Pete Davidson‘s love life may firmly plant him in the spotlight 24/7, but before he was known as Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian’s ex, Saturday Night Live kept him super busy. But as it turns out, Lorne Michaels is the reason he didn’t leave the beloved late-night show after only one season.
According to The Daily Mail, as explained in the Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, Davidson met with Michaels during his first year in 2014 and said, “Please fire me.” The comedian and actor was 20 at the time and said, “I don’t belong here. Everybody’s so talented and they don’t want to be my friend.” Davidson said Michaels gave him harsh but true advice: “It’s just gonna suck for three or four years.”
SNL is a famously tough place to work and comedy legends ranging from Tina Fey to Elaine (I mean, Julia Louis-Dreyfus) have shared stories of their less-than-perfect experiences. Although it’s a shame to hear how much Davidson struggled at first, this is a reminder that sometimes you have to put some time and effort into something before you see the fruits of your labor. Or you have to kiss a few frogs before you get your prince (or however that saying goes). Davidson definitely deserved to be there.
Playing a range of comedic characters on Saturday Night Live would give any up-and-comer the experience needed to explore any kind of career that they wanted. The popular show definitely gave Davidson a great platform and allowed people to get to know him and his talent. He has since starred in a range of movies like the rom-com Meet Cute and the horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, to coming-of-age stories like The King of Staten Island and Big Time Adolescence. More recently, he starred on Bupkis, the funny TV series he also wrote, created, and served as executive producer on.
Davidson has mentioned the challenges of being a young SNL star in other interviews. When appearing on CBS Sunday Morning in 2020, he said, “I was like 10, 12 years younger than everybody else. It felt like it was a joke.” And, as The Daily Mail pointed out, Davidson was convinced he would never be hired on SNL because there wasn’t a ton of laughter during his audition. He asked a friend if stand-up or impressions would be better for the audition, and when he said impressions weren’t his thing, his pal advised him to focus on the former. He thought, “That was terrible, there’s no way I’m getting it.” Of course, he impressed the powers that be at SNL.
All good (and hilarious) things come to an end, though, and Davidson began wondering if it was time to say goodbye in 2020. He was interviewed on Live Your Truth: An Honest Conversation With Charlamagne Tha God and said he contemplated leaving because “they make fun of me.” He called SNL “a cutthroat f*cking show” but praised Michaels because “He’s the best and has treated me with nothing but love and he’s like a father figure to me.”
Fans can check out SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, which premiered on Jan. 16, 2025 on Peacock, and reflect on Davidson’s amazing years at SNL. He might not have been sure that he was going to last, but he starred on the show from 2014 to 2022, and he had an incredible run.
Published: Jan 17, 2025 12:59 pm