Pete Davidson is reportedly leaving Saturday Night Live after the upcoming season 47 finale. Davidson in 2015 became a featured player on SNL at the tender age of 20. Since then, the comedian has gone on to become a movie and TV actor of note, memorably starring in the 2020 Judd Apatow film The King of Staten Island (whose story was loosely based on Davidson’s own life).
Of course things haven’t always gone smoothly for Davidson during his relatively long tenure on SNL. Indeed, the performer has become involved in multiple controversies over the years, coming under fire by everyone from the Catholic church to Congressman Dan Crenshaw for bits he performed on the show. But Davidson’s bad boy image has also been fueled by behind-the-scenes behavior, leading to frequent speculation about his tenuous status as a performer on SNL. His recent absences from the show have in fact led to more questions about Davidson’s future on the venerable late night sketch comedy series.
Now it seems that Davidson and SNL have come to a definitive decision about his future as a cast member, and it's time for him to say farewell. As reported by Variety, Davidson will leave the show after this weekend's season 47 finale. SNL producers were unavailable for comment when contacted by Variety.
It should frankly come as no surprise to see Davidson electing to leave SNL given how busy he’s been as a TV and film performer in recent months. Last year, the actor made his debut in the world of comic book movies with a role as Blackguard in DC’s The Suicide Squad. Later this year, Davidson will star in the horror movie Bodies Bodies Bodies and in the animated Marmaduke as the voice of Marmaduke himself. He’s also lined up roles in the horror film The Home (whose shooting was responsible for some of his early-2022 absences from SNL), the comedy Meet Cute and the thriller Wizards!. Davidson will also head up the cast of the Peacock comedy show Bupkis, which sees him playing a “heightened” version of himself a la Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
That Davidson will play a version of himself in a show may actually cause snickers for some SNL fans, as the actor has often been accused of only being able to play himself. But even if Davidson’s comedic range is somewhat limited, his ability to get laughs has never been in question. Nor has his ability to bring viewers to SNL, either by saying controversial things on-air, or by becoming involved in off-air controversies with the likes of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Saturday Night Live will of course go on without Davidson, but it may feel a little less edgy and culturally-relevant when he's gone.
Source: Variety