Among the most searched things about comedian Pete Davidson are his ethnicity and racial heritage. The Saturday Night Live star broke into the comedy scene in 2013. Since then, the 29-year-old has been in the spotlight due to his numerous romances with celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, and recently Chase Sui.
So where is he from, and what religion does he follow? Let’s find out.
Pete Davidson's Ethnic Background
Pete Davidson was born on November 16, 1993, to a range of ethnic backgrounds from his father, Scott Matthew Davidson, and mother, Amy Waters. Peter Michael Davidson was born in the Staten Island borough of New York City to parents Amy (née Waters) and Scott Matthew Davidson.
The Bupkis actor is of German, Irish, and Italian heritage from both his parents. Pete once joked that he didn’t know what race he was because “I’m all miscellaneous in the face”.
“I’m a straight white dude but for some reason, I look like every other race mixed together… I use it to my advantage,” he said.
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Davidson's father was predominantly of Jewish ancestry, with some distant German, Irish and Italian roots. His mother is of mostly Irish ancestry, with some distant German roots. He has a younger sister named Casey and was raised Catholic.
Pete Davidson at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Forum in Inglewood, USA on August 27, 2017.
Details of Ancestry
- Paternal Grandfather: Stephen Davidson (son of Samuel Joseph Davidson and Florence Celia Weinstein), born in New York to a Jewish family.
- Paternal Grandmother: Carla Kaiser (daughter of Michael Patrick Kaiser and Edna May Rosenthal). Michael was the son of John Lawrence Kaiser, who was of German and Dutch Jewish descent, and Josephine Bianco, whose parents were Italian from Bivona, Agrigenti, Sicily. Edna was the daughter of Jacob Rosenthal and Mary/May/Mamie Young, who had German, English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.
- Maternal Grandfather: Peter Michael Waters (son of Francis Joseph Waters and Mary Elizabeth Keating), born in New York and of Irish ancestry.
- Maternal Grandmother: Rebecca A. O’Keefe (daughter of Robert Joseph O’Keefe and Marjorie Elvira Wylam). Robert was the son of Joseph James/O. O’Keefe and Rebecca Teresa Jones, who were born in New York to Irish parents.
In 2017, during a radio interview on HOT 97, Pete said, “I’m just an Irish Jew… My mom was Irish, my dad was Jewish. I just found out, like this year. My mom just never told me.” He then goes on to explain how he took an ancestry DNA test which came back 48% Jewish.
The news was well-received, with Pete adding, “I always wanted to be Jewish.”
Pete Davidson's Religious Affiliation
What religion does Pete Davidson follow? The comedian was raised by his mom in a Catholic household after Pete’s dad died serving during the 9/11 attacks. He was a firefighter.
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Scott was a New York City firefighter for Ladder 118 who died in service during the September 11th attacks, along with the rest of his unit. He was last seen running up the stairs of the Marriott World Trade Center in Downtown Manhattan just before the building was destroyed when the Twin Towers collapsed. His Requiem Mass was held at St. Clare's Catholic Church in Great Kills, Staten Island. Davidson, then aged seven, was profoundly affected by the loss.
9/11 Attacks
In the past, Pete spoke about his faith and even shared pictures of attending Church during Holy Saturday. According to Bible Hint, the former SNL star opened up about his relationship with Catholicism, mentioning his admiration for the Pope.
He reportedly told Vogue: “I love Pope Francis. I think he’s really cool.
It seems that Scott connected to his Jewishness through sports. “He played basketball in several leagues, including for the Fire Department and the Jewish Community Center League.”
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Pete was raised Catholic, though based on this bit he did on “Saturday Night Live,” it seems like he’s not the biggest fan of the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn demanded an apology from Davidson in March 2019, after an SNL sketch where he compared the Catholic Church to R. Kelly, an entertainer who had been accused and subsequently convicted of pedophilia. In the sketch, Davidson said, "[Kelly] is a monster and he should go to jail forever. But if you support the Catholic Church, isn't that like the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan?
Additional Facts About Pete Davidson
- Pete started performing stand-up at just 16 years old!
- Some of Pete’s comedy mentors are incredible Jewish comics like Amy Schumer and Dave Attell.
- Pete’s comedic style can be described as dark and boundary-pushing.
- One of Pete’s most important early roles was in Amy Schumer’s film “Trainwreck“.
- Pete joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in the show’s 40th season, which premiered on September 27, 2014.
- Pete has Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease.
- Pete co-wrote and starred in the film “The King of Staten Island,” a semi-autobiographical comedy film.
