Throughout his illustrious career as a writer/director/producer/comedy demi-god, Judd Apatow has made movie stars out of Steve Carell (with The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Seth Rogen (with Knocked Up) and Amy Schumer (with Trainwreck). Now he’s anointed rising performer Pete Davidson—heretofore perhaps best known for tabloid coverage of his romantic pursuits—who stars in and co-wrote Apatow’s new film, The King of Staten Island.

While the three earlier movies were all constructed to some degree around the lead actor’s persona, The King of Staten Island goes even further, constituting a heavily autobiographical exercise for the 26-year-old Davidson, a comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member whose firefighter father died in the 9/11 attacks, when Pete was seven.