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Here's how Kenan Thompson scores cool points with his daughters

The "Saturday Night Live" star is hosting the Emmys next week, but not before putting the girls to bed.

The extroverted, gregarious Kenan Thompson seen on TV is not who he is at home.

There, he's just a dad trying to score cool points with his daughters Georgia, 8 and Gianna, 4. The 44-year-old "Saturday Night Live" star told TODAY Parents that his kids are just now starting to care about who he is professionally.

Kenan Thompson, daughters
Kenan Thompson with his two daughters, Gianna (left) and Georgia (right) August 11 when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Richard Shotwell / AP

Thompson said they were unimpressed with him and his work "all the time," as is every kid with their parent, until they realized he's Tiny Diamond in "Trolls."

"Yes, they do (care), especially when it’s something in their world. They watch 'Trolls' a lot. They’re really happy about the whole Tiny Diamond thing. My little one was catching on to it as well. She enjoys the character and everything inside of this musical. But I think she’s starting to enjoy the fact that it’s me as well. So that’s nice. That’s exciting."

The Thompson residence will be a little less exciting come September 8, when his youngest daughter Gianna starts pre-kindergarten. Thompson said it's easier letting go this time around.

"I think she’s going to do well with structure and getting out of the house during the day," he said. "She’s going to pre-K so it’s always tough when they leave the nest the first time. You just feel so lost. And this will be the first time they're both gone so it's like, 'oh, wow, it’s really quiet.'"

Thompson said he cherishes the time he does get with his kids.

"We were playing soccer yesterday, that was fun. Just anything we can all do together. I can't wait until Gianna is at the real bike riding age so we can all get out there. Taking them to little trampoline parks and everything that kids like to do, amusement parks, whatever, just reliving the excitement of being a kid.... Having kids gets you kind of out of the house a little more often than it would be just me sitting in the house."

Thompson, however, is not usually just sitting in the house. He's the longest-running "SNL" cast member and is usually preparing for sketches scheduled for the next show. He is also hosting this year's Emmy Awards show on September 12.

Kenan Thompson on TODAY September 6.
Kenan Thompson on TODAY September 6.Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Thompson will mark his 20th season on "SNL" when its 48th season starts this fall. A host of legacy actors have left the show, such as Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, Aristotle Athari, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney and Pete Davidson.

Thompson said his 30-year reign in the industry informs how he parents. He said his approach to balancing work and fatherhood is to not make "SNL"-style schedules with his girls so he's open to whatever the day brings.

"Semi being aware of plans, but like, don't make planning the way you go about it. Just whatever the day is, whatever the hour is, what are we doing? Are we bored? Let's go do something. Do we got something to do? No? Let's go play. Just keep it loose like that. The world is our oyster kind of approach."

He said part of that approach, and the bonus that comes with his career, is bringing his daughters to work to meet people he knows they admire.

"I happen to work in a very cool, any-given-moment kind of place, where somebody (amazing) could be like, around. And then if it's somebody I know they're into, I could give them a very close kind of experience. So that’s all. I don’t want to spoil them at the same time, but I do. So it’s like, I would want to imagine: What kind of kid would I be if I was exposed to such things?" Thompson said he always asks himself that when deciding what to introduce them to.

Thompson said his youngest daughter already has a sense of humor and it "is always random" how she and her older sister make him laugh.

"Georgia is always telling little misdirection jokes," he said. "Very witty, very intuitive and that's her little mischief for the day. And then Gianna is just a wild girl. She's so tiny and just watching a tiny person run their hardest with their little, tiny arms and legs is adorable. They're trying so hard and they're going semi-slow still. It is adorable because they're trying so hard."

Thompson said he is not worried about the upcoming teenage years that are notoriously turbulent, but instead he is already thinking about how to best help his daughters navigate such a transitional time.

"That's usually when they start butting heads with their mom, so dad is like the hero," he said. "It only worries me because it is such an emotional time for kids, a lot of confusion, a lot of hormones going, it's just a lot. So just try to navigate it as best you can, which I think 90% is just being present. Just being there, making it known that they can come talk to you, or they have a support system. I remember sometimes it was easier to hear from my mother's friends exactly what my mother was saying."

In the meantime, until the teenage years, Thompson said he's enjoying watching Tiny Diamond in "Trolls" with them.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

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Kenan Thompson, daughters
Kenan Thompson, known for his roles on "Saturday Night Live" and "Good Burger," poses for photos with his daughters Georgia and Gianna at a ceremony honoring him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Aug. 11, 2022, in Los Angeles.Richard Shotwell / AP
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson with daughters Gianna Thompson and Georgia Thompson at the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony honoring Kenan Thompson on August 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images