Pete Davidson Asked Lorne Michaels to Fire Him After His First Year on ‘SNL’

Pete Davidson Asked Lorne Michaels to Fire Him After His First Year on ‘SNL’

Pete Davidson is revealing he previously let his imposter syndrome get the best of him.

The stand-up comedian recalls a time when he asked his former boss Lorne Michaels to fire him from Saturday Night Live. “After my first year, I actually called for a meeting with Lorne. I was like, ‘Please fire me,’” Davidson said during the first episode of the new docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, which honors SNL‘s 50th season and reveals stories never told before.

He continued: “I was like, ‘I don’t belong here. Everybody here is so talented and they don’t want to be my friend.’”

However, Michaels didn’t consider firing him and rather encouraged him to stay, telling Davidson: “You don’t figure it out until your third or fourth year.”

The Big Time Adolescence star first joined the sketch comedy series in 2014 at just 20 years old. He remained a key cast member for eight seasons until he announced he was leaving in 2022.

At the time of his departure, he shared a goodbye message on his friend and SNL writer Dave Sirus’ Instagram. He thanked his cast for their support and Michaels for believing in him.

“I owe Lorne Michaels and everyone at SNL my life. I’m so grateful and I wouldn’t be here without them. I appreciate you guys always having my back and sticking up for me even when that wasn’t the popular opinion,” he wrote. “Thank you for always believing in me and sticking by my side even when it seemed comical. Thank you for teaching me life values, how to grow up and for giving me memories that will last a lifetime. SNL is my home.”

All four SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night episodes are currently streaming on Peacock.