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when did kenan thompson retire from snl?

Kenan Thompson has not retired from Saturday Night Live (SNL) as of July 2026. He remains on the show, making him the longest-tenured cast member in SNL history with over 23 seasons and more than 500 episodes on air.

Quick answer

  • Retired? No.
  • Current status (2026): Still an active cast member on SNL.
  • Record: Longest-running cast member ever, with 23 seasons by 2026.

Why people keep asking

There have been many rumors and headlines over the years about Kenan possibly leaving, but they’ve all turned out to be false or speculative:

  • 2014 rumor: TMZ reported he planned to leave after his 12th season; SNL did not confirm this and he stayed.
  • 2021–2025: He publicly said he was trying to reach 20 seasons, then later indicated he’d be happy to stay “forever”.
  • 2026 interviews: He described thinking about the “final day” emotionally, but not that he has one set, and he still has no announced exit date.

What he has said about leaving

Kenan has talked about retirement in a few different ways:

  • He said he sometimes thinks about what it will feel like to leave and that “it’s gonna suck” for him, because of the relationships he’s built.
  • He joked that he might “just run out” without saying goodbye to avoid the sadness of departures like Bowen Yang’s.
  • At the same time, in a 2026 interview with Variety , he said he would be willing to stay on SNL “forever” if they let him.

So while he’s clearly thought about the idea of leaving, there is no official retirement date and no announcement that he has quit.

Timeline snapshot

Year| What was said / reported| Actual status
---|---|---
2014| TMZ: plans to leave after 12th season| Stayed on 6
2021| Wanted to reach 20 seasons| Reached 20, then kept going 5
2025| Asked about “when he’ll retire”| No exit announced; still on 4
2026| Talks about “final day,” but says he’d stay forever if allowed| Still on SNL 38

Bottom line: Kenan Thompson has not retired from SNL. As of mid-2026, he is still a cast member and holds the record for the most seasons on the show. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.