NEW YORK – You might not guess, butKenan Thompsonknows a thing or two about being unfunny.
The longest-running"Saturday Night Live"cast member, Thompson, 47, pulls in the laughs and has been since his Nickelodeon days in the '90s and early '00s with "All That" and "Kenan and Kel" But he's also had his fair share of awkward silences.
"I find it so humorous that it can be such a disconnect between what we thought was going to happen and what is actually happening. It's like, 'Yo, this is not working at all? Why did we think it was?'" Thompson says. "I just find more humor than panic in it. ... It's a pretty funny reality to witness."
Sometimes, the surprises are good ones. Like when Tom Hanks "did not have faith" in the 2016David S. Pumpkins sketch. But Hanks committed to the goofiness, cementing it in the "SNL" hall of fame (we ranked it in our list of thebest "SNL" sketches of all time).
When it comes to wading through jokes that don't land, Thompson has ideas for the next generation of comedy stars, which may just include his own daughters. His new children's book"Unfunny Bunny"(out now from Feiwel & Friends) follows a rabbit trying – and failing – to be funny to his classmates.
Thompson's been itching to write a kids' book since he penned his 2023 memoir"When I Was Your Age."Recording the audiobook for "Unfunny Bunny" was much more fun than recording 240 pages of his life story, he says.
"It just reminded me of the Nickelodeon days, just high energy," Thompson says.
Capturing the 'SNL' writers' room in a picture book
In "Unfunny Bunny," our funny protagonist flounders (there's a literal cricket outside his classroom) until a Hilarious Hedgehog encourages him to practice and write jokes together.
Here, Thompson encapsulates the spirit of the "SNL" writers' room. He's had his fair share of Hilarious Hedgehogs through the years, noting Michael Che,Colin Jost,Mikey Day and writers Dan Bulla, Streeter Seidell, Carl Tart and Bryan Tucker, who cowrote this picture book with him. Early in his "SNL" days, Tina Fey,Seth Meyers,James Anderson and Paula Pell left an impression on him.
Being "unfunny" on "SNL" happens more than you'd think, Thompson says. He's made some references that didn't land, especially when it comes to '70s Black culture (like the 1971 movie "Shaft," he says). Other times, the sketch itself doesn't hit with the audience, but the filler dialogue or comedic actions do.
"It's such a pressure cooker and it's a lot of shows, so sometimes you're just under the gun," Thompson says. "You learn pretty quickly, even if it is a thin premise, you learn how to fill it with jokery."
Other times, he knows he has gold on his hands. Thompson says he knew the recent"SNL50""Scared Straight"with Will Ferrell and Eddie Murphy would be a hit. The same goes for"What Up With That,"a recurring sketch that stars Thompson as a talk show host constantly cutting off Lindsey Buckingham (played by Bill Hader) with a reprise of his lengthy theme song. He's flanked by a Kenny G-like saxophone player (Fred Armisen) and a lively backup dancer clad in a red tracksuit (Jason Sudeikis).
Any memorable sketch is a tribute to the collaboration between writers and performers on "SNL." That "two-headed" team approach is key, Thompson says.
Kenan Thompson's new book is full of dad jokes
If "Unfunny Bunny" has a thesis, it's that good comedy is made through collaboration and rolling with the punches. Even if kids don't hone their joke-telling by the last page, they'll certainly leave with plenty of jokes. Parents, too.
"There's nothing better than a bad joke," Thompson says. "There's so much good intention involved, you know what I mean? So you've got to pat the guy on the back even though the joke is lame and you move on to the next one, or that person tells another bad joke and that's just who they are. It's all about celebrating the people that attempt to bring us joy, whether they fall short or not."
Bad jokes are a family legacy for Thompson, who remembers his dad horsing around when he was a kid. Thompson himself agrees that his daughters, 11 and 7, would consider him a dad joke offender.
"My little one, she's a little joke teller. She tells clever ones, though," Thompson says. She started with knock-knock jokes and your classic "orange you glad," lines, but now she's getting into word play, he says. "They're simple, but they're actual jokes. I'm like 'Well, look at you.' I love it."
With "Unfunny Bunny," Thompson is looking forward to providing a "gather round" moment for kids and parents to bond over bad jokes, good friends and the persistent power of comedy.
"I can't wait to hear people on Instagram like, 'Thanks a lot. My dad won't stop telling jokes now,'" Thompson says.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find heron Instagram, subscribe to our weeklyBooks newsletteror tell her what you're reading atcmulroy@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kenan Thompson talks feeling 'unfunny' in 'SNL' career
