Longest-Running "SNL" Cast Member Kenan Thompson Was Asked To Try Stand-Up Before Landing Gig

by
This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

It's no secret that joining the "Saturday Night Live" cast is not an easy process, so how did the longest-running cast member, Kenan Thompson, secure his spot?

"Well, I had to do stand-up and [I had] never done stand-up before," Kenan tells Rach.

Granted, Kenan was a child actor who starred in various commercials and Nickelodeon's hit show, "All That," of course! But when it came to stand-up comedy, he wasn't a pro — yet!

So, the actor went to a comedy club in New York to perform, but he struggled with how to come up with bits off the top of his head.

How did he deal? By chugging water.

"I kept drinking water, but I was never quenching my thirst," Kenan says. "I was drinking out of the bathroom sink."

Can you imagine Kenan being that nervous? We can't!

"It worked out, I got the job," the star says. "But yeah, it was terrifying."

16 years strong? Yeah, we'd agree that it worked out!

You Might Like