Kenan Thompson.Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Kenan Thompson’s long run onSaturday Night Livehas connected him with hundreds of cast members and hosts over the years, but there is still one person on his “cast bucket list.”
Ahead of the NBC late-night sketch show’s 48th season, Thompson spoke withEntertainment Weekly, revealing his regret that he andSNLalumTracy Morgannever officially got to work together on the series.
Thompson, 44, has been onSNLsince 2003, just missing Morgan’s run from 1996 to 2003. Morgan has, however, returned to the series several times since his departure, both as a host and guest, allowing for him and Thompson to appear in sketches together.
“That guy makes me laugh so much” Thompson said. “He’s been like a very close big brother, this whole kind of experience. And I’ve never witnessed anybody more naturally hilarious — like, just off the top of his head at any given hour, any given setting, you know what I’m saying?”
On a more serious note, Thompson shared how Morgan, 53, has “a heart of gold,” adding that, “he’s always had a kind of a big brother thing for me, you know — he’s very protective or wanting to give me knowledge and stuff like that.”
The comedian also noted that it would have been a lot of fun to “witness him in a work environment.”
“He’s one of those guys that you just got to start writing when he talks,” Thompson shared. “Because he’ll never come back to that idea again — he’s just spit-firing — so it’s on you to grab these things and then hold them and then reintroduce them to the world. But, man, he’s such a joy to be around.”
Kenan Thompson and Tracy Morgan.Will Heath/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
As for which former cast member he’d like to host his eventual final show with, Thompson had a few names that came to mind.
“The one cast member I would want to return for my final show question was answered whenEddie Murphyhosted, so now I have to think,” he said in a video that accompanied theEWinterview. “I’ve worked withWill Ferrellbecause he’s hosted. He was another one where I was just like, ‘I would just love to…’ but that’s happened a few times.”
“I haven’t met Cheri yet,” he continued. “I thinkCheri Oteriwould be very cool to be around. Every woman I’ve ever met fromSNLis insanely quick-witted, funny, smart, classy, gorgeous, like all of it. You know what I mean? It’s just a pleasure usually to be around them. So I would love to meet Cheri.”
Thompson — whohostedthe 74th PrimetimeEmmy Awardsearlier this month — previously told PEOPLE there’s “more” for him to do at the NBC series, which recently announced the departure ofseven cast membersand the addition offour newbiesahead of season 48.
“It’s always new every time,” he told PEOPLE and EW’s Emmys Red Carpet Live hosts Janine Rubenstein and Jeremy Parsons of what’s kept him coming back to the show for 20 seasons. “It’s exciting like that. It’s really exciting to find new, funny things, especially when you’re further down your tenure.”
RELATED VIDEO: Emmys Host Kenan Thompson Says There Is ‘Always More’ For Him to Do atSNL
Thehistory-makingSaturday Night Livestar also chatted with PEOPLE in June about his early career as an actor and how he transitioned into the world of comedy.
“Growing up, I was always given comic relief roles or lines in plays even if they were serious,” he said. “I guess because I have a cute face.”
Thompson credited his theater participation as a child for introducing him to a wide array of genres, but comedy was the one that stuck.
“I grew up doing theater,” he explained. “It’s a vast variety of things that you learn in the theater, like drama, some comedy, some Shakespeare,” he continues, “But when I started getting jobs, they just continued in the comedy direction, likeMighty Ducksand then Nickelodeon.”
He added: “And thenSNLfor sure was like the official stamp, like you’re a comedian. You can call yourself an actor, but you’re a comedian.”
Season 48 ofSaturday Night Livewill premiere Oct. 1 on NBC.
source: people.com
