Pete Davidson reveals how Eddie Murphy’s audacious comedy helped him survive the darkest years after 9/11—and how their parallel journeys forged one of comedy’s unlikeliest, most moving modern connections.
For millions, Pete Davidson is a fierce, unpredictable presence—a breakout star from Saturday Night Live who wears his scars as punchlines. But behind the public bravado lies a formative moment tied not to late night TV, but to a comedy legend: Eddie Murphy.
Decades before Davidson would join SNL’s cast, and years before his name ever trended on Twitter, tragedy struck. At just eight, Pete lost his father, a New York City firefighter, as a first responder on September 11th. In the midst of unfathomable grief, an unexpected lifeline arrived—Murphy himself, in blazing red leather, courtesy of a mall DVD.
‘Delirious’ Relief: The Power of Transgressive Comedy as Healing
“I was dying laughing, and [my mom] was like, ‘You can’t watch this or any of that,’” Davidson recounted of his first encounter with Delirious. But for a boy who’d seen more pain than any child should bear, Murphy’s profanity-laced humor was medicine—and an awakening. Facing resistance from his mother, Davidson struck a pact: he could watch if he didn’t repeat the jokes. In secret, those routines became his refuge.
Murphy was already a presence in Pete’s young life via family-friendly films like Shrek and Dr. Doolittle, but ‘Delirious’ revealed the bracing, adult power of stand-up—irreverent, transgressive, and cathartic. For Davidson, it was more than laughter: it was permission to embrace the absurdity of pain, the possibility of joy in the midst of trauma.
A Shared Path: From SNL Prodigies to Comedy Torchbearers
A decade later, Davidson would find himself walking chillingly similar ground. Like Murphy, he joined SNL at a strikingly young age (20, just one year older than Murphy had been). As he navigated live TV, Davidson wielded his own loss as a weapon—often referencing his father’s death in bold, boundary-pushing sketches and routines.
When Murphy returned to SNL as host in 2019 after a 35-year absence, their once-distant connection became real and immediate, uniting two generations of comedy forged in hardship and self-deprecation.[Entertainment Weekly]
Mutual Admiration: Tributes and On-Screen Collaboration
The bond didn’t stop at SNL. In his Netflix special Pete Davidson: Alive From New York, Davidson set the tone with Murphy’s “Party All the Time” as the intro song, directly citing his comic hero’s impact.[EW official list]
By 2025, art fully imitated life when Davidson and Murphy co-starred in the Amazon MGM Studios heist comedy The Pickup. Off screen, their connection deepened as they shared stories of growing up fatherless—Davidson from a national tragedy, Murphy from a crime of passion in 1969. Both had found a path forward in comedy, translating childhood wounds into wild, restorative laughter.
Why It Resonates—And Why Fans Care So Deeply
This story isn’t just about two famous comics; it’s about generational survival through humor. Fans have long speculated about the healing power of laughter for Davidson, and his candid recollection finally confirms just how crucial Murphy’s work was at the darkest possible moment.[Entertainment Weekly]
- Seeing icons openly discuss coping with trauma—especially in male-dominated comedy—reshapes stigma around vulnerability.
- Murphy’s journey from edgy newcomer to beloved elder statesman mirrors what many fans hope for Davidson: growth, reinvention, and enduring impact.
- Their mutual admiration and eventual on-screen partnership fuel hopes among fans for future collaborations, potentially even more meta commentaries on pain, healing, and the art of the joke.
The Community Response: Laughter as Survival
Followers of both comics have found themselves reflected in this unlikely friendship. Davidson’s willingness to revisit grief mirrors Murphy’s own openness in recent years, particularly after the death of his brother Charlie Murphy. Both remind audiences that comedy isn’t just escapism—it’s shared survival.
If there’s any proof required that laughter saves lives, Pete Davidson’s story—rooted in one scandalous Eddie Murphy routine and culminating years later in shared scenes on-screen—may be the ultimate evidence.
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