Pete Davidson recently opened up about facing issues with NBCUniversal after he decided to end his Peacock series Bupkis, which was loosely based on his own life.
During a detailed conversation with The Breakfast Club, the former Saturday Night Live star spoke about a range of topics including his journey with sobriety and the intense scrutiny of his personal life by the media. He shared his reasons for discontinuing Bupkis after just one season, noting that it stemmed from his desire to shape his narrative independently after years of public exposure.
“I pulled the plug on Bupkis and faced some backlash because, although I genuinely loved the show and had fun working on it—thanks [host Charlamagne tha God] for participating—it eventually became overwhelming to constantly have my career overshadowed by my personal dramas. Living that way can really wear you down,” he explained.
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Davidson felt comfortable with the initial storylines, but the show’s trajectory changed with the introduction of a new creative partner.
“The new person wanted to take my character in directions that didn’t resonate with me, like having relationships with unlikely people or exaggerating my mental health issues for the plot. It felt disingenuous, and I was concerned that continuously portraying this fictionalized version of myself might pigeonhole me and impact my aspirations in serious film roles,” he said.
Discussing how NBCUniversal reacted, Davidson revealed, “They weren’t happy about it. You haven’t seen me in any NBCUniversal projects since, right? I felt responsible for the people who lost their jobs because of the show’s cancellation, so I made sure those who were affected financially were taken care of. Despite my loyalty and efforts promoting their projects, the situation opened my eyes to the harsh realities of the entertainment industry. If I kept going, it might’ve killed me, and that was a real concern.”
The Bodies, Bodies, Bodies actor considers himself fortunate to have had success in his career, but he mentioned that the experience was a sobering reminder of how networks and studios prioritize their interests over individual welfare. “Now things are better, but there was definitely a rough patch where I felt unsupported,” he added.
When questioned about being potentially blacklisted by NBC, he responded, “No, I think we’re cool now. I still talk to people over there. There was definitely some tension for a while, and I worried about my future in the industry, but I understand their perspective. It was just really tough because that was my professional home for many years.”
Davidson also mentioned taking some time away from the limelight to recalibrate, which he described as being in a state of “purgatory.” He credited a recent advertising campaign with Reformation for helping to reshape public perception of him as a more mature figure.
Currently, Davidson stars in Prime Video’s The Pickup alongside Eddie Murphy and Keke Palmer. He is also set to appear with Nicholas Hoult in the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios’ film How to Rob a Bank, directed by David Leitch.
Watch Davidson’s complete interview below:
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