Pete Davidson

Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He began his career in the early 2010s with minor guest roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friends of the People, Guy Code, and Wild 'n Out before being hired as a cast member on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. He starred in for eight seasons.

After becoming well-known on SNL, Davidson acted in and helped create the comedy film Big Time Adolescence in 2019. He also co-wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama film The King of Staten Island in 2020, and the Peacock series Bupkis in 2023. He continued acting in films such as The Suicide Squad in 2021, and Bodies Bodies Bodies and Meet Cute in 2022. Davidson has also shared his humor through three comedy specials: Pete Davidson: SMD in 2016, Pete Davidson: Alive from New York in 2020, and Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli in 2024.

Early life and family

Peter Michael Davidson was born on November 16, 1993, in Staten Island, a part of New York City. His father, Scott, was a firefighter in New York City. Sadly, Scott passed away during a very difficult time in 2001. Peter was quite young when this happened and felt very sad and confused for a while.

Peter grew up with a younger sister named Casey. He went to several high schools before finishing at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn. After that, he tried going to college but decided to leave after one semester to focus on his comedy career. He started doing stand-up comedy when he was just sixteen years old, encouraged by some friends.

Career

Pete Davidson began his career with small roles on TV shows like Failosophy, Guy Code, Gotham Comedy Live, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also tried out for a show called Sober Companion, but it wasn’t picked up.

In 2014, Davidson joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. At just 20 years old, he was one of the youngest cast members ever. He became well-known for his funny characters and sketches. In 2019, he starred in the movie Big Time Adolescence, and in 2020, he co-wrote and starred in The King of Staten Island. In 2023, he started the TV series Bupkis and appeared in several big movies, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. In 2026, he began a new video podcast called The Pete Davidson Show on Netflix.

Comedy style

Pete Davidson is known for making people laugh by sharing stories from his own life. His comedy often includes personal experiences, like his time in high school and his short time living in a dormitory at St. Francis College. He talks about many different topics, including difficult feelings and experiences, such as losing his father during the September 11 attacks. He says that talking about these tough moments helps him feel stronger.

Personal life

Pete Davidson lived in Brooklyn Heights, New York in 2015 and later moved to Staten Island to live with his mother. In 2021, he moved into his own home there before planning to return to Brooklyn for work in 2022. He is the godfather of Leo, the son of his friend Ricky Velez. Davidson is also good friends with Cleveland Guardians pitcher Matthew Festa, whom he knew from high school at St. Joseph by the Sea High School.

Davidson once had many tattoos but removed about 200 of them by 2025, saying he wanted to “clean slate it” and act more like an adult. He supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and got a tattoo of her on his leg, calling her his “hero.” He also supported Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In 2023, Davidson and fellow SNL comedian Colin Jost bought a retired Staten Island Ferry boat that was used in the movie Screamboat.

Davidson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease as a teenager and uses special treatments to manage it. He has also used medical marijuana to help with pain.

Davidson dated several public figures over the years, including comedian Carly Aquilino, actress Cazzie David, singer Ariana Grande, actress Kate Beckinsale, actress Margaret Qualley, model Kaia Gerber, actress Phoebe Dynevor, and model and actress Kim Kardashian. In 2025, he began dating model and actress Elsie Hewitt, and they had a daughter together later that year. They separated in May 2026.

In March 2022, Davidson was set to join a spaceflight with Blue Origin, but was later unable to attend.

On March 4, 2023, Davidson crashed his car into a house while driving late at night. No one was hurt, and he agreed to complete community service and traffic school as part of a program.

Controversies

Pete Davidson faced criticism for some of his jokes and actions.

In 2019, he made a joke on a comedy show comparing a big religious group to someone who had done very bad things. Many people were upset and asked him to say he was sorry.

He also made a joke about a politician who lost an eye while serving his country. After many people were upset, he said he was sorry and appeared with the politician on TV.

In 2025, Davidson was set to perform at a comedy event in a country that has been accused of treating people very badly. Many people criticized him for agreeing to perform there, especially because his own father was one of the people who died in a terrible attack many years ago. Davidson said he knew there were concerns but decided to go anyway. Some people said he was being paid a lot of money to help make the country seem better than it really is.

Accolades

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography