‘Saturday Night Live’: Pete Davidson Didn’t Know ‘SNL’ Existed When He Auditioned for It
The most well-known sketch comedy show in television history is NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL). Created by Lorne Michaels, the show has aired on Saturday nights since 1975, resulting in a remarkable 45 consecutive seasons. This makes SNL one of the longest-running shows in the history of television. The show has seen some of the best and most successful comedians pass through the halls of 30 Rockefeller Plaza since the variety show’s start. Many of the most iconic comedians of all-time got their start as cast members. Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and so many more comedy legends have been a part of the variety show, which helped them rise to superstardom. One of the most recent, and somewhat controversial, talented comedians to come, and possibly go, through the show is Pete Davidson.
Who is Pete Davidson?
Peter Michael Davidson was born in Staten Island, New York. Davidson got his start in the entertainment industry with various appearances on MTV comedy programs including Failosophy and Guy Code in 2013. Davidson began his career as a stand-up around the same time, which is where he was noticed by Saturday Night Live talent scouts and producers. After the comedian’s audition process, Davidson was hired as a featured player on Saturday Night Live and has just finished his sixth season.
The comedian is also well-known for his high-profile relationship with singer and actress Ariana Grande. The two dated and were engaged in June 2018, and soon after broke the engagement in October 2018. Davidson has recently entered the film industry, working with director Judd Apatow on the movie The King of Staten Island, which has received critical and fan praise, especially concerning Davidson’s performance. Davidson also made an appearance in Apatow’s film, Trainwreck, and looks to use his time on Saturday Night Live as a launching pad to a more prominent film career.
Davidson’s time on Saturday Night Live
Davidson became an SNL cast member in 2014, at the young age of 20. This made Davidson one of the youngest cast members in the show’s history. According to People, Davidson claims that, despite the show being on the air for 45 years, and living just miles from New York City, that he did not know that the show was still on the air prior to his audition. Davidson joined new cast member Michael Che for the show 40th season. During his time on the show, Davidson became good friends with one of the show’s main writers, John Mulaney. Mulaney, while not active as an actor in the show’s skits, is one of the best and brightest voices on the long-running comedy show today, and has also had the prestigious opportunity to host the show three times. Davidson and Mulaney, and Mulaney’s wife Annamarie Tendler, are all great friends. Mulaney has also tried to smooth tensions between Davidson and the show they are both a part of on a few occasions.
Davidson’s comments about Saturday Night Live
Always willing to share his thoughts, Davidson has recently made a series of interesting public comments about his time on Saturday Night Live. Davidson has had a somewhat contentious relationship with SNL, partially due to him missing episodes while filming a role in the upcoming Suicide Squad 2 movie. Some of these comments include that Davidson was hurt by the show making fun of him during his brief sabbatical, specifically comments made by Weekend Update host Colin Jost.
Davidson opened up about his experience on the sketch show to radio host Charlamagne Tha God that he felt unsure about his place on the show and among coworkers. While Davidson is still listed as a “repertory player” on the show’s website, rumors have circulated that he will not return to Saturday Night Live. Not all of Davidson’s comments about the show were negative, as he credits his time for helping his stand-up career, and that the experience has been life-changing. It will be interesting to see where Davidson’s career goes, as he is clearly a talented comedic voice.
