Pete Davidson Alludes to Quitting 'SNL'

Pete Davidson has alluded to the possibility he is planning to quit SNL, amid speculation over which cast members may not return next season. During a new roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Davidson was asked if he has any plans to got for 18 seasons, like his castmate Kenan Thompson. Davidson replied, "Yeah, I'm good."

He then joked, "I'm surprised I made it to seven," and added, "I'm ready to hang up the jersey. Kenan's like f—in' Karl Malone out there." Davidson then shared which Saturday Night Live alums he most looks up to. "You get to see a lot of people at SNL, and there's this aura around Eddie Murphy where you're just like, 'Holy s—, that's Eddie Murphy.' [Adam] Sandler is like that, too," he said. "You just can't believe you're seeing him in person."

"I was at a really different place a year or two ago. I’m not exactly proud of how I handled or was handling things," Pete Davidson says. "Luckily a pandemic happened, and I got kicked in the balls & had to sit with all of my immature irrational decisions" https://t.co/7GUaSmtydd

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 27, 2021

The comedian explained that he wants to fashion his career after Sandler's trajectory. "I'd like the Eddie Murphy, Sandler career. I like what Sandler did where he's like, 'These are my eight friends, we're going to do this formula for the next 30 to 50 years.' He built this entire universe for himself, and he's in his own lane. That's the model."

Going on to further praise Sandler, Davidson said he admires the way his predecessor "carries himself" both on and off-screen. "He's so kind to everyone, and you never hear of a Sandler issue -- there's never, like, a Sandler-gate," he quipped. "Any time you see that guy's face, it's associated with smiles and good vibes. That's the thing I'm trying to follow."

The THR interview also featured Davidson's SNL castmate Chris Redd, as well as Ted Danson, Ed Helms, Lamorne Morris, and Ben Platt. At one point, Davidson was asked about taking on certain types of parts and characters, and he joked that "so few" of the show's writers have "come my way that I have to do them all." He continued, "The thing about SNL is you really don't have much of a say. It's just, 'Hey, this is what you're going to do this week,' and you're like, 'Oh, cool.'"

Davidson went on to say, "I do like the randomness of it and I usually play very dumb characters. So, it's very easy for me. I have one character that I've done in my seven years on the show, which shows how f—in' great I am. His name is Chad and he's very dumb and every response is just, 'OK.' And I see a lot of myself in Chad."