Edie Falco has been cast in Bupkis, the upcoming Peacock series from Pete Davidson. She will play Davidson's mother on the show, which is described as "a heightened, fictionalized version of Davidson's real life." Falco and Davidson announced the news today during NBCUniversal's upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers. The half-hour, live-action comedy was picked up by Peacock in April.
Bupkis showrunner Davidson serves as co-writer and executive producer, alongside The King of State Island collaborators Dave Sirus and Judah Miller. Broadway Video's Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live), Andrew Singer (Documentary Now!), and Erin David (Vampires Vs. the Bronx) will also serve as executive producers.
Falco is an Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globes Award winner. She is well known for her role as Carmela Soprano on HBO's The Sopranos. She made history playing Tony Soprano's wife, becoming the first actress to win Emmys for both comedy and drama. She later starred in Showtime's Nurse Jackie as the titular character. She will appear in the upcoming Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar 3 as General Ardmore.
The King of Staten Island Also Inspired by Davidson's Life
Bupkis is the second project to draw inspiration from Davidson's own life, following The King of Staten Island. Inspired by portions of his life, The King of Staten Island was co-written by Davidson, Sirus and Judd Apatow (George Carlin's American Dream). The film starred Davidson, Bel Powely (Diary of a Teenage Girl) and Ricky Velez (Master of None). Marisa Tomei played Davidson's mother, Margie, in the film.
The reimagination of Davidson's life follows 24-year-old Staten Island native Scott Carlin. Scott is a high school drop-out with dreams of becoming a tattoo artist, living at home with his mother and sister. The comedy-drama tackled a heavy topic, with Scott coming to terms with his mother's new possible romantic partner, a firefighter. This is a tough adjustment for Scott, whose father (just like Davidson's) was a firefighter who lost his life during the September 11 attacks.
For his work on the film, Davidson was nominated at the 2020 Hollywood Critics Association Mid-season Awards for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay. Before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2014, Davidson had minor roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Friends of the People. The comedian also starred in Big Time Adolescence and will appear, opposite Kalye Cuoco, in the romantic comedy Meet Cute.