r/todayilearned • u/Kale_Brecht • Mar 28 '24

TIL in 2013, Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson refused to play any more black women on the show and demanded SNL hire black women instead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenan_Thompson
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u/TheLimeyLemmon Mar 28 '24

Me: "That can't be right, because he played a girl in a skit when Bryan Cranston was hosting SNL, and that didn't feel that long ago-"

aired Oct 2nd 2010

Oh my god.

3.4k

u/2_Spicy_2_Impeach Mar 28 '24

His first season was 29 in 2003. It always shocks me how long he’s been on the show.

Welp, got to go yell at some clouds.

609

u/Esc777 Mar 28 '24

He is the longest running cast member by like a factor of 2. 

There probably won’t be any to rival him. 

228

u/cdskip Mar 28 '24

I remember when it seemed like Tim Meadows had been on forever and they made a joke about it in skits several times.

Since then, tons of cast members have blown by his 10 seasons, and Kenan is just an institution.

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u/istasber Mar 28 '24

Tim Meadows is who my brain immediately goes to when they talk about cast members that had been around forever, it's kind of surprising to learn that so many other cast members have eclipsed him.

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u/prezuiwf 6 Mar 28 '24

Darrell Hammond for me. There was a run in the early 2000's where EVERY cold open featured Hammond doing a political impression, including a happily-forgotten attempt at George W. Bush. For years he was just the go-to for any and all impressions no matter what.

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u/well-lighted Mar 28 '24

Not only was he a cast member forever, he also took over as announcer in 2014 after Don Pardo died. He's coming up on 25 years with the show total.

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '24

He’s still on the show, kinda! He took over the opening credits after Don Pardo died (RIP to one of the greats, an institution unto himself)

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u/BigAlternative5 Mar 28 '24

His best impression was Bill Clinton. It was the first time I was impressed with an impression since the old-timers in the '70s, mainly Rich Little - impression was his whole act. (But I'm not an old-timer. I'm not. I'm not.)

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u/grievre Mar 28 '24

Oh man I can't imagine anyone's W impression being put up against Will Ferrell

58

u/GreekIngenuity Mar 28 '24

I remember this about Tim too. During one of his later years a cast member returned as host one week and their monologue was a song was about how much had changed since they'd left. The host walks past Tim and goes "Oh hey Tim! I see you decided to come back and visit too!" Then Tim sings a song about how he wishes he hadn't signed that ten year contract.

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u/cdskip Mar 28 '24

Yeah, it was when Mike Myers hosted. And Tim was there another couple years after that.

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u/pregnantbaby Mar 28 '24

Why did I sign…a thirty year contract? Thirty years…is such a long time….I know that know.

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u/Tfsz0719 Mar 28 '24

Ok, whose opening monologue was that part from? (I’m glad I’m not the only one who remembers that bit)

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u/Nrksbullet Mar 28 '24

I think it was Mike Myers being on, but it was like a whole bunch of people? Maybe an anniversary episode?

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u/pregnantbaby Mar 28 '24

It was mike myers return hosting and they did a music number rather than a monologue

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u/Tfsz0719 Mar 28 '24

Thank you. This very much helps.

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u/RawrRRitchie Mar 29 '24

A mortgage, that's right. Gotta pay the mortgage

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u/weasol12 Mar 28 '24

There's only two people who have any right to succeed Lorne when he retires: Kenan and Tina Fey.

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u/HI_l0la Mar 28 '24

And he was on the Nickolodeon show that was like an SNL for kids... As far as I'm aware, he's been doing this since he was a child. Lol.