We all know Kenan Thompson is one of the greatest greats of Saturday Night Live. He’s been on SNL longer than anyone else, he’s a comedic genius, and he’s still going strong. However, when I interviewed Bobby Moynihan, he told me one thing about his former castmate that I had never heard before, which makes him an even bigger legend.
So, this discussion all came up because in Moynihan’s new sitcom on the 2026 TV schedule, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, is a mockumentary that features tons of hilarious looks to the camera a la Jim in some of the best episodes of The Office. With that in mind, I asked the actor who has the best looks to camera on any show, and he immediately named the SNL legend he worked with, explaining:
There is no human being in the world that does a look to a camera better than Kenan Thompson. Kenan Thompson is the best part – in SNL scripts, they would just write ‘Cut to Kenan,’ and he'll figure it out.
I do feel like if you need someone to come in at any given moment in a sketch, it's Kenan Thompson. For years, he’s been throwing hilarious looks and reactions that have been making audiences laugh a whole lot. So, I totally see why Moynihan told me that when they were writing sketches, they’d just write “cut to Kenan.”
However, this all gets better. That’s because, according to the comedian, Thompson has an arsenal of looks he can call upon when needed. That inspired a game between him and Moynihan, as The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins star explained:
I had a game with Kenan where I would go, ‘Kenan, give me a 19,’ and he would go [makes a face], or give me a 23, and he would go [makes another face]. And he literally had faces numbered so that he knew what to do. He is the king of the cutaway, Kenan Thompson. I get all of it from him.
I love that! Now, I need a sketch where that game is incorporated.
Overall, the fact that Thompson has this catalog of cutaway looks isn’t surprising, and it's another A+ reason that explains why he’s one of SNL’s best. He’s been in some of Saturday Night Live’s best casts over the 22 seasons he’s been there, and there’s a reason he is the longest-running cast member.
I also love that this fun fact illustrates the bond between the comedians. For context, Moynihan joined the show during Season 34, five seasons after Thompson's debut. They then spent nine seasons working together, so it tracks that they’d understand each other’s strengths on such a deep (and fun) level.
Now, while the Drunk Uncle performer gave the Kenan & Kel star his flowers here, we need to give him some flowers, too. In The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Moynihan plays Rusty, the best friend of Tracy Morgan’s titular character. They are both hilarious in the series, and Moynihan throws some looks to the camera that rival the greats, including Kenan Thompson.
So, trust me, like SNL, you won’t want to miss this new series. Thankfully, it’s easy to catch, especially if you love the sketch comedy show that both men starred on, because they each air weekly on NBC and are available with a Peacock subscription. So, make sure to watch Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live every Saturday at 11:30 p.m., and also check out The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins when it starts airing on Monday, February 23, at 8 p.m. ET.
