Who is comedian, actor, writer Pete Davidson?
Pete Davidson, whose full name is Peter Michael Davidson, is an American comedian, actor and writer born on November 16, 1993, in Staten Island, New York City. He became widely known as a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live, where he appeared from 2014 to 2022. Davidson has also starred in films and television projects including The King of Staten Island and Bupkis, often drawing on personal experiences in his stand-up and screen work.
Background/biography
Davidson was raised on Staten Island by his mother, Amy Davidson, alongside his younger sister, Casey. His father, Scott Davidson, was a New York City firefighter who died while responding to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. Davidson was seven years old at the time.
He attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Tottenville High School and Xaverian High School before graduating from the latter. He later enrolled at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights but left to pursue comedy.
Davidson began performing stand-up comedy as a teenager. His early performances included appearances at a Staten Island bowling alley, and he gradually developed a profile through New York comedy venues, television guest spots and comedy competitions.
Comedy, television and film career
- Saturday Night Live (2014–2022) — cast member and writer known for “Weekend Update” appearances, sketches and personal stand-up segments.
- Pete Davidson: SMD (2016) — stand-up special.
- Set It Up (2018) — supporting role in the romantic comedy film.
- Big Time Adolescence (2019) — starred as Zeke.
- The King of Staten Island (2020) — starred in and co-wrote the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama.
- Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends (2022) — comedy special featuring Davidson and fellow comedians.
- Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) — appeared in the ensemble horror-comedy film.
- Bupkis (2023) — co-created, wrote and starred in the Peacock comedy series.
Davidson joined Saturday Night Live at age 20, becoming one of the program’s youngest cast members. His material on the show frequently addressed his Staten Island upbringing, family history, mental health and life in the public eye.
In 2020, Davidson expanded his role behind the camera by co-writing The King of Staten Island with Dave Sirus and director Judd Apatow. The film used fictionalized elements inspired by Davidson’s childhood and his father’s career as a firefighter. He later continued this approach with Bupkis, a fictionalized series built around a version of his own public persona.
Personal experiences in his work
A recurring aspect of Davidson’s comedy and acting has been his willingness to discuss personal loss and difficult experiences. The King of Staten Island centers on a young man whose firefighter father died when he was a child, a premise that parallels Davidson’s own family history without presenting the story as a direct biography.
Davidson has also spoken publicly about living with Crohn’s disease and borderline personality disorder. His discussions of health and treatment have been part of his stand-up material and public interviews.
Fun facts about Pete Davidson
- Davidson was 20 years old when he joined Saturday Night Live in 2014.
- He briefly attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn before focusing on stand-up comedy.
- His father, Scott Davidson, was a member of the New York City Fire Department and died on September 11, 2001.
- Davidson has said that he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when he was a teenager.
- In 2022, Davidson joined comedian Colin Jost and other investors in purchasing the retired Staten Island Ferry vessel John F. Kennedy.
