While reflecting on her role in Pete Davidson‘s movie The King of Staten Island, Marisa Tomei claimed that there was one important thing that she missed out on — her paycheck.
“I actually just was talking to Pete today, because I was like, ‘I never got paid for that. Did you? In this age of transparency, can we talk?'” Tomei, 57, shared during an interview with Rolling Stone published on Thursday, March 3.
The Marvel star noted that she still had fond memories of making the project, adding, “But despite that, I had a rollicking good time. [With director] Judd [Apatow]’s approach to improv — which is extensive — I was intimidated. I’m with all these stand-ups. It was so freeing. [It] really changed how I approach each character going forward.”
The King of Staten Island, which was released in 2020, was loosely based on how Davidson, 28, and his mother coped following his father’s death in the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Saturday Night Live cast member, whose father passed away when he was 7 years old, played the lead role.
The Academy Award winner, who portrayed Davidson’s mother, previously opened up about bringing the character to life, telling Screen Rant in June 2020, “For me, I didn’t really want to do, like, a method thing. Really, I respect her and I actually adore her. She’s one of the most patient, kind [people and] has a great laugh. She’s just a great person, but I didn’t really want to get into her [head or] try to be her.”
Davidson, for his part, also discussed the process of incorporating his personal life into the movie. “It was really hard because it’s stuff I would share with my therapist. But Judd really cares, and the hard work that he was doing to find out about my life made me feel so comfortable. He was like, ‘I’m going to need pictures of your dad.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, no,'” he told The New York Times that same month.
The New York native, who has been vocal about his journey with his mental health and addiction, wanted to make The King of Staten Island to show a different side to himself.
“I would really like people to understand me. It’s cool to get three minutes here and there on [Weekend] Update, but you can’t really tell what type of person that is,” Davidson, who started dating Kim Kardashian in late 2021, added at the time. “I could immediately get off set and be very miserable. That isn’t a definitive depiction of me. What I wanted to do was have an ‘8 Mile’ moment where it’s like, here’s everything — say what you want. And it really felt good to get that out there.”
Us Weekly has reached out Davidson for comment.
