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11 Years Ago, Kenan Thompson Drew a Line That Changed ‘SNL’s Cast Forever

Thompson’s 2013 decision came amid criticism of ‘SNL’s diversity and was followed by historic auditions for Black women.

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While speaking with TV Guide in 2013, Kenan Thompson announced that he would no longer do sketches on Saturday Night Live that required him to dress in drag. Thompson had previously portrayed a number of black female celebrities on the show, including Mo’Nique, Maya Angelou, and Jennifer Hudson, but apparently got sick of being their go-to guy for such roles.

At the time, the only other black person on SNL was Jay Pharoah, and the series hadn’t had a black female cast member since Maya........

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