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As the longest-serving cast member of Saturday Night Live, Kenan Thompson has consistently cracked us up for 17 seasons. The Atlanta native, 42, is currently repping his 18th at Studio 8H, is poppin’ in the podcast world with You Already Know alongside buddy Tani Marole, and will step into his own NBC sitcom, Kenan, in 2021. Here, he shares “What Up” with some of his pop culture faves for his Celebrity Must List.
BOOKS: How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi (2019)
While Thompson confesses he’s not a big reader with his packed schedule — “I’ve started plenty!” — he does recommend this bestselling, and timely, tome that aims to give readers an in-depth understanding of discrimination and how to combat it, and, says Thompson, “I thoroughly dig that!”
TV: The Boys (Amazon Prime Video)
"The craziest, best show I’ve seen in the comic universe in a while next to Watchmen. Both are extremely well done and both casts are perfect. I mean, just the character name Homelander is so on point! Lovin’ TV right now!"
MOVIES: Tenet (2020)
“It’s the year of Tenet,” he says. “Mr. Nolan at his best and Mr. John David Washington is not playin’ with y’all. See it as big as you can! Oh, and Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, Dimple Kapadia, and Kenneth Branagh are in it too! Act like it’s not a big deal if you want to! You would be mistaken!”
STAGE: Fela! (Broadway, 2009)
Thompson is exuberant about this biographical musical of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti conceived by Bill T. Jones. “The cast featured my close buddy, the brilliant actor Sahr Ngaujah, as Fela. I remember my first time watching it, fully immersed in the rhythms for hours. I believe they’ve definitely made Fela proud!”
MUSIC: Donny Hathaway
Thompson has diverse taste, name checking the late Eddie Van Halen, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. He has a particular soft spot for R&B legend Donny Hathaway. “Greatest voice I’ve ever heard besides Whitney’s and Aretha’s. Wanna cry and not know why? Donny!” "However," he adds with a laugh, "as to not like an old ass man, H.E.R. and Billie Eilish are crushing right now!"
BONUS: Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast
“I was recently baptized into this wonderful world, and my fave genre is comedy,” he says. “I’m amazed how long Bill Burr and Neal Brennan have been at it, but I thank them. The fact that Burr does his solo just blows my mind! (Insert proud parent GIF here.) Incredible!”
A version of this story ran in the December issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands now or available here. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.
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Author:Sarah Rodman - Source: EW
