SNL star Kenan Thompson explains when you can start thinking about leaving the NBC sketch show

It is rarely a happy occasion when Live Saturday night is losing fan-favorite cast members, and this latest round of releases has been particularly brutal. Last month, NBC’s staple says goodbye to Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon , Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney. While every star has been on the show for a considerable amount of time, none of them have come close to the all-time milestone set by Kenan Thompson. The veteran continues to be one of the stars of the show but, following the recent cast exodus, he is confronted when he might begin to seriously consider his own exit.

Kenan Thompson has seen and done a lot in his 19-season career. He has performed alongside many peers SNLers and has worked with countless guest stars (including suspected bomb thrower F Samuel L. Jackson ). Consequently, he reached the milestone of 1,500 sketches during the recently concluded season 47. Considering everything he’s done, you’d think he’d be ready to hang up after all this time. However, as he explained Eastern time won’t start thinking about his future until the series hits a major milestone:

It seems the beloved entertainer is looking forward to his 50th golden season, and after that, it’s time to close the day. The fact that he wants to stay until the year of the celebration is completely understandable. It’s too early to say what might be in store, but based on the celebration of Season 40 several years ago, there may be at least one other special anniversary in the works. Also, being able to say you were inside SNL at such an important moment in their history it would certainly be something we could be proud of.

But those badges of honor aren’t what drives Kenan Thompson, as the star explained in early 2021. Why did he stay on the show so long? . He explained that he liked the unique setting and the fact that he was working on a comedy series, something that has become a novelty in recent years. The power of a live audience can’t really be underestimated and, after all these years, Thompson is still more than capable of entertaining those who make the trip to 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

the star, that he became famous along with Kel Mitchell and more on Nickelodeon, is part of a growing trend that sees stars stick with the institution of comedy for longer periods of time. East in fact it was recently pointed out by David Spade , who starred on the show for six seasons in the 1990s. Explaining why he left when he did, Spade said he found that doing the show was “hard on the brain and hard on the body”. He doubled down on those comments saying it was “a hard place to live”.

Many recent stars have talked about the intense atmosphere that comes with acting. SNL, but Kenan Thompson definitely looks like a pro at this point. Honestly, he’s going to be bittersweet when he finally decides to step down, but in the meantime it’s nice to know we can see him on the show for at least a few more years.

You can see Kenan Thompson’s best moments in Live Saturday night stream past episodes with Peacock size .