Pete Davidson hands out pizza to writers on strike: 'Gotta support the writers'

Pete Davidson, known for his diverse impersonations on "Saturday Night Live"—from Machine Gun Kelly to Rami Malek, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Aladdin—has now added "pizza delivery" to his list of roles. On May 5, Davidson showed his support for the Writers Guild of America by handing out free pizzas to protesting writers after his “SNL” hosting debut was canceled due to the strike.

Davidson delivered pizza boxes to members on the picket line in Brooklyn, reports TODAY. “Gotta support the writers,” Davidson can be heard saying in a viral clip posted by Liam Quigley (@_elkue) on Twitter. “No shows without the writers, man.” The 29-year-old actor arrived in a black hoodie with stacks of pizzas from L&B Spumoni Gardens outside of Silvercup Studios in Queens, New York.

"Saturday Night Live" is among many shows that have halted production amidst the writers' strike. Davidson was supposed to return to Studio 8H on May 6 as a first-time "SNL" host after being a cast member on the show from 2014 to 2022. However, the episode was called off on May 2 after the Writer's Guild Association called for a strike for film and television writers.

“The previously announced ‘Saturday Night Live’ hosted by Pete Davidson and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert is canceled due to the writers’ strike. ‘SNL’ will air repeats until further notice starting Saturday, May 6,” a press release stated.

During an April 28 appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Davidson told host Jimmy Fallon that he'd been working on his episode for two or three months and that possible cancelation would feel like a personal slight. He said: "It sucks because it just feeds my weird story I have in my head, like, ‘Of course, that would happen to me. They didn’t want me! It’s all about me!'"

Last week, Davidson was spotted with signs showing SAG-AFTRA union solidarity with the WGA, reports Vanity Fair. He was also pictured protesting with Judah Miller, the Emmy-nominated executive producer and showrunner of Davidson's new Peacock show, "Bupkis."

Executive producer and co-writer of the ABC comedy series "Abbott Elementary," Quinta Brunson, was also seen on the picket line as she held a sign that read, "AI can't write Tariq's raps." The sign was a reference to a character from "Abbott Elementary," whose writing room ahead of the third season was affected by the strike.

Drew Barrymore has also stepped down as host of the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards scheduled for May 7 in support of the WGA members. "I have listened to the writers, and to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live," Drew said in a statement to Variety on May 4.

Davidson was widely appreciated on Twitter for his support for the protesting writers. Twitter user @SpoonOfZeke wrote, "Pete Davidson saving the world one pizza at a time." @catladyface1 said, "This is why we are all in love with him." @divefinatic commented, "He came bearing Spumoni pizza! Pete knows what’s up."