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Kenan Thompson Answers Whether He’d Replace Lorne Michaels at SNL | Fly on the Wall

May 03, 2023 / 04:03

This episode features discussions about potential successors for key roles in comedy, focusing on figures like Steve Higgins, Eric Kenwood, and Aaron Doyle. The conversation touches on the dynamics of leadership in comedy shows, particularly the influence of Lorne Michaels.

Guests discuss the qualifications of Steve Higgins as a strong candidate for leadership roles, emphasizing his experience and familiarity with the industry. They also mention Eric Kenwood and Aaron Doyle as notable figures who could handle such responsibilities.

The conversation highlights Lorne Michaels' role as a protective figure for the cast, illustrating his importance in maintaining a supportive environment. The guests reflect on Michaels' ability to manage relationships with networks and studios.

Personal anecdotes reveal the familial dynamics between cast members and Lorne Michaels, with guests describing him as a paternal figure who offers guidance and support. The discussion includes humorous exchanges about their interactions with him.

Overall, the episode provides a candid look at the inner workings of comedy leadership and the relationships that shape the creative process.

TL;DR

Guests discuss potential successors for comedy leadership roles, focusing on Steve Higgins and Lorne Michaels' influence.

Video

00:00:03
who's good enough to handle that job
00:00:05
Higgins hands down Higgins
00:00:08
I have him on a list here Steve Higgins
00:00:11
yeah I mean Higgins is a no-brainer
00:00:14
um but Eric Kenwood is out there you
00:00:17
know like Aaron Doyle you know the
00:00:19
people that have been there for a longer
00:00:21
period of time I think Colin you know
00:00:24
myself I don't know Che like we can all
00:00:26
handle it like if we all wanted to would
00:00:29
you entertain you know if they if they
00:00:31
approach you oh yeah like why not it'll
00:00:34
keep me in New York it'll keep me you
00:00:36
know in a stable environment which is
00:00:38
hard for an actor I'm just gonna write
00:00:40
write your name down for a second I'm
00:00:42
just keeping it down put it in the
00:00:44
universe thank you that's great I I
00:00:45
think you
00:00:46
um
00:00:47
uh we don't have pins I don't have I'm
00:00:49
disorganized Seth Myers and Tina Fey
00:00:52
yeah all of them you know what I mean
00:00:54
anybody that's especially being a person
00:00:57
with a pencil in their back pocket for a
00:01:00
week you know just fishing for jokes and
00:01:01
like knows the structure of the show so
00:01:03
Seth Tina any one of them I think you
00:01:06
know that have had a good run at it and
00:01:09
enjoy it they can get it you know oh
00:01:12
you're interesting because you're 20
00:01:14
years you know every in and out you know
00:01:17
what's going if you just perked your
00:01:18
ears up to like budgets and stuff you
00:01:20
could figure it out but there's also
00:01:23
like the other element where Lauren is
00:01:25
such a rock star and he has so many like
00:01:28
you know pick up the phone favor kind of
00:01:30
you know moments that he can make yeah
00:01:33
the network or the studio just deals
00:01:36
with them yeah and keeps them away from
00:01:39
us you know Keeps Us protected like he's
00:01:41
just an OG so someone that can continue
00:01:44
that kind of thing and like make it a
00:01:47
safe space for us and then also
00:01:49
make a phone call and get a legend in
00:01:51
there at the last minute if it if it
00:01:52
needs to to be that
00:01:54
yes there's a lot of off-label things
00:01:56
that he's doing that go beyond executive
00:01:59
producer and I think he does always
00:02:01
develop a fondness for his cast members
00:02:04
you can feel it you know I mean he's
00:02:05
talked very nicely about you almost in a
00:02:07
paternal way with other cast members he
00:02:09
becomes the de facto dad that no one
00:02:13
ever had or something even though I'm
00:02:14
three years older than him he's still
00:02:16
kind of my dad yeah that's so crazy yeah
00:02:19
but that must be a crazy dynamic because
00:02:21
yeah he's the one we all kind of turn to
00:02:24
because if he's not happy like you know
00:02:27
the shit's not getting on you know what
00:02:28
I'm saying like if he's not [ __ ] with
00:02:29
it then that's that's the end-all be-all
00:02:31
so I've gone to him for
00:02:34
a lot of different you know nothing
00:02:37
pertaining to the show kind of advice
00:02:39
because he just gives that air basically
00:02:41
like you know if you have a question or
00:02:44
you know if you have a situation we can
00:02:45
help you with it you know nothing's too
00:02:48
you know go ahead too terrible that we
00:02:51
can't fix it yeah oh yeah and when I was
00:02:53
sort of you call it Wilderness years or
00:02:56
raising a family whatever I want to call
00:02:57
it but then I ran into Lauren he's just
00:02:59
like he said um everyone knows who you
00:03:02
are
00:03:03
you know it's just Lauren in a very
00:03:06
supportive little like you know whenever
00:03:08
you're ready you just can do it some
00:03:10
more
00:03:11
um but yeah he's brilliant at those kind
00:03:14
of
00:03:15
um just been there seen it all and then
00:03:17
he was like a step dad to me because he
00:03:19
used to ground me and hit me
00:03:34
you have to take care of him
00:03:37
Dana will you bounce him on your knee
00:03:40
David need a Spanky
00:03:42
David David he need a little Spanky and
00:03:46
he's in a Timeout don't talk to him I'm
00:03:48
not going to use any sort of object or
00:03:50
or a spatula I'm gonna go full hand yeah
00:03:54
but it'll be just on the bottom skin on
00:03:56
skin
00:03:58
that's good for Lord skin on skin
00:04:01
foreign

Episode Highlights

  • The Role of Higgins
    Higgins is seen as a no-brainer for the job, embodying support and stability.
    “Higgins hands down Higgins”
    @ 00m 05s
    May 03, 2023
  • Lauren's Supportive Nature
    Lauren is described as a paternal figure, providing guidance and support to cast members.
    “He becomes the de facto dad that no one ever had”
    @ 02m 13s
    May 03, 2023
  • The Importance of Happiness
    The happiness of key figures like Lauren is crucial for the show's success.
    “If he’s not happy, the shit’s not getting on”
    @ 02m 24s
    May 03, 2023

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Higgins Discussion00:05
  • Paternal Dynamics02:13
  • Supportive Environment03:08

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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