Pete Davidson’s career has been an interesting one to follow, from his days on Saturday Night Live to his movies like Bodies Bodies Bodies and The King of Staten Island to his upcoming animated flick Dog Man and more. Through stand-up, TV and movies, he’s done a lot in a short amount of time. Now he’s opening up about the gig he considers one of his best yet — and that job comes in the form of the aforementioned animated entry on the 2025 movie schedule.
While Dog Man might feel like a surprising choice, Pete Davison explained why it’s one of his best jobs yet to CBS News, and it makes a lot of sense. Looking back on his career, he noted that he hasn’t had many chances to play a character with a full arc, but he does in this animated movie:
It’s a really fun, loud, layered character. I don’t get a lot of opportunities to stretch like that. … It’s the best arc I’ve ever been given. Usually I’m in a movie for, like, nine minutes, and then shot in the face, so it was nice to have a full [arc]!
That’s so great to hear that the Bodies Bodies Bodies actor has had some room to showcase his talents in Dog Man.
It is true that Davidson typically has been on the frays of many series and movies or he’s playing a character a lot like himself. So, it’ll be great to see him take center stage as the wyly villain, Petey the Cat. This movie comes from the beloved children’s author, Dav Pilkey, who created Captain Underpants, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the Meet Cute star get into the fun and outlandish world the iconic author has created–the vibes are there for me.
Davidson’s claims of the late January release being his best job thus far are exciting. I’ve loved him since he was first hired as one of the youngest Saturday Night Live cast members (even though he asked to have Lorne Michaels fire him after the first year), and I’ve been looking forward to seeing him expand out into other projects and genres.
Amid his SNL run, he exploded in popularity and created and starred in the semi-autobiographical film The King of Staten Island (don’t confuse it with his overly viral Staten Island ferry purchase, but it’s something a king would do). After leaving the sketch show, Davidson also starred in his own series, Bupkis.
Outside of that, he had small roles in films like Bodies Bodies Bodies, The Suicide Squad, and more. However, when it comes to those movies and others, he’s mostly played comedic relief and had limited screen time. So, it will be fun to see him in a new, fleshed-out, antagonistic role in this fun-for-the-whole-family flick.
Overall, hearing Davidson’s excitement about Dog Man has me thrilled about his performance in the film that comes out on January 31 as well as the trajectory of his career. It’s wonderful to see him passionate about this project and where his career is going, and I’m hopeful he’ll get to take on more characters like this one that gives him the chance to stretch as an actor and tell a full story.