Pete Davidson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pete Davidson
Davidson in 2015
Birth name	Peter Michael Davidson
Born	(1993-11-16) November 16, 1993 (age 31) New York City, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film
Education	Xaverian High School
Alma mater	St. Francis College (dropped out)
Genres	Observational comedy sketch comedy black comedy insult comedy surreal humor satire
Subject(s)	American culture everyday life social awkwardness mental health self-deprecation pop culture

Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He started his career in the early 2010s with small guest roles. He appeared on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Wild 'n Out.

Later, he joined the cast of the NBC late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live. He was a star on Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, from 2014 to 2022. After becoming well-known on SNL, Davidson starred in and helped produce the movie Big Time Adolescence (2019). He also co-wrote and starred in the film The King of Staten Island (2020). He also created and starred in the Peacock series Bupkis (2023).

He has acted in other films too, such as The Suicide Squad (2021) and Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022). Davidson has also released three comedy specials. These include Pete Davidson: SMD (2016) and Pete Davidson: Alive from New York (2020). His latest special is Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli (2024).

Early Life and Family Background

Peter Michael Davidson was born on November 16, 1993. He grew up in Staten Island, a part of New York City. His parents are Amy and Scott Matthew Davidson. His father, Scott, was a New York City firefighter.

Scott Davidson died while on duty during the September 11th attacks. He was last seen helping people in the Marriott World Trade Center. This building was destroyed when the Twin Towers collapsed. Pete was seven years old at the time. This loss deeply affected him. He later shared that he struggled with strong emotions in school. He also faced very difficult times emotionally when he was younger. He said that the music of Kid Cudi helped him through these times.

Davidson's father had mostly Jewish family roots. He also had some distant German, Irish, and Italian ancestors. His mother is mostly of Irish background, with some German roots. Pete has a younger sister named Casey. He was raised in the Catholic faith.

Davidson went to St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School. He then attended Tottenville High School before moving to Xaverian High School. He graduated from Xaverian in 2011. After high school, he went to St. Francis College for one semester. He then decided to leave college to focus on his comedy career. He first tried stand-up comedy at age sixteen. This happened in a Staten Island bowling alley. Friends dared him to perform on stage.

Pete Davidson's Career Journey

Starting in Comedy (2013–2014)

Pete Davidson in 2013

Davidson's first TV appearance was in February 2013. It was on the MTV comedy show Failosophy. The next month, he appeared on Guy Code on MTV2. This was the first of four episodes he was in. In June, his first televised stand-up comedy aired. It was part of Gotham Comedy Live on Comedy Central. This show features comedians at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City.

The next month, he was on Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out. He appeared on that show six times. He also performed stand-up on TV and appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In 2014, he got a role in a Fox comedy pilot called Sober Companion. However, the show was not picked up for a full series.

Saturday Night Live and Becoming Famous (2014–2022)

Davidson joined Saturday Night Live (SNL) for its 40th season. His first episode aired on September 27, 2014. At 20 years old, he was the first SNL cast member born in the 1990s. He was also one of the youngest cast members ever. He got a chance to audition for the show through actor Bill Hader. They met while filming a small part in the 2015 movie Trainwreck. Hader then told producer Lorne Michaels about Davidson.

His first performances on SNL were well-received. One famous sketch involved him and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Another sketch showed Davidson being shot with an arrow by Norman Reedus. Over the years, Davidson played many characters. His most famous character was Chad. Chad was an easily distracted and calm man. He first appeared in the season 41 episode hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In that sketch, Chad was a pool boy who met a lonely housewife.

In March 2015, Davidson was a comedian on the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. His performance was praised as one of the best. In 2016, he was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list. In April of that year, Comedy Central filmed his first stand-up special. It was called Pete Davidson: SMD and was filmed in New York City.

In January 2019, it was announced that Davidson would tour with John Mulaney. They performed a series of comedy shows called "Sundays with Pete & John." Mulaney and Davidson became good friends. They had appeared together on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live. In May 2019, after the 44th-season finale of SNL, Travis M. Andrews of The Washington Post said Davidson was the most memorable performer that season. Andrews noted that Davidson shared his personal challenges and admitted his comedic mistakes. This made his performances a mix of humor and emotion.

Davidson worked with Machine Gun Kelly to write a sketch. It was called "A Message from the Count" for Kelly's album Hotel Diablo. In 2019, Davidson starred in Big Time Adolescence. He also had supporting roles in other films. These included What Men Want, The Dirt, and The Angry Birds Movie 2. In February 2020, Davidson released his stand-up special Alive from New York on Netflix.

In May 2020, The King of Staten Island was released. Davidson starred in and co-wrote this film with Judd Apatow, who also directed it. Davidson was nominated for awards for his work in The King of Staten Island. He was also nominated for his comedy special Pete Davidson: Alive from New York. In April 2021, Davidson was cast as Joey Ramone in a Netflix movie. It was based on the late singer's brother's book. Davidson also helped write and produce the film. In August 2021, he appeared as Blackguard in The Suicide Squad. He also voiced Marmaduke in an animated film released on Netflix in May 2022. After being absent from many episodes in season 47, it was announced that the season finale would be Davidson's last on Saturday Night Live.

Becoming a Star and Bupkis (2023–Present)

In 2023, Davidson starred in the Peacock series Bupkis. He also helped write the show. The series received mixed reviews. The Guardian called it "messy." Even though Peacock planned a second season, Davidson decided not to continue with it.

In 2023, Davidson acted in three big action movies. He played Phlektik in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He was Bowie in Fast X. He also voiced Mirage in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Pete Davidson's Comedy Style

Davidson on stage in 2018

Davidson is known for basing his comedy on his own life. He shares honest stories that make him relatable to audiences. He talks about topics like relationships and everyday life. He jokes about his awkward high school experiences. He also talks about living in a dormitory during his time at St. Francis College.

He even jokes about sensitive subjects, like losing his father during the September 11 attacks. He says that talking about these things helps him feel stronger. It helps him deal with the feeling of helplessness he felt after such a tragedy at a young age.

Pete Davidson's Personal Life

In October 2015, Davidson lived in Brooklyn Heights, New York. In 2019, he lived in Staten Island with his mother. They bought a home together. In April 2021, he moved into his own place in Staten Island. In February 2022, Davidson shared plans to move from Staten Island to Brooklyn. This was to be closer to his work.

Davidson is the godfather of Leo, the son of his friend and fellow comedian Ricky Velez. He is also close friends with Seattle Mariners pitcher Matthew Festa. They were classmates at St. Joseph by the Sea High School.

Davidson once had many tattoos. By 2025, he had about 200 removed. He plans to keep only two or three. He said he was "trying to clean slate it, trying to be an adult."

Davidson supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In December 2017, he posted on Instagram that he got a tattoo of Clinton on his leg. He called her his "hero" and "one of the strongest people in the universe." Clinton thanked Davidson for the compliment. She joked that it made it "less awkward that I've had a Pete Davidson tattoo for years." He also supported Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

In 2023, Davidson and fellow SNL comedian Colin Jost bought a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat. The ferry was used in the film Screamboat.

Health and Well-being

Davidson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was 17 or 18. He receives special medicine for this condition. He also used a special type of medicine to help with pain. In March 2017, Davidson announced that he had made changes to his lifestyle for his health. He later explained that he realized his emotional problems were due to a health condition. This condition is called borderline personality disorder. He has been receiving treatment for it.

In December 2018, Davidson shared a post on Instagram where he expressed difficult thoughts. He then deleted his account. The New York Police Department checked on Davidson after people on social media and his former fiancée Ariana Grande showed concern. Davidson was at the Saturday Night Live studio at the time. He was getting ready for the last episode of the year. Davidson and John Mulaney later made humorous references to the Instagram post on Weekend Update in January 2019.

Relationships and Family Life

Davidson dated comedian Carly Aquilino from 2014 to 2015. He also dated actress Cazzie David from 2016 to 2018.

In May 2018, he started dating singer Ariana Grande. In June 2018, Davidson confirmed they were engaged. However, the engagement ended in October 2018. Grande's song about Davidson, titled "Pete Davidson", is on her 2018 album Sweetener. She also mentioned him in her song "Thank U, Next".

In January 2019, Davidson was reported to be in a relationship with actress Kate Beckinsale. Their relationship ended by April. He also dated actress Margaret Qualley until October 2019. He was involved with model Kaia Gerber from October 2019 to January 2020. In August 2021, he ended his relationship with Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor.

Davidson and Kim Kardashian were first seen together in October 2021. This was after Kardashian appeared on Saturday Night Live. They shared an on-screen kiss in a sketch where they played Jasmine and Aladdin. They started dating in November 2021. Kardashian had filed for divorce from her husband Kanye West in February 2021. After a very public separation, Kardashian was legally declared single in March 2022. West mentioned the relationship in his 2022 song "Eazy." In August 2022, Davidson and Kardashian ended their relationship after nine months.

Between December 2022 and August 2023, Davidson dated actress Chase Sui Wonders. They met while filming Bodies Bodies Bodies. She later co-starred in Davidson's series Bupkis. He dated actress Madelyn Cline from September 2023 to July 2024.

In March 2025, Davidson began a relationship with model and actress Elsie Hewitt. They made their first public appearance together in May. They later moved in together, splitting their time between Brooklyn and upstate New York. On July 16, 2025, Hewitt announced that they were expecting their first child.

Space Travel Opportunity

In March 2022, the spaceflight company Blue Origin announced something exciting. Davidson was going to be an "honorary guest" on a space flight. He would join five paying customers on NS-20. This was a suborbital flight of its New Shepard craft. It was planned for later that month. However, the flight schedule changed. Blue Origin then announced that Davidson was "no longer able" to join the crew.

Car Incident

On March 4, 2023, Davidson crashed his car into a house late at night. No one was hurt in the crash. He was later charged with a minor offense for "reckless driving." He agreed to complete 50 hours of community service. He also agreed to attend 12 hours of traffic school as part of a special program.

Awards and Recognitions

Film and Television Appearances

Movies

Television Shows

Music Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Pete Davidson para niños

• List of people diagnosed with Crohn's disease