Pete Davidson is reflecting on the time he was in “trouble” with NBCUniversal over the cancellation of his semi-autobiographical dramedy Bupkis on Peacock.
In a sprawling interview conducted recently with The Breakfast Club, the Saturday Night Live alum candidly discussed everything from his sobriety to the tabloid fixation on his personal life. He also touched on his choice to end Bupkis after one season last year, which he said at the time was informed by wanting “a chance to tell my story my way” after having “nearly a decade of my personal life being in the media.”
“I canceled Bupkis and I got in trouble for it ’cause I didn’t— I love that show, I loved doing Bupkis, I had a blast, thank you [host Charlamagne tha God] for being in it,” he began. “It just got to a point where I got really tired of my whole career just being my personal life, and living through that is sort of traumatic — not to be lame — but it’s traumatic to live in your own crap all the time.”
Despite writing storylines in the series that he was “comfortable” with, Davidson said the show’s direction took a turn once a new collaborator stepped in.
The Pickup star explained, “This new person came and was like: ‘I think Pete should be banging Martha Stewart this season, I think Pete should have more mental issues.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, but I wouldn’t do that.’ And they were like, ‘Well, Pete the character [would].’ And I was like, ‘I can’t do this.’ I was like, if I want any shot in being in real movies or being seen a certain way, I can’t just play myself all the time and be this sack.”
Speaking to how parent company NBCUniversal took the news, Davidson said: “They were not pleased. Have you seen me in any NBCUniversal [project since]? They were upset. I cost people jobs and I took care of the writers’ room and anyone who didn’t get paid that needed to, I took care of it — which also hurt. But, it’s funny, you work for a company for over a decade — I’m pretty sure I brought in a lot of money, worked hard on that show, was a good boy, like promoting [it] and whatnot. It made me realize a lot about the business, like hey, I’m probably gonna die if I have to keep doing this and that’s a problem.”
While the Bodies, Bodies, Bodies actor called himself “very lucky” to enjoy success in the entertainment industry, he added that it “did kind of open my eyes where it’s just like, ‘Oh, no one actually cares about you.’ Studios, networks — they don’t really care about you. They want you to do the thing, which I get. Now it’s all good, but there was a time where it wasn’t.”
When asked if he was “blacklisted” by NBC over the decision, he said, “No, I think we’re cool. I talk to everyone over there now and we’re cool. There was a little time where there was some heat and it wasn’t all good … and I understand why, but it just hurt because it was a place I worked for over a decade,” adding that there was a time he thought it “might be a wrap” on his career.
Admitting he “had to step back and be in purgatory for a little bit,” Davidson also credited his ad with clothing brand Reformation in helping him “start to switch the narrative” and be seen as an “adult” in the public eye.
Davidson can currently be seen on Prime Video’s The Pickup opposite Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer. Next up, he will co-star alongside Nicholas Hoult in Amazon MGM Studios’ How to Rob a Bank, from director David Leitch.
Watch Davidson’s full interview below:
