Pete Davidson Reflects on His Time at SNL

Pete Davidson shared insights from his experience on Saturday Night Live, noting he often felt out of place among the cast.

During a recent appearance on the “Breakfast Club,” he described how challenging it was to connect with his co-stars when he first joined the long-running NBC sketch show.

“Everyone on SNL was 10 and 15 years older than me,” Davidson remarked. “I struggled… they weren’t unkind, it’s just hard to relate.” It seems like he had a tough time breaking into the group.

He recalled a moment when he suggested going out for a smoke, only to learn that many of the cast members had other life priorities—like welcoming their first child. “Making friends can be difficult,” he added.

Davidson, who was a cast member from 2014 to 2022, reflected on how others perceived him as “a loud kid wearing his life on his sleeve.” Yet, he felt a certain warmth from Kenan Thompson, who he described as “a big companion from day one.”

However, it’s important to note that working at SNL is incredibly competitive. “It’s not like team sports. It’s about who’s the best each week,” Davidson said. He explained that while there was mutual respect and affection among cast members, there was also an underlying drive to outperform one another.

When Davidson joined the show, he admitted he knew “nothing” about it. “I’d never seen it,” he confessed. “I was 19 and 20 years old.” This seems to have contributed to his initial feelings of being an outsider.

As he navigated his time on SNL, the actor, who recently announced he and his girlfriend Elsie Hewitt are expecting their first child, believes his relationships with various high-profile women may have impacted his standing on the show. “I think I rubbed people the wrong way,” he said candidly.

Davidson explained, “I brought a lot of pop culture to the show. I unintentionally made it seem tabloid-like, which embarrassed me. It felt like no one focused on my actual work.” It’s interesting how the perception of him shifted with those dynamics.

In closing, Davidson reassured that none of his co-stars were truly mean to him during his stint on the show.