Andy Samberg gushes over “SNL” costar Kenan Thompson: 'How is this fool still killing it so hard?'

"I literally can’t think of a single time that Kenan didn’t stick it exactly," Samberg says of Thompson's comedy chops in an exclusive clip from Kevin Hart's "Hart to Heart."

Andy Samberg is still in awe of his former Saturday Night Live costar Kenan Thompson.

In an exclusive clip from the upcoming episode of Kevin Hart's Peacock interview series Hart to Heart, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star and Hart gush over Thompson, who began his run on SNL in 2003 and remains on the show after 21 seasons.

"The wildest s--- about Kenan is he was there before I got there and obviously now still is, and he still gets me," Samberg, who was an SNL cast member from 2005-2012, tells Hart. "I'll still be watching the show, and I've seen his moves, like I know what he's going to do, but it just kills me still. And he'll do some new s---. I'm like, 'How is this fool still killing it so hard?'"

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"And he still loves it," Hart muses. "He still has an energy attached to comedy, still has an energy attached to the creativity."

Samberg praises the Good Burger star for never missing, even in comparison to other SNL legends.

"I would challenge anyone to go back through any episode he's been on, which is many, and find a moment where he missed a laugh, where he didn't get his laugh," Samberg says. "If you give him a laugh, he hits it every time and it is mind blowing to think about because everybody, like the greats, you can watch and be like, 'Oop they missed their cue card' or 'Oop they broke,' or whatever it is. I literally can’t think of a single time that Kenan didn’t stick it exactly."

Related: How Kenan Thompson kept it together during SNL's Beavis and Butt-Head sketch: 'Just chaos'

Although the former Nickelodeon child star has admitted that he almost quit SNL due to the pressure of the live element in his early years, he remained and became a show staple. In 2017, Thompson surpassed Darrell Hammond's record of 14 seasons to become SNL's longest-serving cast member. His record now stands at 21 seasons with no sign of leaving before the legendary sketch show's 50th season begins later this year.

Thompson previously told Entertainment Weekly his goal was to make it to 20 seasons, but that he had no reason to step down if SNL still wanted him around. "As long as the show keeps going and they want me to be there and I don't feel like I'm in the way of somebody else's opportunity, should I just oblige?," he said in 2021. "I don't really know what to do at this point, as far as leaving is concerned. Like, why should I ever have to leave?"

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The "What Up With That?" performer has scored five Emmy nominations for his work on SNL (plus one for leading his own sitcom, Kenan), winning once in 2018 in the category of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for his contributions to the musical pre-tape sketch, "Come Back Barack," with Chance the Rapper. (A category Samberg also won in 2007 for his iconic SNL digital short, "Dick in a Box," with Justin Timberlake.)

His current SNL costar Bowen Yang has thrown his own support behind Thompson to win for acting on the show, despite being nominated in same category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. "Vote however you'd like in other categories, but for that one please vote for Kenan. He is one of the best sketch comedians of all time," Yang campaigned in a 2021 Instagram post. (They ultimately both lost to Brett Goldstein for Ted Lasso.)

Related: Lonely Island members worried everyone at SNL hated them after 'Lazy Sunday'

Since Samberg's run on SNL ended in 2012, he's returned to host once in May 2014 and has made five other cameo appearances, but has not been back on stage at Studio 8H since 2018. The Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and Palm Springs star is currently revisiting his time on the show alongside his Lonely Island collaborators, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, and former cast member and head writer Seth Meyers on their The Lonely Island & Seth Meyers Podcast.

Samberg's full interview on Hart to Heart is available Thursday on Peacock. Watch an exclusive clip above.

Also, check out Thompson and Hart's commentary series Olympic Highlights With Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson on Peacock where they will hilariously recap unexpected moments and episodes beginning July 26.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.