Pete Davidson put rumors and speculation to rest in an Instagram message Saturday, confirming that he is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after eight years and that his last show will by tonight.
“This video was taken 8 years ago,” he said as caption to a video with Jerrod Carmichael. “Jerrod sent it to me last night and it made me super emotional in the best way. In the video I had just gotten back from doing my very first update and sketch. It’s crazy to think that today I’ll be doing my last one.”
He continued: “When I got the show I was 20 years old and I had no idea what I was doing. I still don’t but especially back then. I wasn’t really a sketch performer I was just a stand up. I knew I could never keep up or go toe to toe with a Kenan Thompson or a Kate McKinnon so I was super scared at figuring out what I could possibly bring to or do for such a historic, respected show and platform. I figured since I’m a stand up I’ll just try my stand up and personal bits on Weekend Update as myself and I’m so glad I did. I got to share so much with this audience and literally grow up in front of your eyes. We were together through the good and the bad, the happiest and the darkest of times.”
Davidson went on to express his gratitude to “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels, who gave him his big break in 2014 after only a few small guest appearances on sitcoms.
“I owe Lorne Michaels and everyone at SNL my life,” Davidson said. “Im so grateful and I wouldn’t be here without them. I appreciate you guys always having my back and sticking up for me even when that wasn’t the popular opinion. Thank you for always believing in me and sticking by my side even when it seemed comical. Thank you for teaching me life values, how to grow up and for giving me memories that will last a lifetime. SNL is my home. I’m so happy and sad about tonight’s show. For so many reasons I can’t explain. Can’t wait to be back next year in a Mulaney musical number.”
⁃ Resident young person Pete Davidson
Michaels previously hinted that the next season of the long-running NBC sketch show would be “a year of change,” and Davidson was one of several cast members that were speculated as taking that leap of faith and leaving the show.
Davidson, who co-wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical and critically acclaimed “King of Staten Island,” already has the loosely autobiographical series “Bupkis” in the works at Peacock, with Edie Falco set to play his mother. He took time off this season to film James DeMonaco’s horror movie “The Home,” and also has the A24 film “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies,” which debuted at this year’s South by Southwest, coming out in August.
