Molly Shannon backs Kenan Thompson to take over from 'genius' Lorne Michaels as 'SNL' showrunner
Asked what she thought about Thompson potentially taking the reins at the NBC show in an interview with People, Shannon, who was a cast member between 1995 and 2001, said it was "an excellent idea."
"I love this idea. He's the greatest — I adore Kenan," she said, adding that he was "so talented."
Thompson joined "SNL" in 2003 and is the longest-tenured cast member in its history, notching his 22nd season this year.
Rumors of Michaels' retirement grew as "SNL" neared its 50th anniversary earlier this year, fueling speculation over who could take over as showrunner.
For Shannon, it seems the show will never be the same, no matter who comes in.
"There's no one who could replace him. It would not be the same show," Shannon told People of Michaels, who created the sketch comedy show in 1975. "He's just a one-of-a-kind genius. Brilliant. Smart."
"It's his show, his vision," she added.
In September 2024, Michaels, 80, addressed speculation over his future, telling The Hollywood Reporter he had no "immediate" plans to retire.
"I just know that this is kind of what I do and as long as I can keep doing it, I'll keep doing it," he said at the time.
Earlier this year, Thompson hinted that fans of "SNL" could see a major shakeup when the show returns following the wrap of its 50th season.
"Especially this year where it feels like there's maybe, possibly, a lot of change next year," he told Page Six. "You want everyone to stay forever, knowing that people may be making decisions this summer."
He added that he had yet to sign a new contract for the coming season but expressed interest in returning.
"You just never know what the future holds," he said. "I don't want to be in the way of someone else."
"I don't want to be the stale old man riding the same old thing. That doesn't really happen that much at 'SNL' but there's no guarantees," he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Joanna Gaines Admits It Will Be Harder for Her To Watch Daughter Ella Move Out Than It Was With Son Drake: ‘I'm Losing a Friend'
Renovations expert Joanna Gaines has lifted the lid on one very big change that will soon be taking place inside the home she shares with husband Chip and their children—when their 18-year-old daughter, Ella, flies the family nest in order to attend college. Joanna, 47, discussed her second child's impending departure from the family home in Waco, TX, in a wide-ranging new interview in the People special 'Chip & Joanna Gaines: Their Next Chapter,' admitting that she will likely find it more emotional to watch Ella leave the nest than she did when son Drake, 20, headed off to college. 'Ella, our second kiddo, she's graduating this year. So we're going through that again with another kid leaving the nest and trying to stay emotionally stable,' the mother of five explained, prompting Chip, 50, to ask: 'Do you think this is going to be harder [than it was with Drake]?' 'Yes. I think there's an emotional difference,' she conceded. Because she and Ella tend to spend more time together during the day, she believes she's going to feel a much bigger hole in her life than she did when her son moved out, Joanna explained. 'With Ella, we love to go to antiques shops, plant shops, and go get coffee—that's our rhythm. I kind of feel like I'm losing a friend in my everyday life,' she said. As for Ella, Joanna admitted that her daughter can't wait to head off to college, particularly because the new setting will give her a chance to establish her own identity, away from her parents' fame. 'She's excited about going somewhere and just being known for her,' the Magnolia Network star revealed. 'She's like, 'I don't want anyone knowing that you're … I just want to go and be myself.'' Establishing an identity outside of her parents' fame—and their popular Magnolia lifestyle brand—is no easy feat for any of the kids, particularly given that the family's hometown of Waco is overrun with the Gaineses' many businesses. The couple even have their own page on the official Waco website, which calls attention to the many companies that they run out of the town, including Magnolia Home, Magnolia Realty, Magnolia Market, Magnolia Seed & Supply, Silos Baking Co., Magnolia Press, Magnolia Seed + Supply, The Shops at the Silos, and multiple rental properties. Chip and Joanna are credited with turning Waco into a tourist hot spot. Many of their fans regularly travel to the area to visit one of their many stores or renovation projects—and perhaps even catch a glimpse of the celebrity couple. Speaking to People, the couple opened up about how they have balanced their business empire with prioritizing their private lives, noting that they've been making a concerted effort to focus on spending time with family, particularly in recent years. In August 2024, Joanna hinted that she was planning to take a step back from the day-to-day running of Magnolia. She had become overwhelmed with the 'chaos' in her life, she wrote in an essay in the couple's Magnolia Journal magazine. 'I'm a fixer, a refiner—and in some ways I've made a career out of sharpening the instinct that draws my eye toward the off-balance and out of sync,' the HGTV star wrote in her 'A Note From Jo' essay. 'The part that can be harder is the pausing. Looking curiously at the chaos of my own busy life to try to create some order or fine-tune a few too-familiar ways of living that may no longer serve me.' She added: 'In the end, here's what I'm hoping for: the beauty of what we'll see with this little bit of clarity. There may be some discomfort and awkwardness at first. But slowly, truth fills the space we're making. Maybe something does need to change. Or maybe you realize that you're already living the life you dreamed of. You only needed clearer eyes to see it.' Though the Gaineses continue to churn out project after project—including Joanna's recently released series, 'Mini Reni,' and their upcoming show, 'Back to the Frontier'—they are also finding time to have some fun with their five kids, taking a recent trip to St. Lucia, where they soaked up plenty of scenery. 'Truth is, we're all homebodies,' Joanna confessed. 'But as our kids get older, I've learned what a gift it is to get away and have that intentional time as a family. Being present is what we're after—so we limit phones, pick a few games or hikes that everyone is excited about, eat together for every meal, and toss the schedule out the window.' She also opened up about a new hobby that she and Chip have started together, revealing that they have taken up weekly dance lessons to inject some excitement into their marriage. 'I hired this couple; they came to our office and taught us how to dance,' she shared. 'Just she and I with this couple. You talk about awkward,' Chip joked. Though they aren't the most talented of dancers, Chip revealed that, eventually, they began looking forward to the lessons—as the sessions helped them to form a new kind of intimacy. '[When we started lessons], we didn't know how to hold our hands. It's hard to make eye contact with even your best friend and wife of 22 years,' he said. 'It feels really strange, awkward. But then, after two or three weeks, we started looking forward to those lessons.' Jon Bon Jovi and His $43 Million Palm Beach Mansion Put a Halt to Mystery Buyer's Plans for Real Estate Takeover in Florida Enclave EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Swift's Former Cape Cod Love Nest Finds a Buyer—Weeks After Being Listed for $14.5 Million What Florida Condo Owners Need To Know as Reform Bill Takes Effect on July 1
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Connolly Is Engaged! Inside the Actor's Intimate, Firework-Filled Proposal to Zulay Henao (Exclusive)
Kevin Connolly proposed to Zulay Henao in his hometown of Long Island, New York on July 4 The Independence Day engagement was filled with fireworks and family, including the pair's 4-year-old daughter, Kennedy The couple have been dating for seven yearsKevin Connolly is engaged! The actor, 51, popped the question to his longtime girlfriend, Colombian actress Zulay Henao, 46, on Friday, July 4. The Independence Day proposal took place at Connolly's hometown of Long Island, New York, and was filled with fireworks and family, including the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Kennedy. "It was intimate, personal and so full of love," Henao tells PEOPLE. "Having Kennedy there made it unforgettable." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Connolly dropped down on one knee and proposed with a "timeless" and "elegant" diamond ring custom-designed by renowned jeweler KC Sukamto. The "classic and modern" sparkler is an emerald-cut solitaire, featuring a hidden halo and set in a two-tone design with a gold band. Following the heartfelt proposal, the Entourage star and If Loving You Is Wrong alum celebrated under shimmering stars and bright fireworks with a cozy dinner surrounded by close family. Connolly and Henao have been in a relationship for seven years. Connolly made his first appearance on Henao's Instagram page in a group photo posted in August 2018. A year and a half later in January 2020, Connolly posted a sweet skiing photo with Henao on his Instagram. Previously, the He's Just Not That Into You actor tagged Henao in a February 2019 Instagram post for their work together on the drama series The Oath. The pair announced they were expecting their first child together in January 2021, with Henao showing off her 18-week baby bump on Instagram. The Modern Muze founder previously teased her pregnancy news on Christmas Day in 2020 by sharing a photo on Instagram in which Connolly lovingly rested his hand on her stomach. In June 2021, Connolly and Henao welcomed their baby girl, who weighed 6 lbs., 14 oz. at birth. "She's really sweet and patient so far, not too much crying, just really curious about her surroundings," Henao wrote on her Instagram Stories at the time, adding, "I just watch in awe. She also has a huge appetite like her momma." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Last month, the family of three celebrated Father's Day together. "Happy Father's Day Papi! We love you babe, thank you for being our home! You are Daddying beautifully, just look at the smiles in these pictures… muah baby," Henao wrote in a joint post on Instagram on June 15 alongside four family photos. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'1000-Lb. Roomies'' Jaz Is Hospitalized, Warns Nesha Not to Play with Her Health Because ‘That S--- Hurts' (Exclusive)
After her hospitalization, Jaz has a heart-to-heart with Nesha about prioritizing weight loss so she doesn't end up like her The best friends pinky promise each other that they will be more committed to their health journeys together The season finale of 1000-Lb. Roomies airs Tuesday, July 8 at 10PM ET/PTJasmine 'Jaz' Wallace is having a heart-to-heart with her best friend Nesha Harris. In PEOPLE's exclusive clip from Tuesday's season finale of 1000-Lb. Roomies, Jaz has a serious conversation about their health. After undergoing weight-loss surgery, Jaz suffered an unexpected fall and was hospitalized again. Now back home and bedridden, she opens up about her fear of Nesha going through a similar battle in the future. 'We're going to have a serious conversation,' Jaz says. 'You might get mad at me. You may take it the wrong way, but it is what it is. And what I got to say is it's time for you to get your s--- together.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Immediately defensive, Nesha asks her to clarify what she means. 'I don't want you to end up like this. Look at all this medicine I got to take,' Jaz explains as the camera pans to several prescription bottles. 'I can't even walk. And that's something that I do not want you to go through.' 'Your health ain't nothing to play with. Don't play with it how I play with mine,' she continues, holding back tears. 'Because I'm telling you, when you laid up in that hospital, when you ain't got s--- to hold on to but your faith, when it feels like, is this the last day I'm going to be here? That s--- hurts. The thought of me not seeing my family hurts. I want you to get it together, Nesh. Don't wait like me.' 'I know it was terrifying and all of that. I was scared right along with you,' Nesha admits. 'So I hear you. ! is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! In the clip, Jaz and Nesha both tell each other that they love and care about each other. They then pinky promise that they'll be more committed to their health journeys moving forward. 'I'm not going to let you fail. I'm not going to let you fall. So you promise me? We're in this together,' Jaz says before Nesha adds, 'I do. C'mon bruh, give me your pinky.' 'Hearing Jaz, I could really understand where she's coming from,' Nesha says in a confessional. 'This has definitely been a wake-up call for me to make changes like with my eating habits and just a lifestyle change altogether because I don't want to be in the same situation that Jaz is in.' 'But baby steps, baby steps,' she quips. The season finale of 1000-Lb. Roomies airs Tuesday, July 8 at 10PM ET/PT. Read the original article on People
