Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson talked about the show's future in a Friday interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Thompson, who started his run on SNL in 2003, has witnessed the departure of many long-running cast members over the past few years, including Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and, most recently, Jason Sudeikis.

"It's going to be a different place," Thompson admitted. "Fred was like my older brother, and me and Sudeikis came in at the same time. Fred was one year above me, so we were very, very close. So I'm going to miss those guys terribly."

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With Armisen, Hader and Sudeikis all leaving the show this year, SNL producers will have to bring in new talent to fill the void. Thompson added that despite the departing cast members, he is still excited for the show going forward.

"It's going to bring new people," he explained. "It's just cool to witness talent. So I'm excited to see whoever they hire; it'll be an awesome challenge."

Thompson said that one of the cast members to be hired for the fall season will have to be a "father figurey type of person - like, [a] Republican-y, politician-y, older dude that can pull those guys off." Hader and Sudeikis would often play these types of roles, and the remaining cast members are mostly too young to convincingly play that type of role.

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As for who may be joining the cast for season 39 of Saturday Night Live this fall, Rolling Stone published an article in late May highlighting 10 rising improv stars. Included in the mix are comedians from improv groups like the Upright Citizens Brigade, where Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz were discovered and The Second City, where comedians like Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch and Tim Robinson were found.

Thompson's advice for those comedians who audition for the show is to "come with your best stuff. Especially if you're a fan of the show, you'll know what you need to do to stand out and be different."

Saturday Night Live will premiere with new episodes this fall on NBC in its regular 11:30 p.m. Saturday timeslot.

Watch Thompson as Professor Cornel West in the show's Weekend Update segment:

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