Pete Davidson’s most important comedy influences: “I owe him everything”
Saturday Night Live has produced more than its fair share of Hollywood successes.
From early breakouts like Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd to huge 1990s stars Mike Myers and Adam Sandler to pioneering female comedians Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels’ island of misfit toys is something of a movie star factory. In more recent years, the biggest star that the show has produced has arguably been the man with the most confounding dating history of all time, Pete Davidson.
Staten Island’s finest first joined the legendary sketch show in 2014 and stayed there for eight years. In that time, he became one of the most popular cast members in quite some time, which allowed him to translate his small screen success into big screen paydays. Roles in Bodies Bodies Bodies, The Suicide Squad, and even a ‘Transformers’ movie have since followed. He is also set to play Joey Ramone in an upcoming biopic of the famous punk band, if the film can free itself from the various legal messes it is currently in.
For as many stars as SNL has produced, there are plenty of players who never reach the same heights as Davidson. His success is down to a number of things, including his obvious talent, but even he would admit that he owes some of his good fortune to other people.
Speaking with Rolling Stone about his first solo stand-up tour in 2016, Davidson thanked both Bill Burr and Dave Chappelle for helping him release his comedy dreams. “That’s my favourite thing out of everything,” he said of his stand-up show. “I started because of them, and now I get to talk to them a little bit. It’s pretty cool!” While Chappelle and Burr might have encouraged him to leverage his fame, he wouldn’t have had that clout had it not been for another famous alum of SNL.
While filming a small part for the Judd Apatow film Trainwreck, Davidson got close to one of the movie’s stars, Bill Hader. The older comedian, who had been on SNL between 2005 and 2013, took a shine to his young friend and decided that he needed to be on TV. He introduced Davidson to Michaels and arranged for him to have an audition. The producer clearly agreed with Hader’s observations, and the rising star joined the show ahead of its 40th season.
Hader might have helped Davidson land his SNL audition, but there was no guarantee he would actually make it onto the show. Several major stars tried and failed to move into Studio 8H, and there are even more incredibly talented performers who never even get a look in. Davidson made the cut because he stands out. He’s not your usual comedian, even down to the way he looks. He is a completely unique force in the comedy sphere, which is why Michaels simply had to have him on the books.
The fact that so many monumentally successful comedians took time out of their busy schedules to mentor Davidson shows just how good he is. Hopefully, he’s now in a position to pay them back – we’ve heard Bill Hader can get nasty when he’s owed something.
