Marisa Tomei Claims She Was Never Paid for Pete Davidson Film 'The King of Staten Island'

The actress said she reached out to Davidson and asked him he was ever compensated for the project: 'I was like, 'I never got paid for that. Did you?'

March 5, 2022

Pete Davidson and Marisa Tomei on set — Image via Getty/Bobby Bank/GC Images
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Marisa Tomei says she has yet to receive payment for her role in The King of Staten Island—the 2020 comedy-drama directed by Judd Apatow and starring Pete Davidson.

The Oscar-winning actress made the claim in an extensive interview with Rolling Stone, saying she recently discussed the matter with the Saturday Night Live comedian.

“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?’” she said. “But despite that, I had a rollicking good time. Judd’s approach to improv — which is extensive — I was intimidated. I’m with all these stand-ups. It was so freeing. Really changed how I approach each character going forward.”

Shortly after the interview was published, a source close to Davidson denied Tomei’s claim, insisting the actress was paid seven figures for her work.

“Marisa Tomei was 100 percent paid for the movie. In fact, she was paid upfront, over a million dollars,” the insider told Page Six. “She’s clearly confused.”

Tomei, who most recently played Aunt May in the Spider-Man franchise, has yet to publicly comment on the source’s claim.

Elsewhere in the interview, Tomei was asked about her impression of Davidson, and what makes him so attractive to some of entertainment’s biggest names. The 28-year-old SNL star has romantically linked to Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Cazzie David, and his current flame, Kim Kardashian.

“He’s just so fucking real, and he’s unfiltered, but very sensitive,” said Tomei, who played Davidson’s mom in The King of Staten Island. “So he’s almost an irresistible combination. And he’s good-looking, even though I played . . . let’s just put the mom thing aside. Let’s, like, never mention that again.”