Kenan Thompson Beyonce?-fies TV Themes — and Sneaks in a Leonardo DiCaprio Joke — in Emmys Kick-Off
Kenan Thompson entered full party mode at the top of the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
The Saturday Night Live star, 44, began by toasting and roasting some of the buzziest newsmakers of the year on TV's biggest night.
"Well, it is finally here folks. TV's most special night, where the biggest stars of television celebrate other stars of television while all you watch at home on television," he joked.
"Tonight is a celebration. It's a celebration for everyone in this room because TV is more than just how we make a living. It's also how our agents make a living," he continued. "So tonight, we come together to honor the greatest invention in the history of mankind: television. I mean, if it weren't for TV, what would we do with our free time? Read books? No one in this room has read a book in the last 50 years."
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But Thompson chose to honor TV and all its glory in a rather unexpected way, kicking things up a notch with a techno-themed dance number. Drawing inspiration from shows from TV's past and present, the theme songs of Friends, The Brady Bunch, Stranger Things and Law & Order got a modern-day remix.
As routine set to an updated version of the Game of Thrones theme song concluded the performance, Thompson introduced Oprah Winfrey, who received a standing ovation as she took the stage to present the lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie to Michael Keaton for Hulu's Dopesick.
After the first set of awards, Thompson returned to the stage to deliver a more traditional monologue, filled with playful jabs at Netflix, NBC, Showtime and attendees like Steve Martin and Martin Short.
He even snuck in a jab Leonardo DiCaprio. "Zendaya just turned 26 last week, happy birthday," he said. "26 is a weird age in Hollywood. You're young enough to play a high school student but you're too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio."
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Ahead of Monday night's ceremony, Thompson told PEOPLE he felt "thoroughly up to the challenge" of stepping onto the Emmys stage as a first-time host.
"I have all this experience that possibly could pertain to what a hosting duty could look like," he said of his illustrious entertainment career, including years as a young actor and a history-making, 19-year run on SNL. "So I don't know, kismet or what, but I'm definitely well-prepared."
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He also joked that he was ready to multi-task while emceeing the big show: "I want to do 16 outfits, and I want them to work it into where I'm talking and changing clothes at the same time."
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The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are being broadcast live on NBC from the Microsoft Theater in ?Los Angeles.