After two decades of laughs, Kenan Thompson admits the thought of leaving “Saturday Night Live” feels emotional, scary, and deeply personal.
For more than 20 years, Kenan Thompson has been one of the steady hearts of Saturday Night Live.
Now, the longest-running cast member in the show’s history is openly acknowledging something fans have long wondered about: what happens when his time at Studio 8H finally ends?
In a recent conversation with People, Thompson didn’t hide his feelings. The idea of leaving, he said plainly, “is gonna suck.” For him, SNL isn’t just a job or a stage—it’s a community built over decades.
While viewers see sketches and punchlines, Thompson says the real weight comes from the countless relationships formed behind the scenes.
“There are so many layers,” he explained, pointing to the crew members, writers, and performers who have shared years of late nights and creative pressure together. Walking away from that, he admits, won’t be easy.
That emotional attachment makes it even harder when he watches others leave. Bowen Yang’s recent exit hit close to home, reminding Thompson that change is inevitable.
While he supports cast members moving on, he confessed that he hasn’t yet found peace with the idea of being the one to say goodbye.
“I’m dreading the moment,” Thompson said, adding that the day could overwhelm him. After more than two decades, SNL has become a defining part of his identity—something he never imagined when he joined the show in 2003 during season 29.
Looking back, Thompson still sounds amazed that he got the job at all. What began as an opportunity turned into a life-shaping experience, one that grew far beyond expectations.
This isn’t the first time he’s shared his mixed emotions. In a 2018 interview, Thompson spoke about the balance between staying and making room for new voices. He admitted that year was the first time he felt he could leave—though fear held him back.
For now, Thompson remains where he’s been for decades: making people laugh, mentoring new talent, and quietly carrying the weight of an eventual farewell.
When that moment comes, it won’t just mark the end of an era for SNL—it will close a deeply personal chapter in Kenan Thompson’s life.
PHOTO CREDIT: Instagram/@ibogard
