Pete Davidson's Semi-Autobiographical Show 'Bupkis' Is Loaded With Guest Stars

Eliza Thompson

Updated April 13, 2023 at 8:08 AM·6 min read

All about the 'SNL' alum's new series.

Pete Davidson’s personal life has made plenty of headlines since his May 2022 exit from Saturday Night Live, but he’s stayed relatively quiet on the professional front. That’s all about to change with the release of Bupkis, his new Peacock comedy series.

Co-written by Davidson himself, Bupkis is inspired by the comedian’s past and stars Edie Falco as his mother and Joe Pesci as his grandfather. Specific plot details are mostly under wraps, but in a press release, Peacock described the series as “a heightened, fictionalized version of Pete Davidson's real life.”

While Davidson hasn’t said much about Bupkis in interviews, he revealed in March that Pesci’s involvement helped him get back to a place of confidence after years of scrutiny for his dating choices. “I needed that validation from someone like that, like, so badly,” Davidson said during an appearance on Jon Bernthal’s “Real Ones” podcast. “When you’re going online, I can deal with trolls, but Oscar winners, presidents shitting on you? You’re like, ‘Damn, I’m a f-----g loser.’ I got the guy no one can get. And that changed my life. I owe him everything.”

Pesci announced his retirement from acting in 1999, but he’s since appeared in a handful of films, including Martin Scorsese’s 2019 drama The Irishman, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Though Pesci accepts roles only sporadically, he saw something in Bupkis that made it worth his time. “He liked the material enough to do it,” Davidson told Bernthal. “We had a really great conversation. It was really honest and organic and we kind of hit it off. And it was out of love he did it, because he doesn’t need to do anything.”

Read on for everything to know about Bupkis.

What is Bupkis about?

Plot details for Bupkis are scarce, but the series is partly inspired by Davidson’s real life. “The series will combine grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known,” read a press release from Peacock about the comedy.

While there’s little concrete information about Bupkis, it seems likely that it will at least partly focus on the fictional Davidson’s relationship with his family. Initial promo photos show him interacting with Pesci, who plays his character’s grandfather, and Falco, who plays his mother.

Is Bupkis based on a true story?

Joe Pesci and Edie Falco in 'Bupkis'<p>Heidi Gutman/Peacock</p> — Joe Pesci and Edie Falco in 'Bupkis'
Heidi Gutman/Peacock

Bupkis is loosely based on Davidson’s real life, but he hasn’t revealed what aspects of his life he plans to cover. Davidson has been open about his family in his comedy over the years, so it’s likely that some details about his mom, Amy, will make it into the show. Until 2021, he lived with her in a house they bought together on Staten Island.

Davidson previously explored the death of his father in the 2020 film The King of Staten Island, which was directed by Judd Apatow. The movie follows a twentysomething named Scott as he continues to come to terms with the death of his father, a firefighter who died in the line of duty when Scott was 7. In real life, Davidson also lost his father, Scott, when he was 7: Scott was a New York City firefighter who died in service during the September 11 attacks of 2001.

When is the release date for Bupkis?

All eight episodes of Bupkis will drop on Peacock on Thursday, May 4, 2023.

How to watch Bupkis

Bupkis will exclusively stream on Peacock on Thursday, May 4, 2023.

Who is in the Bupkis cast?

Although the plot of Bupkis has so far been kept under wraps, there are some developing details about who will star, guest and cameo on the show. The cast includes:

Pete Davidson (Pete Davidson)

<p>Heidi Gutman/Peacock</p> — Heidi Gutman/Peacock

Davidson, who is set to play a fictionalized version of himself, is also a writer and executive producer on the series. Bupkis is the first project where he’s been a producer, writer and star since 2020’s The King of Staten Island. After his 2022 exit from SNL, he appeared in the films Bodies Bodies Bodies, Good Mourning and Meet Cute.

Edie Falco (Amy Davidson)

Davidson will be joined in Bupkis by Edie Falco, who plays his character’s mother. Falco is best known for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos, a performance which garnered three Emmy Awards. She later starred as the titular character on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, winning another Emmy, and played Hillary Clinton in FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story.

Joe Pesci (Joe Larocca)

Joe Pesci, who has been semi-retired from acting since 1999, will play the grandfather of Davidson’s character. Pesci is particularly known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, appearing in Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull, and The Irishman. For Goodfellas, Pesci won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His other iconic roles include Vinny Gambini in My Cousin Vinny and the burglar Harry Lyme in the first two Home Alone movies.

Charlie Day (Glenn Rossi)

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day appears in the show as Glenn Rossi, therapist to Davidson’s character.

Oona Roche (Casey)

Oona Roche as Casey in 'Bupkis.'<p>Heidi Gutman/Peacock</p> — Oona Roche as Casey in 'Bupkis.'
Heidi Gutman/Peacock

Oona Roche, who stars as the daughter of Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) in The Morning Show, will play a character named Casey, presumably a fictionalized version of Davidson's real-life sister, Casey.

Other guest stars and cameos include John Mulaney as himself; Steve Buscemi as himself; John Stewart as himself; Simon Rex, the former MTV VJ, as a character named Ice Pop; Ray Romano and Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), as Ray Romano and a character named Roy, respectively; SNL stalwart Kenan Thompson as "Referee"; Bobby Cannavale (The Watcher) as the character Uncle Tommy; Machine Gun Kelly as himself; Chase Sui Wonders, who starred alongside Davidson in Bodies Bodies Bodies—and with whom Davidson has been romantically linked since early 2023—as Nikki; and more.