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Pete Davidson may have spent a memorable eight years at Saturday Night Live before departing the show in 2022, but his audition tape is whole other story.
The 31-year-old comedian recently watched his audition for the long-running sketch comedy show ahead of its special SNL50: The Anniversary Celebration on Sunday (February 16). Speaking to Page Six, the King of Staten Island star shared his vulnerable feelings about seeing the tape, which was filmed in 2014 when he was 20 years old, admitting that it made him cry.
"The innocence in my eyes made me so sad. Showbiz is so tough, and I didn't know how tough it was," he said before making a self-deprecating quip about his mental health struggles. "I picked the wrong business to have a mental illness and go into. I'm one of the most insecure and sad people ever, and I picked the most insecure, sad business to go into."
The fact he was so young at the time, especially compared to his cast mates, added to his insecurities as well.
"Everyone was 10-plus years older than me and I had a hard time fitting in. No one was mean, but there was an age difference," he said. "They were getting married, having kids and I was like, 'Do you guys want to come over to play video games?!' So I hung out with Lorne [Michaels]."
He previously revealed that he once asked the show creator and producer to fire him early on during his stint on the show. Fortunately for Davidson, Michaels had other plans.
"Lorne told me, 'I'm not really sure what to do with you, but I know you should be here,'" he said. "And it was life changing. I owe him my entire career and I love the guy. He's one of my closest friends."