The Real Reason Pete Davidson Isn’t in Lorne Michaels’ New SNL Movie
Morgan Neville packed his Lorne Michaels documentary with star power — but one glaring SNL alum is missing: Pete Davidson. The director explains the surprising omission despite Davidson’s close ties to the legendary producer.
Here’s a little wrinkle from behind the scenes of the new Lorne Michaels documentary: out of all the comedy heavyweights who show up to swap SNL stories and pay tribute, you won’t see Pete Davidson anywhere on screen. Given that Pete spent years on Saturday Night Live and never missed an opportunity to talk about Lorne as a mentor (or, let’s be honest, more of a second dad), that’s at least a little surprising. So, what happened?
Where’s Pete?
Morgan Neville, who directed the doc—appropriately named 'Lorne'—recently explained the Pete-shaped hole in his film. Basically, it came down to two things: the guy’s schedule was packed, and Neville already had more material than he knew what to do with.
As Neville told PEOPLE, 'I interviewed so many people for the film, and at a certain point, after I’d interviewed [John] Mulaney and he had said everything he had said, I just didn’t know where we were gonna put more voices. It just felt like it was full, you know?'
The Parade of SNL Alumni
So instead of Davidson, you get a lineup that's basically a 'who’s who' of Lorne’s comedy factory. You’ll see Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg—the kind of cast that would be impossible to get together for any project other than talking about Lorne Michaels himself.
Neville admitted 'that was the hard part. It was like an embarrassment of riches, that you could interview a thousand people about Lorne Michaels. So many people have stories.' (Which sort of tells you just how many careers Lorne’s tinkered with or jumpstarted.)
As for the approach, Neville said he tried to keep the focus on Lorne himself, not just the long list of stars. 'I was just trying to distill his essence into a film. A lot of those stories are not about Lorne; they’re about those people.'
Mulaney Steps Up, Pete Sits Out
In the doc, John Mulaney shares some pretty personal stories—like how Michaels supported him during a rehab stay in 2020, even offering to 'stay on the phone with him' all night if that’s what he needed. Clearly, Neville felt that covered the mentor angle he wanted, at least on the emotional front.
As for Pete Davidson, you won’t be left completely high and dry if you’re curious about his take on Lorne. He’s already talked in depth about their relationship—just not here, but in the upcoming 2025 doc 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.'
Quick Recap
- 'Lorne,' directed by Morgan Neville, is now playing in theaters via Focus Features (debuted April 17).
- The film features interviews with a stacked roster of SNL vets—Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, and more.
- Pete Davidson isn’t included—mainly due to scheduling issues and Neville feeling the film was already 'full' after talking with John Mulaney.
- If you’re dying to hear Pete’s stories about Lorne, you’ll have to wait for the 'SNL50' doc next year.
- The doc focuses more on Lorne Michaels himself than the galaxy of comedians in his orbit—so don’t expect an endless parade of cast anecdotes.