Kenan Thompson had a message for those who were shocked to learn about the shocking starting salary at “Saturday Night Live” — pay your dues!
Pete Davidson, 31, made headlines last week when he revealed that “SNL” comedians make around $3,000 per episode, joking that his first paycheck simply went to feeding himself.
Thompson, 46, reacted to Davidson’s comments, telling Variety on Thursday, December 6, “It’s pretty notorious that it’s more so about having the job than getting paid for the job.”
Kenan — who joined the NBC sketch comedy series in 2003 — declined to provide specific details about his own salary numbers; however, he said it’s simple: “You gotta pay your dues a little bit, yeah.”
Thompson’s comments came after Davidson and several other familiar “SNL” faces disclosed what they splurged on with their first checks after being cast on the beloved sketch series that recently celebrated its 50th season.
Davidson responded, “Do you guys know what they pay us?” when New York Magazine asked what his first large purchase was after landing the gig in 2014.
“It’s like three grand an episode,” he continued. “I think I got dinner.”
The comedian wasn’t the only one who used their first “SNL” pay to survive.
Alum Jason Sudeikis revealed he used his paycheck on New York rent, and current cast member Sarah Sherman got herself a “nice mattress.”
“I mean, you don’t make enough money to make big purchases. I think New York rent was probably the biggest purchase I made after writing my first year on SNL,” Sudeikis responded.
However, other “SNL” stars revealed they splurged on high-priced items.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus bought a pair of $75 shoes that were “out of my budget,” Sarah Silverman got a $300 cashmere sweater, Seth Meyers indulged in a Crate & Barrel couch and a big TV, Rachel Dratch bought an apartment, and Bowen Yang splurged on a pair of Gucci shoes.
While Thompson didn’t disclose how much he makes now that he’s the longest-tenured cast member in “SNL” history, he previously shared that he also had to work his way up in Hollywood.
“That first commercial when they paid me, it was $800,” the former Nickelodeon star said Demi Lovato‘s “Child Star” documentary in September. “I was 12 so that may as well have been a million dollars.”
Thompson also addressed being conned out of his first big purchase.
“In Florida they didn’t have the same labor laws. My mom met this dude either through church or the community who claimed to be good at getting you out of your tax problems. He was basically a con artist and ran away with my biggest earnings up to that point,” he explained at the time. “By the time it was discovered, it was at the end of that Nickelodeon tenure.”
“It was devastating because I discovered it in front of others. I was going to buy a house in Atlanta — my first home — and he didn’t show up with the f—ing check,” he concluded.
The comedian said the horrible experience made him second-guess his future in showbiz.
“I really considered not wanting to act anymore if these are the kinds of things I had to go through,” Thompson shared. “It was almost like I was forced to stay humble — if you will — because when I could have been at my most boisterous everybody knows my name kind of years, I didn’t want that because I didn’t want people to know I was struggling. It’s kind of the beautiful conundrum, the irony of life.”
