Pete Davidson is kind of a walking contradiction. To some, he’s just the guy from SNL who seemed to date every famous woman in Los Angeles. To others, he’s a surprisingly sensitive actor who can actually carry a dramedy. If you’ve been keeping up with pete davidson movies and tv shows, you’ve probably noticed the shift. He isn't just "the kid from Staten Island" anymore. He’s becoming a genuine fixture in everything from massive summer blockbusters to weird, indie horror experiments.
Honestly, the sheer volume of stuff he’s been in lately is exhausting. But it’s not all just cameos and weed jokes.
Take his voice work. It sounds like a joke, but his turn as Mirage in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was arguably the best part of that movie. He brought a weird, frantic energy that actually felt human in a movie about giant robots. Then there’s Dog Man, where he voices Petey the Cat. It’s a strange career trajectory, sure, but it’s working. People are showing up.
The Roles That Actually Mattered
When we talk about pete davidson movies and tv shows, we have to start with The King of Staten Island. This wasn't just another comedy. It was Judd Apatow basically filming Pete’s therapy sessions. It’s raw, it’s messy, and it’s deeply uncomfortable at times. Most people forget that Pete actually co-wrote it. He wasn't just showing up for a paycheck; he was trying to explain his own grief and the shadow of his father’s death on 9/11.
It changed the way people saw him. Before that, he was the guy who broke character on SNL and made headlines for his personal life. After that? He was an actor with range.
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The A24 Pivot and Beyond
Then came Bodies Bodies Bodies. If you haven't seen it, it’s basically a Gen Z slasher movie where everyone is terrible to each other. Pete plays David, a wealthy, insecure jerk who triggers the whole plot. He’s perfect in it because he leans into the "scumbro" persona everyone expects, then flips it. It’s meta. It’s smart.
He followed that up with Meet Cute on Peacock. It’s a time-travel rom-com with Kaley Cuoco that is way darker than the title suggests. It didn't get a massive theatrical release, but it showed he could do the "leading man" thing without relying on his usual bag of tricks.
Why Bupkis Was a Turning Point
For a while, Bupkis was the crown jewel of the pete davidson movies and tv shows catalog. It was his version of Curb Your Enthusiasm or Louie. You had Joe Pesci—yes, the Joe Pesci—playing his grandfather. Edie Falco played his mom. It was a massive swing.
But here’s the thing: it’s over.
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Despite being renewed for a second season, Pete pulled the plug himself. He’s been pretty open about why. Basically, he was tired of "living in his own crap" for the sake of entertainment. He felt like he was becoming a caricature of himself. In a 2025 interview, he mentioned that playing "Pete the character" was starting to mess with his head. He wanted to do "real movies" where he wasn't just playing a slightly more depressed version of the guy we see on TMZ.
It was a risky move. NBCUniversal wasn't thrilled. He reportedly even used his own money to make sure the writers and crew were taken care of after the cancellation. That’s a level of professional integrity you don't always see in Hollywood.
What's Happening in 2026?
The "next chapter" he talked about is already here. As we move through 2026, the focus has shifted away from his personal life and toward big-budget action.
- How to Rob a Bank: This is the big one. Directed by David Leitch (the guy behind John Wick and Bullet Train), it’s a high-octane heist movie. Pete is starring alongside Nicholas Hoult and Zoë Kravitz. It’s scheduled for a September 2026 release.
- The Pete Davidson Show: He’s not totally done with the "himself" brand, though. He launched a new video podcast filmed in his garage. It’s part of a massive deal with Netflix. It feels much more low-stakes and honest than a scripted TV show.
- The Pickup: This just hit streaming. It’s an old-school, fast-paced comedy with Eddie Murphy. Seeing Pete hold his own next to a legend like Murphy is a trip.
The Reality of His "Silly" Cameos
We can’t ignore the cameos. Pete is the king of showing up for thirty seconds, saying something weird, and leaving.
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- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (as Phlektik)
- Fast X (as Bowie)
- The Suicide Squad (Blackguard—his death scene is iconic for all the wrong reasons)
Critics love to bash these roles. They say he’s just playing himself. But look at the box office. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts pulled in over $439 million. The Suicide Squad was a massive hit on streaming. He brings a specific demographic that studios crave. He’s "cool" in a way that feels attainable, even if he’s hanging out with billionaires and supermodels.
Is he actually a "good" actor?
It’s a fair question. If you watch Dumb Money, he plays Kevin Gill, the brother of the guy who started the GameStop craze. He’s the comic relief, sure, but he also brings a weirdly grounded sense of fraternal annoyance that anyone with a brother will recognize. He’s subtle when he wants to be. He just doesn't always want to be.
The biggest hurdle for Pete has always been the "Pete Davidson" of it all. People go into his movies expecting the guy from the headlines. When he tries to do something different—like the horror film The Home (2025)—it takes a while for the audience to adjust. But he’s putting in the work.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're trying to navigate the messy landscape of pete davidson movies and tv shows, here is how to actually spend your time. Don't just watch everything; half of it is voice work or 2-minute bits.
- Watch for the heart: The King of Staten Island and Big Time Adolescence. These are the "real" Pete.
- Watch for the chaos: Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Suicide Squad.
- Skip if you’re bored of the "brand": Marmaduke. Just don't do it. Even he’s joked about how bad it was.
- Keep an eye on the future: How to Rob a Bank is likely going to be his biggest role yet. If that lands, he’s officially an action star.
The bottom line is that Pete is evolving. He’s no longer just the "youngest cast member" on SNL. He’s a guy who realized that being a celebrity is a trap and decided he’d rather be a worker. Whether he’s voicing a cat or robbing a bank with Nicholas Hoult, he’s making sure you’re at least talking about him.
To get the most out of his current era, check out The Pete Davidson Show on Netflix for the unfiltered version of his life, or catch The Pickup to see his comedic chemistry with the old guard of Hollywood. September 2026 will be the real test when the David Leitch project hits theaters, so keep that on your radar.