Pete Davidson Bio
Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian, actor, and writer who first gained national attention as a cast member on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. He joined Saturday Night Live in 2014 at the age of 20, making him one of the youngest cast members in the show’s history, and remained on the program for eight seasons before departing in 2022.
Beyond sketch comedy, Pete Davidson has built a varied career across film, streaming television, and stand-up. He is known for his candid, autobiographical humor and has expanded his profile through starring roles in projects such as The King of Staten Island, Big Time Adolescence, Bupkis, and films in major franchises including The Suicide Squad.
Early Life and Background
Peter Michael Davidson was born on November 16, 1993, in the Staten Island borough of New York City. He was raised by his mother, Amy Davidson, and his father, Scott Matthew Davidson, a New York City firefighter with Ladder 118. Pete Davidson has a younger sister named Casey, and the family is of Jewish and Irish heritage. He was raised Catholic and grew up in the tight-knit communities of Staten Island.
Tragedy shaped Davidson’s childhood at the age of seven when his father, Scott Matthew Davidson, died in service during the September 11 attacks. His father was last seen running up the stairs of the Marriott World Trade Center as the Twin Towers collapsed, and his Requiem Mass was held at St. Clare’s Catholic Church in Great Kills, Staten Island. The loss was overwhelming for young Pete Davidson, who later told The New York Times that he acted out in school and struggled with emotional difficulties in the years that followed.
He attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School and Tottenville High School before transferring to Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, graduating in 2011. He first tried stand-up comedy at age sixteen at a Staten Island bowling alley, where friends, including future professional baseball player Matthew Festa, dared him to take the stage.
Path to Celebrity
After high school, Pete Davidson enrolled at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, where he attended for a single semester before deciding to drop out and pursue comedy full-time. His earliest onscreen appearance came in 2013 with the MTV comedy series Failosophy, followed by appearances on MTV2’s Guy Code and Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.
That same year, Davidson taped his first televised stand-up set for Comedy Central’s Gotham Comedy Live at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. He continued landing small guest spots, including a role on the Fox comedy pilot Sober Companion in 2014, though the project never made it to series. These early performances helped establish him as an emerging comic voice.
Davidson’s big break came when comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Bill Hader, whom Davidson had met while filming a small part in the 2015 Judd Apatow comedy Trainwreck, recommended him to Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. The recommendation led to Davidson’s audition and eventual casting on Saturday Night Live for its 40th season in 2014.
Pete Davidson Career
Early Career (2013–2014)
Between 2013 and 2014, Pete Davidson built his résumé with a string of guest spots and stand-up sets. He appeared on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friends of the People, Guy Code, and multiple episodes of Wild ‘N Out, gradually earning a reputation for his confessional comedy style. In March 2015, he took part in the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber, where his set was praised as one of the best of the evening.
In 2016, Davidson earned a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and Comedy Central filmed his first stand-up special, Pete Davidson: SMD, in New York City. The special cemented his rising profile just as his Saturday Night Live tenure was gaining momentum.
Breakthrough (2014–2022)
Pete Davidson joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for the show’s 40th-season premiere on September 27, 2014. At 20 years old, he was the first SNL cast member born in the 1990s and one of the youngest ever hired for the program. He developed memorable characters such as Chad, the apathetic, easily distracted everyman, and appeared in widely discussed sketches alongside Dwayne Johnson, Norman Reedus, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
In 2019, Pete Davidson starred in and executive produced the comedy film Big Time Adolescence, directed by Jason Orley. The following year, he co-wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama The King of Staten Island with director Judd Apatow, and released his second stand-up special, Alive from New York, on Netflix. He also appeared in films such as What Men Want, The Dirt, The Angry Birds Movie 2, and The Jesus Rolls.
In 2021, Pete Davidson joined the DC film The Suicide Squad as Blackguard under director James Gunn, broadening his presence in big-budget Hollywood productions. He closed out his Saturday Night Live run during the show’s 47th season in 2022, ending an eight-year run as a cast member. He also released his third stand-up special, Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli, in 2024.
Notable Works and Milestones
Pete Davidson is closely associated with Saturday Night Live, The King of Staten Island, Big Time Adolescence, The Suicide Squad, and his Peacock series Bupkis, which he co-wrote and starred in beginning in 2023. His career is marked by signature moments such as his widely praised Roast of Justin Bieber set, his 2016 inclusion on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and his role as Blackguard in The Suicide Squad.
Pete Davidson Award Nominations
Pete Davidson has earned public recognition across his career in comedy and film, with nominations tied to his work on Saturday Night Live, his stand-up specials, and his feature films. He received nominations at the 46th People’s Choice Awards for The Comedy Movie Star of 2020 for The King of Staten Island and The Comedy Act of 2020 for Pete Davidson: Alive from New York, reflecting his crossover appeal from television sketch comedy to theatrical film and stand-up.
Pete Davidson Awards Won
Pete Davidson’s verified award record highlights recognition for his stand-up and ensemble work in comedy. While specific win counts for some programs are not fully verified in available sources, his career has included honors tied to his Saturday Night Live tenure, his comedy specials, and his collaborative projects with fellow comedians.
Pete Davidson Family
Pete Davidson was born to Amy Davidson and Scott Matthew Davidson. His father, Scott Matthew Davidson, was a New York City firefighter assigned to Ladder 118 who died in service during the September 11 attacks while responding to the World Trade Center. His mother, Amy Davidson, raised Pete and his younger sister, Casey, on Staten Island following the family’s tragic loss.
Davidson has spoken openly about how his father’s death shaped his life and his comedy. He has credited the music of Kid Cudi with helping him through suicidal thoughts in his younger years, and he has frequently referenced the loss of his father in interviews and on stage, framing it as a defining influence on his artistic voice.
Personal Life
Pete Davidson has been linked to several high-profile relationships over the years. He was briefly engaged to singer Ariana Grande in 2018 and dated actress Kate Beckinsale in 2019, followed by relationships with Margaret Qualley and model Kaia Gerber. He later dated Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor before his widely covered relationship with Kim Kardashian from 2021 to 2022.
Following his split from Kardashian, Pete Davidson dated actress Chase Sui Wonders from late 2022 to 2023, then actress Madelyn Cline from 2023 to 2024. In March 2025, he began a relationship with model and actress Elsie Hewitt, with the couple making their red carpet debut at the Blossom Ball in May 2025. On July 16, 2025, Hewitt announced via Instagram that the couple were expecting their first child together.
