Pete Davidson says Joe Pesci 'saved my life' by believing in Bupkis : 'I needed that validation'
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Pete Davidson is sharing how Joe Pesci gave him the "validation" he needed during a difficult time in his life and career.
The King of Staten Island star said that Pesci both "changed" and "saved" his life by seeing the potential in his upcoming television series Bupkis — and, by extension, him — at a time when he was feeling very "insecure." The comedy series, which was written by Davidson, is a fictionalized take on his own life and sees Davidson star as himself alongside Edie Falco, who plays his mom, and Pesci, who plays his grandfather.
Pesci's casting came as a surprise to many. Since announcing his retirement from acting in 1999, the Oscar winner has appeared in only a small handful of projects, including Martin Scorsese's 2019 crime drama The Irishman.
"[Pesci] liked the material enough to do it," Davidson said on Jon Bernthal's Patreon-exclusive Real Ones podcast. "We had a really great conversation. It was really honest and organic and we kind of hit it off. And it was out of love he did it, 'cause he doesn't need to do anything."
The Saturday Night Live alum noted that Pesci's approval came at a time when he "really needed it."
"I needed that validation from someone like that, like so badly," Davidson explained. "Because, like I said, when you're going online, I can deal with trolls, but Oscar winners, presidents shitting on you? You're like, 'Damn, I'm a f---ing loser.' I got the guy no one can get. And that changed my life. I owe him everything."
Earlier in the interview, Davidson explained that his prior career experience on Saturday Night Live had been heavily impacted by the public's interest in his personal life and that the series' repeated digs at his relationship status left him feeling "small" and like a "loser."
"Look, I'm in my 20s and I've dated people. And for some reason, that's very crazy and interesting to people. I don't think it's interesting," he said. "I've been in show business for, like, half my life almost — for 14 or 15 years — and on a national TV show. In 12 years, I've dated 10 people. I don't think that's that crazy, but to some people, that's very interesting. That became all anyone would talk about."
He continued, "Suddenly you're in this zeitgeist and that has nothing to do with the work. And that's a really s---ty feeling."
During his 8-season run on SNL, Davidson dated multiple celebrities, including Cazzie David, Ariana Grande, Phoebe Dynevor, and Kim Kardashian. While he acknowledged that he might have become "more known before the work was there," that didn't mean he wasn't putting time and energy into his craft either, adding, "I was always working."
Heidi Gutman/Peacock Pete Davidson and Joe Pesci in 'Bupkis'
In fact, that's where he was first introduced to his then-partners. "These people that I've dated, I met them at work," Davidson explained. "I wasn't in anyone's DMs, no one was in mine. I worked at one of the five Hollywood epicenters of where you meet people and that's how it happened."
Still, Davidson maintained that he was "cool" with the jokes "when my friends do it," noting, "I get the late-night jokes."
However, they didn't always sit right with him on Saturday Night Live. "I'd be sitting in the back watching the cold open — the cold open [is] topical, political humor, whatever's in the culture — and then making fun of you," he said. "Then you've gotta walk out and do a sketch next and hit your mark and the show just made fun of you. So, why are they gonna laugh at you? Like, they just dogged you in front of everyone. ... And you're like, 'I'm a f---ing loser, man.'"
Dia Dipasupil/WireImage Pete Davidson
"These are the people I've been with for almost a decade. I grew up in front of these people. They've watched me through the most difficult time in my life, and they've been there for me," Davidson continued. "And nobody's ever shown more love and grace and leeway to me than Lorne Michaels, and I owe my life to that guy, but it was f---ing confusing 'cause it's the nature of entertainment, it's the nature of this business. At the end of the day, that's what it is. This was a really difficult thing to do. You feel small. You feel super insecure."
Davidson, who described himself as "already a very insecure person" even before the punchlines, said that they only succeeded in making him feel worse. "Now I'm insecure in the place I'm supposed to feel the most safe," he said. "Luckily, we squashed it, we talked about it and fixed that part of it, but it took me a while before I even felt comfortable to say that. It was f---ing weird."
Now, Davidson said that he's trying to figure out what "feels appropriate to share" about his relationships going forward. "I don't feel like I owe anyone anything. But now, because of the internet, you sort of feel like you do have to defend yourself a bit," he said. "It's a tricky situation to be in. You don't wanna come across as whiny or not grateful."
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