6 2 | s o u t h e r n l i v i n g | j a n u a r y 2 0 1 5 interview by Lacy Morris~ photograph by robbie caponetto

Kenan Thompson

Working at SNL is incredible. It’s

all surreal. I walk past the headshot

wall every day. Eventually I get to

mine, and it’s just mind-boggling.

It’s an awesome accomplishment

to hold the record for the most

celebrity impersonations; I should

celebrate it more. In my mind, I’m

up there just having a good time.

It’s not like I overly study these

HOME BASE: Tampa, by way of Atlanta OCCUPATION: Actor and comedian WHAT’S ON HIS PLATE: The 40th anniversary of TV’s

Saturday Night Live (NBC) and being a first-time dad after the recent birth of his baby girl, Georgia THE REAL KENAN: “I am very quiet.

Not shy, just more so observant of the situation.”

people I’m doing impressions of;

it’s just my take on them in my

mind. To make that funny to

people—that’s an awesome thing.

Every SNL skit is a triumph,

but “What Up With That?” was

definitely a favorite. I’m in my 12th

year, and I still want to pat myself

on the back a little bit when I give

them something they can use.

I like to laugh, but it’s

not like I tell jokes

necessarily. Things strike

me as funny when I’m

watching TV and give

me an idea. I enjoy when

a funny moment arises

naturally. My daughter,

Georgia, really makes

me laugh. She started

that very early on. I think

she could [be a come-

dian]. We’ll see.

My mama taught me

my manners. It’s hard to

work with lots of different

kinds of people without

them. You can have your

personality, and that’s

cool, but when you’re

from the South, you

respect everybody. She

always taught me to be

very polite. If you ask

people who really know

me, manners—and

having a love for family—

come first.

My last meal would be

a cheeseburger of some

sort. I was a fast food kid

growing up. [These

days] people want to eat

good food and know

where it’s coming from—it’s not

just fast food or soul food.

Speaking properly and being

educated were very important to

my mama. I let her down because I

left college. It’s not my fault. It is

my fault, but it’s not. I went to film

school for like 2 1/2 years, and it

was just way too hard. I was

working the mornings and going

to school at night. After 2 1/2 years,

they told me I was still a freshman,

and I was like, “Okay, well, this is

not working out.”

Being from Atlanta means

everything to me. It’s amazing

that Atlanta had its time in hip-hop

like it did, a real reckoning with

street and whatnot. Everybody

who grew up in that era is so

proud of that. I remember

always going somewhere like a

restaurant turned into a nightclub,

and somebody would perform.

The place would go crazy, and

then we’d go to Waffle House

after. We did that for years, and

then all of a sudden it became a

real business.

I cannot cook. Under surveillance,

yes, if [my wife] is telling me what

to do. But as far as looking in the

fridge and then coming up with

something, I’m not good at it.

Since becoming a father, I’ve

become insanely more focused.

I thought I was focused before,

but there are so many things to

remember now. And I’ve embraced

the mornings. I thought I would

miss sleep a lot more than I do

because I used to hate the morning.

But now it’s kind of beautiful

and it’s quiet and people are

in good spirits. There’s no stress

yet. I’ll take Georgia out and let

her mom sleep, get those extra

couple minutes. It’s an interesting

perspective.

“Y’all come back now” is a good

expression. That and, “God bless

your soul, God bless your mind,

your heart, and your body.”

t r a v e l + c u l t u r e p a p e r n a p k i n i n t e r v i e w

“if you ask peopLe who

reaLLy know Me, Manners—

and having a Love for

faMiLy—coMe first.”