Pete Davidson has explained his decision to step back from his celebrity status, saying he felt “oversaturated.”
The Staten Island-born comedian, 31, left his role on Saturday Night Live in 2022.
At one time he was a tabloid staple, with high-profile relationships with the likes of Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian.
However in a new interview with W Magazine, Davidson said: “I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but I’ve been laying low.”
He went on to explain his withdrawal from the spotlight by agreeing that the idea of oversaturation had been on his mind.
“You’re 100 percent correct, because I was oversaturated,” Davidson told the fashion magazine. “In The Sopranos, there’s this line from Tony that’s like, ‘You ever feel like you got into something at the end? When the good times were over?’ That’s how I feel about show business and being a celebrity. It’s over.
“When you’re first coming up, and getting all these offers, it’s hard to say no, because you’re hungry. I made the mistake of doing literally everything. Now I’m older and wiser, and I’m realizing that less is more. Like Christian Bale. He does one movie every two, three years, but you go f***ing see it. Leo[nardo DiCaprio] does one movie every four years, but it’s the biggest thing in the world. It’s because you miss them. People have to miss you.”
He added that moving away from fame had been good for his mental health, saying: “Luckily, I got hit on the face with the Hollywood shovel. It was a long time coming, and I needed it. I’m very happy where I am right now, mentally.”
As for his future plans, Davidson said: “I just want to be known for doing good work. I want to be out there only when it’s movie, stand-up, charity, or business ventures. That’s when I want to be seen. I don’t want to be this f***ing loser who just dates people. That’s not who I am. But people hate celebrities now.
“The media takes a handful of celebs every couple of years, and they just destroy them. For some reason, I’m one of the people they chose to go after. It’s actually, in a way, a blessing, because it allowed me to take a step back and evaluate things. What do you want to be? Who are you? I’m someone who is from Staten Island, wanted to do stand-up, and if I got to do anything else because of stand-up, it was a miracle.”
Earlier this month, Davidson revealed how he used his first paycheck from Saturday Night Live.