Pete Davidson Says the ‘SNL50’ Audience Was ‘Terrible’: ‘It’s Just Famous People’

Not just anyone could attend the recent Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special — tickets went to SNL alums and other Hollywood stars — and that star-studded audience made for a “terrible” reception to the special’s sketches, according to Pete Davidson.

The comedian shared his thoughts on the SNL50 crowd on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday. “As you know from SNL40 — terrible audience,” Davidson told host Seth Meyers. “It’s a terrible audience ’cause it’s just famous people, and famous people only like themselves. It’s true! I’m guilty of this.”

Meyers teased Davidson, saying, “I remember when [your pre-taped sketch] was playing, you were the only one laughing. We were like, ‘Oh, he’s coming in way too hot.’”

In that sketch, Davidson reprised his role as the simpleton Chad, this time a stagehand at Saturday Night Live, as original SNL cast member Laraine Newman returned to Studio 8H.

“Chad’s fun,” Davidson said on Late Night. “It’s my one character that I got to do. In eight years of SNL, I had one character. But it’s not a very flattering character, you know? And Laraine, everyone was so excited to see Laraine. And I just had my shirt off, and I’m like [mumbling].”

Davidson also revealed the “origin of Chad,” how writers Streeter Seidell and Mikey Day came up with the character. “It was a joke on me,” he said. “Like they wrote it, ’cause … if anybody ever gave me notes on set, like, they’d be like, ‘Hey, in this one, you have to go over there’ and I’d be like, ‘OK, cool.’ And then they brought it to the table, and I was like, ‘I don’t get this. Like, what the hell? What is this?’ And I said the first ‘OK,’ and everyone was like [laughing], just dying. I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I really talk like that.’”

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But Davidson did say it was “great” to play the character opposite Newman, whom he called a “legend” and “funny and nice.”

And speaking of legends, Davidson was surprised to find himself seated next to Meryl Streep at the SNL50 taping. “Meryl rules,” he told Meyers. “In typical SNL fashion, they don’t tell you anything. You don’t even know what’s going on. And I get to my seat, and I just look, and I’m like, ‘This can’t be right.’ It was Meryl Streep, and I just sat down, I was like, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that I’m sitting next to you. You’re the best.’ And she was very nice.”

Saturday Night Live, Season 51 Premiere, Saturday, October 4, 11:30/10:30c, NBC

Late Night With Seth Meyers, Weeknights, 12:35a/11:35c, NBC