It’s pretty safe to say that 28-year-old comedian Pete Davidson has found his stride in his successful career ever since his first-ever television appearance. At only 20 years old, he was selected to become part of the iconic comedy show Saturday Night Live making him one of the youngest members of the comedy crew to have ever been cast.
Since his impressive screen breakthrough, his reputation as a self-deprecating “bad boy” has only solidified. In between hanging with the likes of Billboard Music Award-winning rockstar Machine Gun Kelley and the plethoras of A-list romances Davidson has been involved in, the comedian has also managed to break into the film industry through several acting roles. Whether it be a small supporting role or leading his own feature film, Davidson’s screen career has taken off. And It seems as though the Staten Island local isn’t planning to stop his acting pursuit anytime soon, judging by his future leading role in the Alex Lehmann film Meet Cute and even the titular role in the upcoming Netflix series I Slept With Joey Ramone. But how did Davidson go from stand-up comedian to Hollywood superstar?
8 His First TV Appearance Was In 2013
As previously mentioned, Davidson’s first-ever television appearance was way back in 2013. At age 19, he appeared on an episode of MTV’s Failosophy. The series only lasted one season from February-April 2013. Hosted by Hasan Minhaj, the premise of the show centered around poking fun at internet mishaps and trends. As each episode included a panel of different comedians and internet stars, it’s easy to see why Davidson was chosen to partake.
7 Which Led To More MTV Appearances
Following his Failosophy appearance, Davidson continued to ride the MTV train as he appeared on an episode of MTV’s Guy Code in the same year. His first appearance on the show was during the series’ ninth episode of its third season, titled “PDA And Moms”. Following this, the actor and comedian went on to appear in three further episodes.
6 Pete Davidson Then Began Focusing On Stand-Up Comedy
During his early days in television, Davidson began to shift his focus away from comedic reality shows and began to develop his career as a stand-up comedian. Later on, in 2013, he appeared in Comedy Central’s Gotham Comedy Live where he was able to fully showcase his abilities in stand-up for the first time on television.
5 Pete Davidson Appeared On 'Wild’N Out'
2013 sure was a busy year for Davidson as a month after his appearance on Gotham Comedy Live, he began his 6-episode feature on Nick Cannon’s Wild'N Out. The roast battle series caused the comedian to gain far more attention than anything else he had done prior as several fans continuously praised his performance.
One Twitter user wrote, “I've always thought Pete Davidson was kinda cute from his wild n out days...he's funny, successful and his jokes slap from the darkness in him.”
4 Pete Davidson Became A Part Of The 'SNL' Cast
In 2014 Davidson landed the role of a lifetime as he joined the cast of SNL in its 40th season. His casting in the iconic comedy show was all due to comedy acting legend Bill Hader who recommended Davidson for an audition for the show. Since then, Davidson has been a regular on the series, delighting fans with his dark comedy. His role on SNL has undeniably propelled Davidson into higher levels of fame far more than anything he had done prior.
Whilst speaking to Variety about his big break on SNL Davidson highlighted how he had initially believed that he would never get the role. He stated, “I just assumed that I wasn’t going to be on the show. That’s all I remember” Adding, “I just remember doing stand-up and then getting a callback and then doing stand-up again and nobody laughing. And then not hearing anything and then like 5 days before the first episode I got like hired."
3 Pete Davidson Began Acquiring Supporting Roles In Films
As Davidson’s success on the show rose, so did his fame. Eventually, Davidson began to acquire small roles in both film and television as supporting or side characters. Examples of this include his supporting role in the 2019 biopic The Dirt and even an appearance on the police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
2 Pete Davidson Starred In And Co-Wrote His Own Film
As he continued to pursue his acting career, Davidson was cast in bigger roles such as his leading role in the comedy film Big Time Adolescence where he portrayed the character of Zeke Presanti. In 2020 Davidson co-wrote his very first feature film, The King Of Staten Island, with legendary director Judd Apatow. Based on Davidson’s own life and personal experiences, the comedian also starred in the film which showcased his more emotional acting abilities as well as his already established comedic skills.
1 Pete Davidson Became A Part Of The DCEU Films
In 2021 Davidson truly made his mark in the Hollywood industry as he joined one of cinema’s biggest film franchises, the DCEU. He appeared in the latest film released by the comic giant, The Suicide Squad. Despite his small role as Blackguard, Davidson quickly became a fan-favorite due to his comedic characterization.