Pete Davidson’s star is brighter than ever, but the longtime ‘SNL’ comedian doesn’t want to disappoint ‘father figure’ Lorne Michaels by leaving the show.
Pete Davidson, 28, has long been a player in the business of comedy, but he’s become a much bigger name as of late thanks to his high-profile romance with Kim Kardashian, 41. As Pete hits the next level of fame, however, he’s been considering leaving Saturday Night Live to pursue other projects — much to the possible chagrin of longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels.
“Pete is bracing for life after SNL but as much as his star is rising, he doesn’t want to disappoint Lorne and leave,” a source EXCLUSIVELY revealed to HollywoodLife. “He might have to leave just because he has so much other work on his plate, but he is trying to make it all work out and is trying to do it all because he feels like Lorne is a big father figure for him and he wants to do what is right for him, the show and Lorne all together.”
They continued, “Pete knows he has till at least August to see if he wants to return to SNL but as of right this second it is about 60% staying and 40% leaving.”
Pete Davidson (Broadimage/Shutterstock).
Moreover, another source reported to us that Lorne would “love” to have Pete on the show “for years” down the line, “especially the upcoming 50th anniversary,” they stated, referencing the show’s major milestone coming up in 2025. “He fears mostly that he will lose him but he is going to do all that he can think of to keep him around. Convincing Pete to stay though might be tougher than expected though,” they added.
Pete Davidson jokes with Weekend Update host Colin Jost on ‘SNL’ (NBC).
Even if Pete ultimately decided to leave the program, it looks like he may still have an opportunity to work with Lorne. Just recently, on March 9, Deadline reported the comedian is headlining his own comedy series which will be inspired by his life. The project, tentatively titled Bupkis, will be co-written by Pete and his longtime collaborator Dave Sirus as well as Judah Miller, and is in talks with Lorne’s Broadway Video and Universal Television company. He may say goodbye to late night, but perhaps Pete won’t have to leave his “father figure” behind after all!
