Say goodbye to `Chad': Pete Davidson leaving `Saturday Night Live'
Pete Davidson, one of the brightest “Saturday Night Live” stars of the past decade, is leaving the sketch comedy series, the Los Angeles Times has confirmed. And he's reportedly not the only popular cast member set to depart.
According to a Friday report from Variety, Davidson will officially depart Studio 8H after the Season 47 finale airs this weekend. Davidson became one of the TV institution's youngest cast members ever — he was just 20 — when he made his “SNL” debut as a featured player in 2014.
Representatives for “SNL” did not immediately respond Friday to a Times request for comment.
Upon joining the ensemble of “SNL,” Davidson quickly became a standout thanks to his self-deprecating comedy style and charming tendency to break character onstage.
His most popular recurring role on the series is Chad, a spacey skater boy who can't be bothered to react or say much more than “OK!” amid acutely distressing or uncomfortable circumstances. Additionally, he has portrayed several public figures on the program, including former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and rapper Machine Gun Kelly.
During his “SNL” tenure, Davidson has also developed a bit of a ladies' man reputation by pursuing high-profile romances with singer Ariana Grande, “Bridgerton” actress Phoebe Dynevor, legacy model Kaia Gerber, English movie star Kate Beckinsale and others. Currently, Davidson is dating reality TV star and beauty mogul Kim Kardashian.
According to Variety, Davidson's next gig is a Peacock series called “Bupkis.” “Sopranos” star Edie Falco is set to play his mother in the show, which is described as a fictionalized version of Davidson's life.
Variety is also reporting that several popular cast members will also be departing at the same time, including Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon and Kyle Mooney.
Deadline reports there is likely to be a big goodbye at the end of tonight's episode.