It’s been quite a ride for anyone connected to the Saturday Night Live dynasty, thanks to the 2025 TV schedule carrying the back half of its milestone 50th year. Cast members past and present have been firmly in focus, paying tribute to Lorne Michaels’ creation and stewardship of NBC’s not ready for prime time landmark. This list includes Pete Davidson, too, as he recently shared how SNL's mastermind has impacted his life.
Though the anniversary show may be in the recent past, the love for Michaels endures, as seen in a new interview with Davidson. Talking about how his former boss became a father figure to him, years after his father's death on 9/11, the connection is more fitting than you’d think.
Pete Davidson's Account Of Lorne Michaels' Mentorship Is Absolutely Sweet
The paternal nature of Davidson and Michaels' relationship came up in conversation during an interview with Variety. In his own words, the Bupkis star provided this description of the Canadian comedy mogul’s mentorship:
Yeah, he’s like my dad kind of. He’s really, really sweet, and has always been above and beyond understanding of my life, and just supportive in all the right ways. I’m very lucky.
The loss of Scott Matthew Davidson, a NYFD firefighter with Ladder 118 who died on 9/11, is one that his son Pete and widow Amy continue to pay reverent tribute to. Serving as a cornerstone to some of his own work through comedy, the actor/writer most notably drew upon his personal history as inspiration for the 2020 dramedy The King of Staten Island.
Throughout other interviews, Pete Davidson’s candid reflections on how he handled the loss have provided some catharsis to balance out the anecdotes of his struggles in life. Even Davidson's 2023 community service stint with the NYFD helped him give back while making amends.
Coincidentally enough, that loss is part of why his connection with Lorne Michaels is so strong in the first place. As it turns out, the Saturday Night Live boss has his own story of losing a father and how that fallout may have influenced these paternal feelings.
Lorne Michaels’ Feelings On Pete Davidson Reflect His Own Traumatic Loss
As recounted in author Susan Morrison’s biography Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, Michaels lost his own father to a heart attack in his teen years. What magnified the trauma from that passing was that shortly before that death, he’d argued with his father over curfew.
In an account of the afterparty celebrating Jonah Hill’s 2018 hosting gig, Lorne Michaels shared with Morrison these comments on how he regards Pete Davidson:
Pete was seven when his dad died. I was fourteen when I lost mine, and it was still a calamity. … He’s a good boy. They don’t all like him, but he’s a good boy.
It would seem that Micheals can understand exactly what Davidson has gone through, considering they both lost their fathers at a young age.
Also, sadly, the trauma of loss is something that has permeated the history of SNL over time. Stories such as Michaels’ periodic bans of Chris Farley from the show echo from one of the earliest tragedies in the series' history, the tragic death of John Belushi.
With Pete Davidson having his own substance abuse issues in the past, one can see why Lorne Michaels would want to be involved with the young performer’s efforts to stay sober.
In return, you can see the young comedian is grateful for the treatment, even after leaving the cast in 2022. With Pete Davidson’s Saturday Night Live hosting aspirations firmly in place, and glowing words such as these, that bond could help make that dream a reality.
Though the 50th season of the series comes to an end on the 2025 TV schedule this Saturday at 11:35 PM ET on NBC (or via a Peacock subscription), there's always a chance that the near future may pair these two up in a professional capacity once more.
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