Originally appeared on E! Online
It’s not all about the Benjamins for Kenan Thompson.
The "Saturday Night Live" star — who joined the sketch show in 2003 and is the longest-tenured performer in its 50-year history — weighed in after Pete Davidson and other former cast members discussed their "SNL" salaries.
“It’s pretty notorious that it’s more so about having the job than getting paid for the job,” the comedian told Variety in an interview published Dec. 6. “You gotta pay your dues a little bit, yeah.”
In a recent video, several "SNL" alums including Davidson, Jason Sudeikis, Seth Meyers, Cheri Oteri and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as current cast members Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson, detailed their earnings from the late-night staple and how they spent their first paychecks.
“Do you guys know what they pay us?” Davidson, who starred on the long-running series from 2014 to 2022, said in the clip posted on New York magazine’s Instagram account Dec. 4. “It’s like three grand an episode. I think I got dinner.”
Sudeikis, who worked as a writer on the show before attaining featured player status in 2005, also implied his salary was lower than some might think.
“I mean, you don’t really make enough money to make big purchases,” the "Ted Lasso" star laughed. “So, I think New York rent was probably the biggest purchase I made after writing on SNL the first year.”
But other alums like Louis-Dreyfus, who starred on "SNL" from 1982 to 1985, admitted to splurging with their wages.
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“I bought a pair of shoes that were out of my budget,” she admitted. “I’m gonna tell you they were $75.”
Speaking of "SNL" veterans, the series is set to close out the year by welcoming back former cast members Chris Rock and Martin Short, who will host the Dec. 14 and Dec. 21 episodes, respectively.
