Pete Davidson is stepping out of his comfort zone for The Home, an upcoming horror thriller from The Purge creator James DeMonaco that’s currently filming, which will see the Saturday Night Live alum take on the first bonafide dramatic role of his career.
We Got This Covered’s Scott Campbell spoke with DeMonaco about the decision to cast Davidson in his upcoming title and how their shared past in Staten Island played a role. They both grew up in the same neighborhood but, despite being friends, DeMonaco was worried the lack of humor in The Home would be challenging for the King of Staten Island actor.
“I love his work as a comedian, but as a dramatic actor. I didn’t know. I think there was some hint of it in King of Staten Island, but he was kind of playing himself,” DeMonaco told WGTC. It didn’t take long for Davidson to ease his director’s worries, however, and the result was a performance DeMonaco describes as surprising and “wonderful.”
The actor, who has delved into horror before with 2022’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, plays Max — described as a “troubled man” who starts working at a retirement home and soon realizes the residents and caretakers are hiding something. His own investigation into what’s going on reveals truths about his own traumatic past.
DeMonaco reveals that, at one point on set, Davidson’s unexpected dramatic skills led him to ask the actor “How did you learn to do this?.” He believes audiences will be by turns surprised and excited about his leading man’s performance. As for The Home, horror enthusiasts can expect psychological terror in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Tenant, with the added “propulsive madness” of DeMonaco’s career-defining franchise The Purge.
Read the full exclusive interview with James DeMonaco here.