Kenan Thompson plans to keep the ‘energy up’ at the Emmys

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

It appears that Kenan Thompson is going to try and get by without a little help from his friends.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Thompson said he has not asked his “SNL” costars Michael Che and Colin Jost for tips on hosting the Emmys (Che and Jost hosted in 2018).

“I have not been in touch with them, necessarily,” Thompson told the publication. “I’m going to be pretty straightforward — a good monologue and keeping the energy up will be my approach. I enjoy honoring artistry and creativity.”

He will host the 74th Emmy Awards on NBC Monday and feels “great” about the upcoming gig.

“There’s a great team that’s involved. I definitely don’t feel like I’m floating out there by myself,” Thompson said. “I’m really excited about it. There’s some great pieces coming together.”

He also talked about his 20 years on “SNL” (he’s now the most senior cast member), with multiple cast members departing after last season.

Thompson told the Times he has no plans to leave.

“I keep joking that they will have to throw me out of there one of these days,” he said. “I’ve never been in a situation where I’m invited back an exuberant amount of times.”

Unlike others, he hasn’t had to make the decision to part with the long-running late night sketch show because of conflicts with other projects, including his recently canceled series “Kenan,” which ran for two seasons.

“They move on when they’re in high demand and it’s not possible to do both schedule-wise,” Thompson said. “That’s when people make that tough career decision. My opportunities have been manageable so far, so I have not been forced to make that decision yet.”

The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards will air at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

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