He’s only focused on knee-slappers.
Kenan Thompson doesn’t anticipate dodging any angry celebrities while hosting this year’s Emmy Awards, the “Saturday Night Live” star said in an interview published Tuesday.
“That won’t happen again,” Thompson told the Associated Press, referencing Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars in March. “Even if I am roasting (someone), it shouldn’t come across as any sort of malice.”
Thompson, 44, said he’d be willing to have a heart-to-heart with anyone offended by his material, but he doesn’t anticipate anyone rushing the stage after Smith’s slap-heard-round-the-world.
Emmys producers Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart aren’t worried, either.
“(Kenan) is beloved, and from the time we announced him there’s been nothing but positive responses,” Hudlin said. “He has these great connections with everyone, and we’re going to maximize those connections…..He’s the unofficial mayor of Hollywood.”
In the fall, Thompson will start his 20th season on “SNL.” He’s already the longest tenured cast member in the show’s history. Famous partly for his music video bits on “SNL,” Thompson teased a possible musical number to open the Emmys on Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
“I think we need to open with a bang,” he said. “There’s some ideas cooking on that level. But whatever it is, it has got to be tight, and it can’t seem like it’s just there to fill time.”
One thing’s for sure: If Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had accepted the gig, there’d be even fewer worries about the host getting slapped.
With News Wire Services
