The King of Staten Island is an incredible movie that has recently been released on demand for people to stream at home instead. The movie stars Pete Davidson in the leading role, rocking plenty of interesting tattoos. He takes on a very honest and truthful character persona, proving himself to be one of the more likable actors and comedians of this generation and he is only getting better.
Pete Davidson is only 26 years old this year and is currently a cast member on Saturday Night Live where he does stand-up comedy and has appeared on a few MTV shows as well! Here are some facts about The King of Staten Island.
The Movie Is Inspired By The True Death Of Pete Davidson's Father
Pete Davidson drew from plenty of personal experiences while writing The King of Staten Island movie. One of the biggest and most personal experiences he reflected on revolves around the passing of his father, Scott Davidson. Scott Davidson passed away fighting the 9/11 fires of 2001 when Pete Davidson was still just a child.
In the film, the character that Pete Davidson plays has also suffered from the loss of his father who died fighting fires in the fictional story.
Filming 'The King Of Staten Island' Was A Cleansing Experience For Pete
Pete Davidson told the Washington Post, “To be honest, seeing it on screen feels really releasing. Like, maybe, I could put this part of my life behind me and move forward.” He has proven himself to be quite a strong individual who has been through so much in life.
Losing one’s father is devastating and heartbreaking no matter what the circumstances, but the fact that Pete Davidson lost his father in such a heroic way adds a lot to the equation. Filming this movie was a cleansing experience for Pete Davidson.
Real Firefighters Were Cast In The Movie
Legitimate firefighters were cast in King Of Staten Island to add to the authenticity. Bill Burr revealed, "What was great and brilliant on Judd’s part is that a number of people who were actual firefighters were in the movie, so they made sure that we were hanging out right, breaking balls and how shit goes down in the firehouse. But there was definitely a sense of responsibility." (Variety.)
It is commendable that real firefighters were cast in this movie. Pete Davidson's father was a true hero who worked as a firefighter while he was still alive.
Bill Burr Immediately Knew He'd Agree To Be In The Film
According to Variety, Bill Burr said, "Judd was on my podcast. He said, ‘Hey, after this, you want to grab something to eat? I want to pitch this movie to you’ — which is hilarious. It’s Judd, I’m going to say yes.” We love that Bill Burr pretty much automatically knew that he was going to sign on and agree to be part of this film without much convincing needed.
The addition of Bill Burr to the cast was amazing! He took on the role of Pete Davidson's mother's love interest. In the film, their two characters butt heads for a while there before finally realizing that they can see eye to eye.
Bill Burr Loved Filming In Staten Island
When asked about filming in Staten Island, Bill Burr said, "I loved it there. If you’re from Staten Island — because I don’t think that they get the attention that the other boroughs do — they have this mix of pride and self-deprecation. That’s what Pete is doing when he makes fun of it. But if somebody who wasn’t from Staten Island were to make fun of it, he would defend it to its death." (Variety.) When it comes to location, Staten Island is the southernmost of New York City's five boroughs.
Staten Island does not always get the best commentary from people since it is can be an easy place to make fun of for stand up comics everywhere but Bill Burr's personal experience there was a positive one!
Marisa Tomei Made Bill Burr Feel Nervous
When asked about working with Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr said, "She’s an icon. I got to work with an Oscar winner. I’ll be honest with you, it was intimidating. I had so much friggin’ anxiety, going, 'Why do I do this to myself? I’m a comedian. I don’t belong in anything.' You know? I’m gonna be opposite Marisa Tomei, and she’s gonna be looking at me going, ‘Why am I working with this stupid bald comedian?’ I was totally in my head. And then after the first day, I just had a good time." (Variety.) Just about anone would be nervous to work alongside someone as incredibly talented as Marisa Tomei.
They played an adorable couple in King Of Staten Island with such great onscreen chemistry. If Burr hadn't admitted that Tomei made him nervous, no one would have been able to tell!
Pete Davidson Referenced His Real Crohn's Diagnosis In The Film
In real life, Pete Davidson struggles with a condition called Crohn’s disease. It is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects less than 200,000 people in the United States every year. Unfortunately, this is a condition that cannot be cured. One of the symptoms of this condition leads to dark circles under one’s eyes, something Pete Davidson has been bullied over in the past.
Pete Davidson referenced this condition in The King of Staten Island. He decided to tackle his personal health struggles head-on in the movie which was a very mature thing to do.
Amy Schumer Was The First Connection Between Pete Davidson And Judd Apatow
According to NPR, Judd Apatow said, "I first became aware of Pete when we were casting Trainwreck. And I ask Amy [Schumer], 'Who should I know? Who might we want to put in the movie?' And the first person she mentioned was Pete. And then we just went on YouTube and watched a bunch of clips of Pete, and they were hysterical." It is incredible that she thought to mention Pete back then, creating such a perfect comedy connection.
Any Schumer is an incredible comedian and actress and it's wonderful that she namedropped Pete Davidson's name to Judd Apatow.
Pete Made Sure The Film Began And Ended With Kid Cudi Songs
Pete Davidson made sure that the film began and ended with Kid Cudi songs. This was important to Davidson because Kid Cudi is a famous musician who has publicly dealt with some of the same things Pete Davidson has dealt with. Kid Cudi won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance in 2012 proving just how talented he really is.
Kid Cudi has struggled with mental health issues as well as substance abuse throughout his life— something plenty of folks can relate to. He has worked hard to overcome these struggles which is something that a lot of people can admire and respect.
Making 'The King Of Staten Island' Helped Pete Grow As A Person
Pete Davidson opened up about filming the movie when he said, "As someone who's open with struggles and issues, I think I'm always learning and growing. Making this film allowed me to grow more as a person. One of the main reasons why I wanted to make this [film] and tell this story was because I wanted this chapter in my life to be closed. Not forgotten, but I wanted to be able to move on and show that it's OK to have issues and it's OK to struggle and that you're not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel." (Digital Spy.)
The fact that he was able to take on such an emotional role that is so deeply and personally connected to his own personal life struggles, hardships, and pain shows that he is such a talented and genuine soul with so much to offer the world.