Pete Davidson and Saturday Night Live always get a reaction regardless of whether it’s love, hate, or something in between. The feelings for the funnyman, for the most part, sprout from his overly casual, and open, easy-going demeanor paired with his serial dating tendencies (he’s currently been spotted hanging with Elsie Hewitt). Regardless of his time spent at 30 Rock, it wasn’t until a specific happening did it click for the comedian just how huge a deal it was and what hindered him from seeing it clearly.
The Bupkis star's had a pretty big year so far, with two 2025 movies released (Dog Man and Riff Raff) along with his involvment in celebrating SNL 50. He and Bill Murray joined Club 30 with Henrik Lundqvist to reflect on comedy and their individual careers, with Saturday Night Live serving as a large part of the conversation, and both weighed in on how it changed their lives. While Murray revealed how immediate his revelation was, Davidson shared the weight of it didn’t hit until the 50th special, largely due to his age when hired. He shared:
SNL – so, it didn’t really hit me until the 50th how huge and insane it was to be a part of this machine, because I was young when I got it. I was 20, and I was doing standup for four years, and I was like ‘Oh my god, I’m so happy I got this job.’ Like it was a job. And I was very grateful to be a part of it, and I made some of my best friends I’ve ever had still to this day there – and you know, Lorne’s one of them, and he really looked out for me. But, while I was there, I was like ‘Oh this is a job.’
Weirdly, this fact makes sense for his vibe on the show during his eight-year run for a few reasons. And anyone looking to watch that evolution in progress can stream those eight seasons with a Peacock subscription.
One, as one of SNL’s youngest starting cast members and it being his first real gig, his thought process aligns perfectly with someone entering the workforce (even if it is far from an average starting role). Two, and I mean this purely from a neutral, scientific fact way, he’d only had a fully developed brain for three years when he left.
And finally, when the 50th events started picking up, we saw a different Davidson (rewatching his audition tape made him emotional) along with celebrating with pals and new friends during the big weekend.
The King of Staten Island star then expanded on what he’s realized about being a part of the SNL fam. He noted that it transformed every aspect of his professional life from interacting with celebrities to committing to the work:
But it changes everything. It teaches you everything. It’s kind of like comedy college almost, because you get a crash course in celebrity. Midway through your first season, you’re like ‘I don’t care. I’m here to make people laugh.’ You know, the first few episodes you’re like ‘Oh my god, Chris Pratt said hi to my mom!’ And then you’re like, ‘I gotta get a sketch in this week, I gotta be funny. I gotta look at the bigger picture.’
I think it's safe to say that for any Davidson fans out there, like me, it’s great to see he has outgrown the majority of his Chad-like ways (uh-huh). SNL watchers, and his supporters specifically, have seen the transformation he’s talking about in his career, and I, for one, am looking forward to what’s ahead for him.
I am especially interested in continuing to see what’s ahead for the infamous ferry project (which is coming along). However, the reported feud between him and Colin Jost and the alleged 20k present Davidson offered may change things.
We’ll have to wait and see what shakes out on that Saturday Night Live pair’s side endeavor. But I'm glad to learn that the 31-year-old knows his role at Studio 8H was much more than a job. After all, the time he clocked there as a young comedian helped these excellent Pete Davidson watches in some way or another.
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