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“Saturday Evening Live” has been a fixture on late-night TV since its first episode aired on Oct. 11, 1975. And while many cast members have come and gone, one forged lamp is Kenan Thompson, who has been on “SNL” since 2003, making him the longest-serving cast member in the show’s history.
With the TV show entering its fiftieth season, we spoke with Thompson about what keeps him in the sketches during his 22 seasons on “Saturday Evening Live.” Surprisingly, it’s your trusty Nintendo Switch.
“I’m an ‘OG’ Nintendo attendee,” Thompson shares with Selection. “Nintendo video games have been my companion on set all these years. I can just pick up the Nintendo Switch and play during my downtime. It also sparked some creativity in me on the show; trace trace, I was Bowser!”
Thompson is referring to when he played King Bowser in a sketch about HBO turning “Mario Kart” into a dark and gritty “Final of Us”-type status TV show. The fake trailer has since racked up over 17 million views on YouTube.
Outside of the show, Thompson says the console was also a part of his home and family life. “I can play on the Nintendo Switch when I’m on set or at home with my wives. It’s a great way to calm down and have fun.” In fact, “Mario Kart” has played such an important role in his life that the actor says he plays the game with his daughters, Georgia and Gianna.
“We definitely started with ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ – which was the perfect game to start with – especially because my oldest daughter is super aggressive,” says Thompson. “She thinks she can beat me, but come on – I have decades of ‘Mario Kart’ experience under my belt.”
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‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’
And with all this behind the digital wheel, Thompson’s favorite characters when playing “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” are the Nintendo classics, Mario and Luigi.
“I’m a fan of Mario and Luigi, so I usually go with one of them. Luigi is surprisingly fast in general,” exclaims Thompson. “And of course, if any of the women catch it, I’ll go with Funky Kong, because I’ve played with him and he’s incredible! So underrated!” (And yes, the actor presented Funky Kong at the “Weekend Update” table in 2023).
After all, “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” (and Booster Course) is not the only game that Thompson likes to play when he is with his daughters.
“We also like playing ‘Super Mario Bros. Marvel’”, he adds. “This is just really cool to play and visually exciting, which they love. When Mario turns into an elephant, it’s hysterical and we had a lot of fun with it!”
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‘Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel’
When he’s not playing video games, you can catch Thompson on “Saturday Evening Live” Saturdays on NBC at 11:30pm ET/PT. It’s also streaming on Peacock.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a Nintendo Switch for yourself or for the upcoming holiday season, we’ve rounded up some of the best gaming console deals – including new holiday bundles below.
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Nintendo Switch OLED, ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ bundle
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Nintendo Swap, ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ bundle
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Need more? Check out more Mario Kart toy and collectible deals from around the web:
- Mario Kart Mini RC Racer, $26.49 ($39 regular), Walmart
- Mario Kart Racing Wheel Professional, $58.95 ($69.99 regular), Amazon
- Super Mario Journey Game DX, $29.99 ($39.99 regular), Amazon
- Mario Kart Rainbow Street Racing T-Shirt, $18.98 (regular $26.99), Goal
- Mario Kart Character Panel T-Shirt, $18.98 ($26.99 regular), Gol
- Super Mario Kart Pixelated Racers Ready Tee, $18.98 ($26.99 regular), Gol