Pete Davidson on fatherhood, exes and bulking up for How to Rob a Bank
Pete Davidson says becoming a father has changed how he thinks about his own dad, as he steps into his most physical screen role to date.
The 32-year-old comic and actor spoke to Variety for its week's cover story, headlined "Pete Davidson Grows Up." The interview, by Marlow Stern, ranges across leaving "Saturday Night Live," famous ex-partners, fatherhood and tattoos. He is 32.
Davidson joined "Saturday Night Live" in 2014 at age 20, making him one of the youngest cast members ever, Variety noted. At 26 he starred in the Judd Apatow-directed "The King of Staten Island," a biopic built around his life. Since then he has played sold-out theatres on stand-up bills with Jon Stewart and John Mulaney, appeared in "Fast X" and "Dumb Money," and created and starred in "Bupkis," a television series based on his life.
His next film is "How to Rob a Bank." It was directed by David Leitch and reaches theatres on Nov. 13. The story follows a group of 20-somethings led by Nicholas Hoult who rob banks and livestream their heists.
Davidson plays Vince, Hoult's second in command. Vince is an Afghanistan war veteran whose lungs were damaged by burn pits, the open-air pits used to burn waste on military bases, and who turns to robbery to provide for his family, Variety reported.
To play him, Davidson put on 15 pounds of muscle. He told the magazine he used the peptides Sermorelin and BPC-157 while training. Short and blunt: he bulked up for the part.
The conversation also turned to his personal life. Davidson defended former partners Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian in the interview. Of Grande, he said the pair are "cool" but are not texting.
He also said he is keeping his Hillary Clinton tattoo. "She stays. That's my dog," he told Variety.
For fans, this means a fuller picture of a performer long known for headlines. The jokes are still there. The focus is family.
Davidson is the son of New York City firefighter Scott Davidson, Entertainment Weekly reported. He reflected on his father's death through the lens of being a father himself.
