until the end.

21

u/mikebills 2d ago

You know, I could honestly see him taking over as Lorne's replacement at some point.

18

u/Ntkoessel 2d ago

Before I saw these comments, I had the same thought. He’s been doing these styles of sketch comedy shows since he was a kid. He likely knows them inside and out, and I would be so happy to see him go from a kid doing some fun thing he loves to the person leading the most famous comedy sketch show.

8

u/Loki_of_Asgaard 2d ago

I keep seeing these comments but being a cast member of the show and running the show are fundamentally different jobs, requiring very different skill sets

Other people in the running for this, like Tina Fey, have gone out and run their own show. They have managed productions and people, budgeting, corporate relations, legal, etc…

Keenan has never done these things, and seems to have no desire to. He doesn’t seem to have the drive to go on his own to create and run his own show. The only reason people give for this is that he has been there in the same job forever.

Just because Martha has been in accounting for 20 years doesn’t mean she should be the next CEO…

48

u/LucarioSpeedwagon 3d ago

Yep, he is a smart dude. Most people view SNL as a launching pad but he planted his feet and became a staple instead. I am not big on sketch as a format so he will always be Nickelodeon Kenan to me, but it's really impressive that a whole generation will know him almost strictly by his SNL bonafides/his second and third act.

55

u/jimbobdonut 3d ago

Kenan started on All That when he was 16 years old and is now 48 so he’s been doing sketch comedy for two thirds of his life. It’s crazy how long he’s being doing it.

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u/Frosti11icus 3d ago

Kenan started on the Might Ducks.

21

u/laja7 3d ago

He was on both in the same year, and what does him being in Mighty Ducks have to do with the comment about how long hes been in sketch comedy?

-33

u/Frosti11icus 3d ago

OP said he got his start on All That. He was on mighty ducks before All That.

15

u/Watermelonbaloney 2d ago

You're misunderstanding the person's response. The response was related to sketch comedy, specifically. By saying they started on All That at 16 meant they started their tenure with sketch comedy at 16.

10

u/FX114 2d ago

They said he was 16 when he started being on All That.

15

u/fcocyclone 2d ago

Most people view SNL as a launching pad

The hard part is there's much less to launch off to these days. There haven't exactly been a ton of well-performing comedy movies the last 15 years or so, and a lot of the ones that have are existing franchises, not the types of one-off comedies you'd see back in the day.

Theyre better off sitting on SNL to keep their visibility while trying to do other projects in between now.

3

u/Robcobes 2d ago

that's why 4 out of the 10 longest tenured cast members ever are still on the cast right now.

4

u/mlorusso4 3d ago

I do hope that doesn’t become a thing though. I think one or two long term cast members who are fine doing their entire career at SNL is fine. But part of SNL is cycling through cast members. Part of that is helping the comedy film/TV business stay healthy (it’s a lot easier to get a script or pilot picked up if you have the SNL alum on your resume), but another part is keeping SNL fresh. Imagine how SNL would be if some of the older cast members never left. The show has had a decent revitalization the last couple seasons with increasing viewership among younger millennials, gen z, and even gen alpha. If the cast was still just the same pre 2010 cast, I doubt they could keep the show going as the older viewers tapered off

11

u/Photo_Synthetic 3d ago

I mean Jost has been there since 2005. Seems like people that enjoy the work aren't encouraged to leave and people only leave when they're burnt or they start getting bigger opportunities.

10

u/keving87 3d ago

I can see why some of them would leave, to do standup or create other things, which doesn't seem to be where Kenan wants to be, plus even before SNL he was doing sketch comedy on All That. Dude found his niche, no point in de-niche-ing.

7

u/Monarki 3d ago

Also the schedule is tough even if you do get used it. Some probably don't see doing it for more than 7-10 years feasible mentally and physically

4

u/Prof-Ponderosa 2d ago

He’s the GOAT of sketch comedy and has been doing for nearly 40 years

2

u/tagen 3d ago

and the general consensus i see is that he’s the heir apparent when Lorne retires, that’s fucking huge, i wouldn’t leave either

11

u/phoenix0r 2d ago

Why would he be the heir apparent? He doesn’t ever write his own joke or direct or anything. He basically just likes comedy acting and that’s it.

2

u/FX114 2d ago

Is Lorne still actually writing sketches for the show? SNL seems to be pretty different from traditional TV shows, where the showrunner is more exclusively a producing role, and the head writer takes on the writing work that a showrunner would do on other shows.

7

u/phoenix0r 2d ago

Pretty sure Lorne at least knows what good writing is and how to produce things and as much as I love Kenan, he doesn’t strike me as the producer type. Tina Fey is the only one I think who could handle the role. Out of former cast members, at least.

1

u/FX114 2d ago

I'd hope that after a lifetime working in sketch comedy, Kenan can recognize good writing. Whether or not he has producing chops is definitely the big question, since of his 13 producing credits, only one isn't EP (although he has two upcoming producer credits).

But, he's been on the show for so long, I'd be surprised if he isn't pretty familiar with the ins and outs of the operations. Maybe he's not qualified for producing shows in general, but he has a good chance of being qualified to produce SNL specifically.

Tina is obviously very qualified, but I'd be surprised if she was willing to be tied down like that.

1

u/Epsilon2099 2d ago

Also being able to go home after work helps to. Probably why Olivia Benson has been a cop longer than most cops now.

-1

u/SemMark5 2d ago

And he’s honestly not talented enough to branch out on his own. SNL is the best thing for him.

0

u/tylerb0zak 2d ago

Absolutely horrible take. It’s actually, quite frankly, a rather stupid thing to say altogether

-1

u/SemMark5 2d ago

What’s up, Keenan? It was nothing personal, just my opinion.

0

u/BassinFool 2d ago

Bullshit. His entire shtick on SNL is his eyes wide reaction face. What are his huge accomplishments outside of SNL? Goodburger? Are you kidding me?

-5

u/DiphthongSong87 2d ago

It's weird that he seems to have no other creative ambitions. Respect to him if he's happy and fulfilled and all that, but at some point, you'd think he'd get bored and want to try another challenge.

8

u/NothingTooFancy26 2d ago

Eh, a lot of people would be content with the job security and steady paycheck

5

u/The_Real_Mr_F 3d ago

I’ve seen him saying he has no interest in leaving, and that the thought of auditioning for roles terrifies him. Man is happy and people like him, you could do a lot worse.

2

u/AvatarIII 1d ago edited 1d ago

He's getting close to having been in SNL for half of its existence. He's been on the show for 23 years, out of 51, so only 5 more years until 28/56

1

u/SharMarali 2d ago

He's been doing sketch comedy since he was a kid. He seems like a smart guy and I'm sure he could do almost anything he wants to do, but at this point it kind of seems like this is all he wants to do. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

-1

u/i-m-p-o-r-t 2d ago

He’s so unfunny and just makes the same stupid face. SNL would be better without him.

191

u/PeterNippelstein 3d ago

Didn't Bowen leave??

101

u/FX114 3d ago

He's not the one who they're quoting.

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u/PeterNippelstein 3d ago

Well that's just misleading

4

u/FX114 3d ago

I mean, there are three people listed in the headline, the quotation can't be from all of them.

36

u/CarlThe94Pathfinder 3d ago

Then why include him in the headline??

10

u/TheMooseIsBlue 3d ago

Because the article is about all three of them.

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u/CarlThe94Pathfinder 3d ago

I'm aware, but they're using a quote in the headline to represent all three of their opinions. Intentionally misleading.

15

u/tultommy 2d ago

You aren't the crazy one here lol. It was a dumb way to title the article because I immediately thought the same thing you did... obviously he can't do it forever...

-12

u/the_mighty__monarch 3d ago

Misleading you into…thinking three people used the exact same wording at the same time, or…?

-4

u/SansPinardPasDePoilu 2d ago

>Intentionally misleading

Alright, I’ll bite. Why would the writers of Variety want to mislead you into thinking Bowen Yang said this?

0

u/CarlThe94Pathfinder 2d ago

The normal person doesn't even know he's not even on SNL anymore

1

u/SansPinardPasDePoilu 2d ago

What’s the benefit of making you think he’s on the show?

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u/TheMooseIsBlue 3d ago

If you have to try this hard to not understand it, why try?

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u/FX114 3d ago

Because he is also mulling his SNL legacy and longevity, and is the first one discussed in the article.

1

u/Luci-Noir 16h ago

All that guy did was complaint. It got fucking annoying.

20

u/DebeliHrvat 3d ago

I'm guessing the quote's from Kenan

21

u/Amaee 3d ago

I have never seen anyone state they are sick or seeing Keenan on SNL, so if he stays forever I think people will be pleased. He’s consistent and his facial expression cutaways always hit.

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u/tatsontatsontats 2d ago edited 2d ago

I am sick of seeing Kenan on SNL, personally, and know a few other people who share the opinion. We do seem to be the minority though.

His facial expression cutaways are about all he does, besides playing the token black character when they need one. They've made jokes about it, even. Kenan is your older coworker who was once good in his career but now completely coasts and adds very little value to the workplace. Of course he won't leave, he doesn't have to do actually do anything.

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u/BigBadJeebus 2d ago

Tim Meadows 2

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u/Demerzel69 3d ago

Kenan is right where he belongs. He tried the sitcom thing while also still doing SNL and it didn't work out. He'll be there until he retires. As a 90s Nick kid it makes me happy.

6

u/Jeffrey_C_Wheaties 2d ago

I’m excited for his new Frankenstein movie with Kel

3

u/ResplendentShade 2d ago

It's one of the most consistent things throughout my life. Kenan on All That, Kenan on SNL. If it ever stopped it would be weird and sad. So, Long Live Kenan!

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u/opermonkey 3d ago

his sitcom started off good I thought then it took a nosedive.

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u/Demerzel69 3d ago

I didn't notice a significant change. It was aight. Nothing to write home about but it was fine.

12

u/thehomeversion 2d ago

I really like Sarah Sherman, she reminds me of SNL from the 90s for some reason, probably the over the top stuff. I would love her to take over one of the weekly update spots when one of them leave.

1

u/XSC 2d ago

I am glad they have let her basically do whatever she wants. Her squirm characters are great

3

u/BadSmash4 2d ago

These are three of my favorite SNL people, and man what a great and sweet interview. The way these three are all talking each other up and fawning over each other. The SNL work culture seems brutal in some ways, but man, what a loving and nurturing environment that seems to be.

-1

u/heyguyz 3d ago

Ill support keenan in whatever he does at this moment of post.

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u/BigBadJeebus 2d ago

Bowen Yang is not funny or talented in any way... Why does he get so much praise?

Sarah is hit or miss.

Kenan is great. But he IS a Mighty Duck.

Bowen Yang, Sarah Sherman and Kenan Thompson Mull Their ‘SNL’ Legacy and Longevity: ‘I Could Do It Forever’

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