If we had to guess what would lure film legend Joe Pesci to television during its Golden Age, we would not have bet on Saturday Night Live’s former resident young person Pete Davidson. And yet here we are, living in a world where Pesci’s first TV project since 1985 is a Peacock show called Bupkis, per Variety.
Yes, Pesci has signed on to play Davidson’s grandfather in his semi-autobiographical comedy series about being a Staten Island stoner. How Davidson convinced the three-time Oscar nominee (and one-time winner) to sign on is, for now, a mystery. Fans will also note that Pesci spent much of the last decade in semi-retirement, only emerging at the request of longtime collaborator Martin Scorsese for The Irishman… and now, Bupkis.
The series previously nabbed Emmy winner Edie Falco to play Davidson’s mom on the show, which has been likened to Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. The combination of Pesci and Falco on this project may be baffling, but will surely increase viewership in the Italian-American demographic.
Outside of his comedy, Davidson has become known for a series of high-profile relationships (Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Kim Kardashian…) that have caused fans to wonder, “How did the SNL guy woo all these women?” It seems the same can now be said for his co-stars. (The King Of Staten Island lineup, which included Marisa Tomei, Bel Powley, and Steve Buscemi, was nothing to sneer at either!)
The logical conclusion is that Davidson is simply a fun guy that people enjoy being around. Presumably, Pesci and Falco were attracted to the material of Bupkis, which is, so far as we’re aware, just Davidson’s life. (Beyond being the star and inspiration, he’s also a co-writer and executive producer.) Whatever you think of his comedy, Hollywood at large is clearly drawn to his talent. Either that, or he and Lorne Michaels have some devious blood pact situation going on. We’ll have to wait and see Bupkis to make the final judgment.