- 20 hours ago
Kenan Thompson's antics on SNL have given us some unforgettable moments of hilarity. From locker room pep talks to gospel brunch mishaps, Kenan’s rare breaks in character have elevated sketches beyond the script, creating truly iconic bits. Join us as we dive into the funniest times he couldn’t keep it together, spreading joy and laughter in every scene he touches!
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00:00And you're wanted in Pennsylvania for kidnapping.
00:03So it's still kidnapping if I bring him back.
00:05Okay, that's my bad.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for the rare moments
00:11when Kenan Thompson broke character on SNL and elevated the entire sketch.
00:16Because in prison, you'll be professing your love of nuts, all right?
00:23Number 10. Locker Room Motivation.
00:26Without a doubt, the sketch is completely stolen by Will Forte,
00:29who is later joined by host Peyton Manning.
00:32It begins, like nearly all SNL sketches, on a normal note,
00:36as a down-on-their-luck basketball team returns to their locker room at halftime.
00:40Come on, sit your buns back down.
00:43Okay, we can't just give up.
00:46But coach, these guys are so good.
00:49And I'm very, very scared of them.
00:51While the team captain seems ready to throw in the towel,
00:54their coach, played by Forte,
00:56decides to lift their spirits with a story about an underdog team
00:59that eventually won thanks to, of all things, a song.
01:02And all I ask of you is to listen to this song once
01:06and then decide if you want to run home with your tails between your legs
01:10or if you want to go back out there
01:12and kick the snot out of those bastards.
01:15Once Forte begins busting his moves,
01:18the whole room and the audience completely loses it.
01:21And it's made all the better by Kenan Thompson
01:23and trying to hide his laughter by burying his face in his towel.
01:37Number 9. Gospel Brunch
01:39The sketch puts a hilarious spin on Food Network shows
01:42with Kenan Thompson and Leslie Jones
01:44playing two TV personalities hosting a Gospel Brunch-themed cooking hour.
01:48Seems like there's a new case of heart disease
01:52or diabetes every week around here.
01:54Well, I don't know where it could be coming from.
01:57Well, today we're going to be making our honey-buttered fried pork casserole.
02:02Not only do they completely disregard every healthy option,
02:05but they also have no patience for anyone who refuses to fall in line with the theme of the show.
02:10Praise Jesus. That sounds delicious.
02:12Let's praise them together.
02:14Oh, gosh. You know what? I would, but I'm an atheist.
02:20Oh. Melissa Malik, everybody.
02:23After giving their first guest the boot,
02:25they welcome host Amy Schumer's Southern chef
02:27who showcases her healthy smoothies made with a whole pecan pie.
02:31But when the prop blender malfunctions,
02:33Thompson and Jones can't help but let a few laughs escape.
02:36You've got more healthy tips for us.
02:38You know I do.
02:39But before we get into that,
02:41we're going to take a moment to acknowledge the friends who passed from heart disease.
02:47They're able to keep it together in the end,
02:50but the audience sure ate it all up with a pecan pie smoothie to boot.
02:54Number 8. Morning News.
02:56In this cut-for-time sketch,
02:58Kenan Thompson and Cecily Strong play TV anchors
03:00trying to keep things business as usual in the wake of the Ferguson protests.
03:04The hosts avoid putting on their usually cheerful tone,
03:07but everything they say and do still ends up coming across as wildly inappropriate.
03:12Downtown on December 9th, the Blackies are perform-
03:14I'm sorry, the Blackies.
03:16I'm so- I'm truly sorry.
03:17I'm going to continue speaking quickly so I don't think about that moment.
03:21Things only get worse when they launch into a cooking segment
03:24with a chef whose name brings up some bad feelings about the Ferguson case.
03:28Your name is Daryl Wilson?
03:29Yeah, not that, you know.
03:32Anyway, do you want to...
03:33They're leaving.
03:36Towards the end,
03:38when host James Franco runs in to declare that he is indeed the victim,
03:42Thompson can barely keep it together and has to look away.
03:45I, Daryl Wilson, am the victim here.
03:54Please tell me I heard that wrong.
03:56If this had made it to air, it undoubtedly would have killed even more.
04:00Number 7.
04:01Choreographers
04:02Not many SNL cast members can make Kenan Thompson break character without fail,
04:07but Maya Rudolph seems to have the magic touch.
04:09She proved it yet again when she returned to host in season 46
04:13and appeared in a sketch alongside Thompson.
04:16What?
04:17Are you serious?
04:18He's a hack.
04:20He's a quack.
04:21And he's got a bad back.
04:22The two play rival choreographers trying to make amends and bury a few lingering feelings.
04:27Almost as soon as Rudolph enters the scene, Thompson begins to crack.
04:31And by the time she breaks into dance, he's barely hanging on.
04:35Bah, bah, bah, bah, bah.
04:39Cook.
04:39All right.
04:42That is it, Katank.
04:44It gets so contagious that the other cast members and extras in the scene couldn't keep
04:48straight faces.
04:49And if you thought that would be the end, Thompson completely unravels later on while delivering
04:54a dramatic confession of love to Rudolph's character.
04:57Yes, I want to be on you like food on a plate.
05:01Oh, like when I used to go into the chicken coop without my skirt.
05:07Number 6.
05:08Castrati.
05:09Prince Enzo, I have come up with a little loot, but I got a three neck, so you can really shred.
05:18Maya Rudolph also pops up in this season 50 sketch, but for once, she isn't the reason
05:23Kenan Thompson breaks character.
05:25That credit goes to fellow alum Andy Samberg.
05:27In the sketch, Rudolph and Samberg play a pair of Italian parents during the Renaissance
05:32era who proudly parade their son's special singing ability, courtesy of a rather unusual
05:37procedure.
05:38Antonio is what we're calling a castrato.
05:41It's a new technique we've been experimenting with.
05:44Yeah, it's nothing crazy.
05:46You just castrate your son before at the puberty so he's a voice I never draw.
05:51As they try to pitch their idea to the prince, he and his court pepper them with questions.
05:55When it gets to Thompson's turn, Samberg unexpectedly calls him by his real name, causing him to
06:00momentarily slip.
06:02And I have a question as well.
06:04Ah, yes, Kenan.
06:10Does Antonio write to do music also?
06:14Something tells us Maya Rudolph may have coached Samberg on that little trick.
06:18Number 5.
06:19Scared Straight.
06:20SNL 50.
06:21For the SNL 50th Anniversary special, the show revived the classic Scared Straight sketch,
06:26more than a decade after its last outing.
06:29This time, Kenan Thompson appeared alongside Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell as prisoners trying
06:33to straighten out some wayward teens.
06:35You must be out your mind.
06:38Because in prison, there'll be a dude entering your chamber's secrets.
06:42He'll be sniffing right into your ass caban.
06:45Now, when you're sharing a scene with such heavy hitters, cracking up is basically inevitable,
06:51and Thompson didn't stand a chance.
06:53As soon as Will Ferrell walked in, he was already gone, and the audience loved every second of it.
06:58No one else is wearing their spring uniform.
07:01Who the hell is this guy?
07:10Things only got wilder when Ferrell tripped over a few lines,
07:14sending both Thompson and Eddie Murphy into fits of giggles.
07:17If you're in prison, you're not going to be named Elf.
07:21You're not going to be an Elf named Buddy.
07:25You're not.
07:26No, no.
07:27Honestly, judging by Ferrell's track record,
07:29we wouldn't be surprised if he changed his outfit just before the live broadcast.
07:34Number 4.
07:35Courtroom.
07:36This is an Instagram story posted by Mr. Miller on the date and question.
07:41Love Instagram!
07:43We have Jurassic World right now!
07:45What is it?
07:45All right, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
07:47This sketch about a man suing Jurassic World after his friends are killed
07:50rests almost entirely on the shoulders of host Donald Glover.
07:53As the park's lawyer, Glover delivers a performance so absurd it borders on genius.
07:59Yeah, T-Rex grabbed my friend Rachel and swallowed her without biting like you would take a Tylenol.
08:05Objection, Your Honor.
08:06The T-Rex is a good guy now.
08:08It is consistently saving the day.
08:11Sustained!
08:12His arguments are so ridiculously funny that Kenan Thompson teeters right on the edge of breaking character.
08:18At one point, after delivering what he clearly thinks is his knockout line,
08:21he casually sits down and pours himself a glass of water,
08:25nearly sending Thompson into a meltdown.
08:29This court is adjourned!
08:36Well, the court is not adjourned because this was not a mistrial.
08:41Naturally, this only makes the audience laugh even harder.
08:44You can tell from Glover's smirk that he knew exactly what he was doing.
08:48Number 3.
08:49The Muppet Show.
08:50At first glance, this doesn't necessarily look like the kind of sketch that would make Kenan Thompson break.
08:55But when you put an improv performer as skilled as Keegan-Michael Key beside him,
09:00you never quite know what to expect.
09:02Not gonna tell you again, fellas!
09:03Just shut up!
09:06What happens next is up to you!
09:08Thompson and Key play two bouncers at a live performance of The Muppet Show,
09:12trying to keep some rowdy hecklers in check.
09:14Cracks first begin to appear in Thompson's composure when Key refers to Kermit the Frog as a dragon.
09:19But he manages to stay intact.
09:21Everybody here paid good money to hear this little dragon and his friends do their thing.
09:29So please let them do their thing without talking!
09:32However, when attempting to intervene in a chaotic situation between Key's character and the disruptive Muppets,
09:38Thompson's composure completely shatters.
09:40And the break is glorious.
09:42Just over here being disrespectful.
09:44Yeah, just drink some water, man, and cool off.
09:47Okay.
09:48Woo!
09:49Woo!
09:50Yeah, okay.
09:51I'll go get some water.
09:53Alright.
09:53Number 2.
09:54Sexual Harassment Charlie.
09:56I just want to say to all of you that I am deeply and truly sorry for anything inappropriate that I may have done while working here.
10:03Yeah, my bad.
10:04Do we react to sexual harassment differently depending on who it comes from?
10:08That's the premise of this sketch about Charlie, a folksy, old-timey front desk guy who has to apologize to his colleagues for supposedly harassing them.
10:16Woman, you are thicker than a bowl of biscuit batter.
10:18Won't you make old Charlie a pair with extra jelly?
10:21Then I did a little dance.
10:23Told you not to hurt nobody with that thing.
10:24It was inappropriate.
10:25That's my bad.
10:26Throughout the sketch, Kenan Thompson plays Charlie as a giggly, lovable goof.
10:30But you can still tell when he genuinely loses it.
10:33Right at the end, it's revealed that Charlie wasn't actually fired for sexual harassment, but for stealing company property and hiding a criminal record.
10:41This revelation is what causes Thompson to break character.
10:44What?
10:45Clarence, we're stealing them?
10:48Yeah.
10:49Remarkably, his break also sets off Beck Bennett, marking one of the rare instances Bennett ever lost it on camera.
10:57Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
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11:13Number 1.
11:14What up with that?
11:15Samuel L. Jackson and Carrie Brownstein.
11:17When you have Samuel L. Jackson on your terrain, you can bet you're getting at least one curse word.
11:31And during this edition of What Up With That, we got multiple.
11:34After his big introduction, Jackson tries to talk about his charity, only to be cut off by Kenan Thompson's DeAndre, along with his over-the-top singers and dancers.
11:43Okay, that's how it is. Now, I'm trying to talk about helping people here. So, don't you dare cut me off.
11:50I won't cut you off, but I got you to stand.
11:53By the time the music break finally wraps, Jackson's patience is gone and out come the swear words.
11:59This catches Thompson by surprise and causes him to momentarily break character, which only makes the crowd lose it even more.
12:06I want to thank my guest, the incredible Samuel L. Jackson.
12:09Man, hey! Also, come on, Sam.
12:15It's a book.
12:16Come on now. That costs money.
12:20Thompson later revealed that the first curse word was scripted, but the second was pure, unfiltered Samuel L. Jackson.
12:27What's your favorite Kenan Thompson character break? Let us know in the comments below.
12:31We'll see you next time.
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