Pete Davidson Says 5 Words From Leonardo DiCaprio Calmed His Pre-Show 'SNL' Jitters

Davidson had only just joined the show when an "anxiety-provoking" anniversary rolled around. Then he encountered a rogue DiCaprio.

Pete Davidson still recalls five little words from Leonardo DiCaprio that calmed him down.

The “Saturday Night Live” alum was a fresh face when the show marked its 40th anniversary event back in 2015. Davidson shared Thursday that it was “the most anxiety-provoking” show that anyone, including senior cast members, could’ve participated in.

“The audience is like, Jack Nicholson, Taylor Swift,” he told Jimmy Fallon on the “Tonight Show.” “It’s not a normal audience. You’re like, dressed like a potato … and then Jack Nicholson is just sitting there.”

Davidson was only 21 years old at the time but managed to keep calm — as he only had the “one job” of introducing a category with fellow “SNL” alum Leslie Jones — and said they were being counted down by a crew member when something truly magical happened.

“And then once [the crew member] said, ‘Five seconds,’ Leonardo DiCaprio tugged my shirt,” Davidson said Thursday. “And he had this big ‘Revenant’ beard — and he just went, ‘I like what you’re doing.’ And then she was like, ‘Live!’ And I was like, ‘Oh, hi, everybody.’”