Why ‘King of Staten Island’ is a ‘Love Letter’ to Pete Davidson’s Mom | Video

Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island” is based on what Pete Davidson’s life could have been like had he not become a comedian. But above all else, the comedy is supposed to be a “love letter” to Davidson’s mother, as well as a tribute to his late firefighter father who died responding to the Sept. 11 attacks. While the comedy doesn’t use a lot of real-life events from Davidson’s life, it does draw from his life in one particular instance. In the film, Davidson plays a young man whose father, also a firefighter, died during active service, and he must get his life together as his mother starts dating a new man — also a firefighter. “We had a lot of conversations where we discussed what he might be comfortable with and also what his family would be comfortable with, because we didn’t want them to be upset by it,” Apatow told TheWrap. “He wanted the movie to be a love letter to his mom for being there for him and taking care of him and his sister, and it’s a way of him paying tribute to his dad.” Watch the full video above.