Pete Davidson returns to 'SNL,' this time as host. What to expect from show's Season 49 premiere.
Pete Davidson is heading back to 30 Rock. This time, he'll be hosting Saturday Night Live.
The Bupkis star, 29, will host the premiere of the sketch show's 49th season on Oct. 14. Saturday's show is the first episode of the variety series to hit the airwaves since the writers strike ended. The strike, which lasted 148 days, sent the show into an early hiatus in May. Here's a look at what to expect from Saturday's premiere, as well as Davidson's return to performing on late-night television.
What to expect from the Season 49 premiere
Davidson was originally set to host the May 6 episode of SNL alongside musical guest Lil Uzi Vert. When the show went dark in solidarity with striking writers, Davidson joked on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, "It sucks because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, of course that would happen to me."
The comedian and actor will make his way back to Studio 8H on Saturday to host the Season 49 premiere, which will also feature musical guest Ice Spice. The entire cast, including favorites like Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman, are set to return. While cast members Cecily Strong and Chris Redd departed last season, there will be a new face onstage. On Oct. 4, SNLannounced Chloe Troast as a new featured player.
Has Davidson ever hosted before?
Davidson joined the show as a featured player in 2014 at age 20, making him one of the youngest cast members ever. Over the years, he made his mark portraying everyone from former N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo to Machine Gun Kelly. Davidson announced his departure from the show during Season 47's finale in May 2022. This upcoming appearance will be his first as host.
Davidson's SNL promos were released this week, providing viewers with a few ideas of his brand of comedy they'll see onscreen this weekend. Alongside cast members Yang and Fineman, Davidson played up his slacker stereotype.
"Pete, what are you doing here?" Yang asked. In classic Davidson fashion, he replied, "My apartment is under construction, so I'm just living here."
Davidson hasn't said much else about his hosting gig. He made an appearance Tuesday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his upcoming appearance. When asked by Fallon how he found out he was hosting, Davidson said it was SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels who broke the news.
"I got a classic Lorne-y text. He was like, 'There's a rumor going around that you're the host for the premiere.' He goes, 'I guess its true because I started it,'" Davidson said. "He's the best with the liners."
What has Davidson been up to since leaving SNL?
Davidson's been busy since leaving SNL. Following the success of his 2020 film The King of Staten Island, which he co-wrote and starred in, Davidson has tackled everything from a return to stand-up comedy to animated movie roles. However, he also dealt with some more challenging personal struggles.
In June, a source close to the situation confirmed to Yahoo Entertainment that Davidson was in treatment for mental health issues. The source noted that the comedian has often sought "professional treatment" to stay on top of his mental health issues and that this is part of an ongoing process.
That same month, he was charged with reckless driving following a March car accident where he crashed his Mercedes-Benz into a Beverly Hills home. Investigators said that they thought he was speeding at the time. He subsequently struck a deal with prosecutors in July to avoid jail time.
In September, stand-up comedian and former SNL writer John Mulaney announced he was doing a limited run of shows alongside Davidson and former The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, called "Jon, John & Pete." The trio, while not always appearing together in the same cities, have tour dates scheduled in the U.S. and Canada throughout October and November.
How can SNL return amid the SAG strike?
SNL's return to TV comes during the continuing SAG-AFTRA strike, leaving some wondering how the comedy program could come back. However, SAG members who appear on SNL are actually working under a different contract. The Network Code Agreement, which is often referred to as Net Code, isn't a contract that SAG-AFTRA is striking, IndieWire reported, which means anyone who appears on the program isn't in violation of the strike.
"They are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations," the guild said. "The program is a SAG-AFTRA non-dramatic production under a separate agreement that is not subject to the union's strike order."
As host, Davidson would only be in violation of the SAG-AFTRA strike if he promoted his recent TV and film projects, like Dumb Money.
