Saturday Night Live star, standup, and, as he confirmed on Wednesday’s Tonight Show, Arianna Grande’s forever “plus-one,” Pete Davidson brought the traditional late-night movie clip to promote. Except the first clip he brought wasn’t for the new Netflix comedy Set It Up (which Davidson claimed he’s in for “like, ten seconds”). Instead, Davidson seemed to have accepted host and fellow SNL veteran Jimmy Fallon’s invitation simply to gush about Fallon’s first guest, Robert Pattinson, and especially Pattinson’s acclaimed turn in the gripping crime drama Good Time. Claiming to have seen the Safdie brothers-directed film some 30 times, and sporting what’s presumably a bootleg Good Time t-shirt emblazoned with the faces of Pattinson and onscreen brother Benny Safdie, Davidson spent fully half his interview talking up the film (which, again, he is in no way connected to). And then he showed a clip from that film while the obviously tickled Pattinson humbly thanked Davidson for calling him “one of the greatest actors of our generation.”
Weird? Sure. But the whole appearance was in keeping with the simultaneously amused and unimpressed persona Davidson has brought to SNL, including his offhand references to his recent engagement to music superstar and frequent Tonight Show guest Arianna Grande. “I’m a lucky motherfucker,” claimed Davidson, clearly delighting in the increasing comic annoyance from Fallon with every NBC-bleeped profanity. “I can’t get fired from your show,” joked Davidson, telling the mock-furious Fallon that he’ll just go over to 30 Rock late-night cohort Seth Meyers’ show instead. As on SNL, Davidson’s sleepy-eyed, goofy kid brother persona stole the scene, as he marveled that anyone would care about his love life. Noting that “the president is trying to pardon himself” and being sued by a porn star, Davidson asked “shouldn’t we all care about that?” Well, that and Good Time.