Jump to content

Chevy Chase

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the town in Maryland, see Chevy Chase, Maryland. For other uses, see Chevy Chase (disambiguation).

Chevy Chase
Chase in 2010
Birth nameCornelius Crane Chase
Born (1943-10-08) October 8, 1943 (age 81)[1]
New York City, U.S.
Medium
Alma materBard College (BA)
Years active1967–present
Genres
Spouse
  • Suzanne Hewitt
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1973; div. 1976)​
  • Jacqueline Carlin
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1976; div. 1980)​
  • Jayni Luke
    ​
    (m. 1982)​
Children3
Relative(s)Miles Browning (maternal grandfather)
Frank Swift Chase (granduncle)
Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane (adoptive maternal grandfather)
Edward Leigh Chase (paternal grandfather)

Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (/ˈtʃɛvi/; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of Saturday Night Live (1975–1976), where his recurring Weekend Update segment became a staple of the show. As both a performer and a writer on the series, he earned two Primetime Emmy Awards out of four nominations.[2][3]

After leaving Saturday Night Live early in its second season, he established himself as a leading man, starring in some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s, starting with his Golden Globe–nominated role in the romantic comedy Foul Play (1978).[3] Most famously, he portrayed Ty Webb in Caddyshack (1980) and Caddyshack II (1988), Clark W. Griswold in five National Lampoon's Vacation films, and Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher in Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989). He also starred in Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980), Modern Problems (1981), Spies Like Us (1985) and ¡Three Amigos! (1986).

He has hosted the Academy Awards twice (1987 and 1988) and briefly had his own late-night talk show, The Chevy Chase Show (1993). Chase had a popularity resurgence with his role as Pierce Hawthorne on the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2014).[4][5]

Early life and education

[edit]

Family

[edit]

Cornelius Crane Chase was born in Lower Manhattan on October 8, 1943,[6] and grew up in Woodstock, New York.[7] He has an older brother, Ned Jr.[8]

His father, Edward Tinsley "Ned" Chase (1919–2005),[9] was a Princeton-educated Manhattan book editor and magazine writer.[10] Chase's paternal grandfather was artist and illustrator Edward Leigh Chase, and his great-uncle was painter and teacher Frank Swift Chase. His mother, Cathalene Parker (née Browning; 1923–2005), was a concert pianist and librettist, whose father, Rear Admiral Miles Browning, served as Admiral Raymond A. Spruance's Chief of Staff on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise at the Battle of Midway in World War II. Cathalene was adopted as a child by her stepfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, heir to The Crane Company, and took the name Catherine Crane.[11] Her mother, also named Cathalene, was an opera singer who performed several times at Carnegie Hall.[12]

Chase was named for his adoptive grandfather, Cornelius, while the nickname "Chevy" was bestowed by his grandmother from the medieval English ballad "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". As a descendant of the Scottish Clan Douglas, she thought the name appropriate.[13] Chase is a 14th-generation New Yorker, and was listed in the Social Register at an early age. His mother's ancestors arrived in Manhattan starting in 1624 — among those ancestors are:

According to his step-brother John:

[Chevy] once told me that people who defined themselves in terms of their ancestry were like potatoes—the best parts of them were underground. He disdained the pretension of his mother's side of the family, as embodied by her mother, Cattie.[13]

Early life

[edit]

As a child, Chase vacationed at Castle Hill, the Cranes' summer estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts.[15] Chase's parents divorced when he was four; his father remarried into the Folgers coffee family, and his mother remarried twice. He has stated that he grew up in an upper middle class environment and that his adoptive maternal grandfather did not bequeath any assets to Chase's mother when he died.[16] In a 2007 biography, Chase stated that he was physically and psychologically abused as a child by his mother and stepfather, John Cederquist.[17] Both of his parents died in 2005.[citation needed]

Chase was educated at Riverdale Country School,[18] an independent day school in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx, New York City, before being expelled. He ultimately graduated as valedictorian in 1962 from the Stockbridge School,[19] an independent boarding school in the town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. At Stockbridge, he was known as a practical joker with an occasional mean streak. He attended Haverford College during the 1962–1963 term, where he was noted for slapstick comedy and an absurd sense of physical humor, including his signature pratfalls and "sticking forks into his orifices".[20] During a 2009 interview on the Today show, he ostensibly verified the oft-publicized urban legend that he was expelled for harboring a cow in his fourth floor room,[21] although his former roommate David Felsen asserted in a 2003 interview that Chase left for academic reasons.[20] Chase transferred to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he studied a pre-med curriculum and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.[22]

Chase did not enter medical school, which meant he was subject to the military draft. Chase was not drafted, and when he appeared in January 1989 as the first guest of the just-launched late-night The Pat Sajak Show, he said he had "convinced" his draft board he deserved a 4-F classification by "'falsely' claiming, among other things, that he had homosexual tendencies".[23]

He played drums with the college band The Leather Canary, headed by school friends Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Chase has called the group "a bad jazz band"; Becker and Fagen later founded the successful group Steely Dan. Chase has perfect pitch.[13] He played drums and keyboards for a rock band called Chamaeleon Church, which recorded one album for MGM Records before disbanding in 1969. To give the album a more soft-rock sound, producer Alan Lorber made several alterations in the mixing, including the muting of Chase's bass drum, and Chase was reportedly incensed when he heard the final mix.[24]

Career

[edit]

1967–1974: Early career

[edit]

Chase was a member of an early underground comedy ensemble called Channel One, which he co-founded in 1967. He also wrote a one-page spoof of Mission: Impossible for Mad magazine in 1970 and was a writer for the short-lived Smothers Brothers TV show comeback in the spring of 1975. Chase made the move to comedy as a full-time career by 1973, when he became a writer and cast member of The National Lampoon Radio Hour, a syndicated satirical radio series. The National Lampoon Radio Hour also featured John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Brian Doyle-Murray, all of whom later became the "Not-Ready-For-Prime Time Players" on NBC Saturday Night (later re-titled NBC's Saturday Night and finally Saturday Night Live). Chase and Belushi also appeared in National Lampoon's off-Broadway revue Lemmings, a sketch and musical send-up of popular youth culture, in which Chase also played the drums and piano during the musical numbers. He appeared in the movie The Groove Tube, which was directed by another co-founder of Channel One, Ken Shapiro, featuring several Channel One sketches.[citation needed]

1975–1976: Saturday Night Live

[edit]
The original cast of Saturday Night Live with President Gerald Ford in 1976

Chase was one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live (SNL), NBC's late-night comedy television show, beginning in October 1975. During the first season, he introduced every show except two, with "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" The remark was often preceded by a pratfall, known as "The Fall of the Week". Chase became known for his skill at physical comedy. In one comedy sketch, he mimicked a real-life incident in which President Gerald Ford accidentally tripped while disembarking from Air Force One in Salzburg, Austria.[25][26] This portrayal of President Ford as a bumbling klutz became a favorite device of Chase's, and helped form the popular concept of Ford as being a clumsy man despite Ford having been a "star athlete" during his university years.[27] In later years, Chase met and became friendly with President Ford.[27][28]

Chase was the original anchor for the Weekend Update segment of SNL, and his catchphrase introduction, "I'm Chevy Chase… and you're not" became well known. His trademark conclusion, "Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow" was later resurrected by Jane Curtin and Tina Fey. Chase also wrote comedy material for Weekend Update. For example, he wrote and performed "The News for the Hard of Hearing". In this skit, Chase read the top story of the day, aided by Garrett Morris, who repeated the story by loudly shouting it. Chase claimed that his version of Weekend Update was the inspiration for later news satire shows such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.[29] Weekend Update was later revived as a segment on The Chevy Chase Show,[30] a short-lived late-night talk show produced by Chase and broadcast by Fox Broadcasting Company.

Chase was committed contractually to SNL for only one year as a writer and became a cast member during rehearsals just before the show's premiere. He received two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his comedy writing and live comic acting on the show. In Rolling Stone's February 2015 appraisal of all 141 SNL cast members to date, Chase was ranked tenth in overall importance. "Strange as it sounds, Chase might be the most under-rated SNL player," they wrote. "It took him only one season to define the franchise…without that deadpan arrogance, the whole SNL style of humor would fall flat."[31]

In a 1975 New York magazine cover story, which called him "The funniest man in America", NBC executives referred to Chase as "The first real potential successor to Johnny Carson" and claimed he would begin guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson within six months of the article. Chase dismissed rumors that he could be the next Carson by telling New York, "I'd never be tied down for five years interviewing TV personalities." Chase did not appear on the program until May 4, 1977, when he was promoting a prime-time special for NBC. Carson later said of Chase: "He couldn't ad-lib a fart after a baked-bean dinner."[32]

Chase acknowledged Ernie Kovacs's influence on his work in Saturday Night Live,[33] and he thanked Kovacs during his acceptance speech for his Emmy Award.[34] In addition, Chase spoke of Kovacs's influence on his work in an appearance in the 1982 documentary called Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius.[35]

1976–1989: Film stardom and acclaim

[edit]
Chevy Chase at the private party after the premiere of the movie A Star Is Born, December 1976

In late 1976, in the middle of SNL's second season, Chase became the first member of the original cast to leave the show. While he landed starring roles in several films on the strength of his SNL fame, he asserted that the principal reason for his departure was the reluctance of his girlfriend, Jacqueline Carlin, to move to New York.[36] Chase moved to Los Angeles, married Carlin, and was replaced by Bill Murray, although he made a few cameo appearances on the show during the second season.

Chase hosted SNL eight times from 1978 to 1997.[37] In regards to Chase's 1997 appearance as a host, SNL creator and show-runner Lorne Michaels disputed reports that he was shocked by Chase's behavior or had banned him as a result, claims which he calls "idiotic".[38] While Chase has not returned to SNL to host since 1997, he appeared on the show's 25th anniversary special in 1999 and was interviewed for a 2005 NBC special on the first five years of SNL. Later appearances included a Caddyshack skit featuring Bill Murray, a 1997 episode with guest host Chris Farley, as the Land Shark in a Weekend Update segment in 2001, another Weekend Update segment in 2007, and in Justin Timberlake's monologue in 2013 as a member of the Five-Timers Club, where he was reunited with his Three Amigos co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. He also participated in the 40th anniversary special in February 2015.[39]

Chevy Chase at the premiere of the movie Seems Like Old Times, December 10, 1980

Chase's early film roles included Tunnel Vision; Foul Play, a box-office hit that earned more than $44 million;[40] and Oh! Heavenly Dog. The role of Eric "Otter" Stratton in National Lampoon's Animal House was written with Chase in mind, but he turned the role down to work on Foul Play.[16] The role went to Tim Matheson instead. Chase said in an interview that he chose to do Foul Play so he could do "real acting" for the first time in his career instead of just "schtick".[41]

Chase followed Foul Play in 1980 with the Harold Ramis comedy Caddyshack. A major box office success that pulled in $39 million off a $6 million budget,[42] the movie has become a classic. It reached a 73% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics saying: "Though unabashedly crude and juvenile, Caddyshack nevertheless scores with its classic slapstick, unforgettable characters, and endlessly quotable dialogue"[citation needed]. That same year, he reunited with Foul Play co-star Goldie Hawn for Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times, a box-office success that earned more than $43 million.[43] He then released a self-titled record album, co-produced by Chase and Tom Scott, with novelty and cover versions of songs by Randy Newman, Barry White, Bob Marley, the Beatles, Donna Summer, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Troggs, and The Sugarhill Gang.

Ronald Reagan and Chevy Chase, 1985

Chase narrowly escaped death by electrocution during the filming of Modern Problems in 1980. During a sequence in which Chase's character wears "landing lights" as he dreams that he is an airplane, the lights malfunctioned and an electric current passed through Chase's arm, back, and neck muscles. The near-death experience followed the end of his marriage to Carlin, and Chase experienced a period of deep depression. Chase continued his film career in 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation. Directed by Ramis and written by John Hughes, the movie grossed $61 million[44] on a $15 million budget—his most successful movie yet. He married Jayni Luke in 1982.

In 1985, he starred in Fletch, which grossed more than $50 million off an $8 million budget.[45] He would later make another movie based on Gregory Mcdonald's Fletch books. Chase later co-starred with fellow SNL alum Dan Aykroyd in Spies Like Us. Chase joined SNL veterans Steve Martin and Martin Short in the Lorne Michaels–produced comedy Three Amigos in 1986, declaring in an interview that making Three Amigos was the most fun he had making a film.

Gerald Ford with Chase before the Conference on Humor and the Presidency held at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in 1986

In 1987, his Cornelius Productions company signed a non-exclusive, first-refusal deal to develop four feature projects at the Warner Bros. studio, and set up a fifth project at Universal Pictures.[46] In 1988, he starred alongside Madolyn Smith in Funny Farm, a sizeable hit at $25 million that reached 65% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes.

At the height of his career in the late 1980s, Chase earned around US$7 million per film and was a highly visible celebrity. He appeared alongside Paul Simon, one of his best friends, in Simon's 1986 second video for "You Can Call Me Al", in which he lip-syncs all of Simon's lyrics.[47] Chase hosted the Academy Awards in 1987 and 1988, opening the telecast in 1988 with the quip, "Good evening, Hollywood phonies!" Chase filmed a sequel to Vacation, 1985's National Lampoon's European Vacation, which pulled in just shy of $50 million at the box office.[48] A third film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in 1989, pulled in $71 million and, thanks to its holiday theme, has become one of his more durable films.[49]

1990–2009: Career fluctuations

[edit]

He played saxophone onstage at Simon's free concert at the Great Lawn in Central Park in the summer of 1991. Later in 1991, he helped record and appeared in the music video "Voices That Care" to entertain and support U.S. troops involved in Operation Desert Storm, and supported the International Red Cross. Chase had three consecutive film flops: 1991's Razzie Award-nominated Nothing but Trouble, 1992's Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and 1994's Cops & Robbersons. The three releases had a combined gross of $34 million in the United States.

In September 1993, Chase hosted The Chevy Chase Show, a weeknight talk show, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Although it had high commercial expectations, the show was cancelled by Fox after five weeks. Chase later appeared in a commercial for Doritos, airing during the Super Bowl, in which he made humorous reference to the show's failure.[citation needed]

Chase found success with some of his subsequent movies. 1995's Man of the House, co-starring Farrah Fawcett, was relatively successful, grossing $40 million[50] and 1997's Vegas Vacation was a box office success, grossing $36.4 million.[51] 2000's Snow Day, in which Chase appeared, was also successful grossing over $60 million,[52] as well as Orange County in 2002, grossing more than $40 million.[53] Chase was Hasty Pudding's 1993 Man of the Year, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in that same year.[54] He also received The Harvard Lampoon's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[55]

He was roasted by the New York Friars Club for a Comedy Central television special in 2002. This roast was noted for being unusually vitriolic, even by the standards of a roast.[56] Some of the more recent films starring Chase (e.g., Vacuums, Rent-a-Husband, Goose!) have not been widely released in the United States. He returned to mainstream movie-making in 2006, co-starring with Tim Allen and Courteney Cox in the comedy Zoom, though it was both a critical and commercial failure. Chase guest-starred as an anti-Semitic murder suspect in "In Vino Veritas", the November 3, 2006, episode of Law & Order. He also guest-starred in the ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters in two episodes as a former love interest of Sally Field's character. Chase appeared in a prominent recurring role as villainous software magnate Ted Roark on the NBC spy-comedy Chuck. In 2009, Chase and Dan Aykroyd voiced themselves in the Family Guy episode "Spies Reminiscent of Us".

Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs and Chase at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010

2009–2012: Return to television

[edit]

Starting in 2009, Chase returned to NBC in the sitcom Community, as aging moist-towelette tycoon Pierce Hawthorne. The show was created by Dan Harmon and starred Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, and Yvette Nicole Brown. The series received critical acclaim for its acting and writing, appeared on numerous critics' year-end "best-of" lists and developed a cult following.[57][58] The New York Times critic Alessandra Stanley praised the casting of Chase writing, "Jeff has the kind of sardonic repartee and slapdash nonchalance that the comedian Chevy Chase had when he was the young star of the ’Fletch’ movies," while adding, "Even that is an inside casting joke: Mr. Chase, who is farcically loopy and delightful in the pilot.” [59]

In 2010, he appeared in the film Hot Tub Time Machine which received some praise.

Throughout the filming of Community seasons one through four, Chase became increasingly angry and uncomfortable with the direction of his character, Pierce, who is a bigot. It was reported that in 2012 Chase "snapped and launched the tirade, airing his frustration and suggesting that the way things with Pierce are going, he may next be asked to call Troy (Glover) or Shirley (Brown) the N-word". While Chase apologized for his outburst he proceeded to leave the show,[60][61] due to increasing disagreements with his character and the show's creator Dan Harmon. After a mutual agreement with the network, his character was abruptly written out of the fourth season of Community.[60] Chase later claimed that his exit was due to his personal opinions of the show rather than the outburst, claiming that it "wasn't funny enough".[62] His departure was cemented by the writers making the creative decision to kill off Pierce, in the third episode of Community's fifth season.[63]

2012–present

[edit]

In 2013 Chase appeared in a short online film featuring the Griswold Family, and in the Funny or Die original comedy sketch "Presidential Reunion", where he played President Ford alongside other current and former SNL president impersonators.

In 2015, Chase reprised his role as Clark Griswold in the fifth Vacation installment, titled Vacation. Unlike the previous four films in which Clark is the main protagonist, he only has a brief though pivotal cameo appearance. In spite of largely negative critical reception, the film proved to be a financial success, grossing over $107 million worldwide,[64] making it the highest-grossing entry to date.[citation needed]

2019 saw him in the Netflix movie The Last Laugh where he starred alongside Richard Dreyfuss.

Personal life

[edit]
Chase in 1990

Marriage and family

[edit]

Chase married Susan Hewitt in New York City on February 23, 1973. They divorced on February 1, 1976. His second marriage, to Jacqueline Carlin, was formalized on December 4, 1976, and ended in divorce on November 14, 1980; they had no children.[65]

Chase resided in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles from 1980 until 1995 in a Tudor-style home. He was the Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades between 1986 and 1988.[66][67]

He married his third wife, Jayni Luke, in Pacific Palisades on June 19, 1982.[68] He and Luke have three daughters, Cydney, Caley, and Emily.[8] The couple reside in Bedford, New York.[69]

Substance abuse

[edit]

In 1986, Chase was admitted to the Betty Ford Center for treatment of a prescription painkiller addiction. His use began after he experienced ongoing back pain related to the pratfalls he took during his Saturday Night Live appearances.[70] In 2010, he said that his drug abuse had been "low level."[71]

He entered the Hazelden Clinic in September 2016 to receive treatment for alcoholism.[72]

Political views

[edit]

An active environmentalist and philanthropist, Chase is a political liberal. He campaigned for Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.[73][74]

In 2004, he mocked President George W. Bush during a speech at a People for the American Way benefit at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he referred to Bush as an "uneducated, real lying schmuck" and a "dumb fuck", which upset the organizers and the crowd, leading Norman Lear to categorize the statements as "utterly untoward."[75]

Fight with Bill Murray

[edit]

While filming an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1978, Chase got into a fistfight with Bill Murray in John Belushi's dressing room. Murray and Chase's backstage brawl took place when Chase returned to host the show after his exit as a full-time cast member in 1976. Murray had reportedly made a derogatory comment about Chase's troubled marriage to Jacqueline Carlin, leading Chase to criticize Murray's physical appearance. SNL cast members Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner witnessed the incident.[76][citation needed]

In a talk show appearance in 2021, Newman noted of the altercation, "it was very sad and painful and awful". She went on to say, "I think they both knew the one thing that they could say to one another that would hurt the most and that's what I think incited it." Chase and Murray would later reconcile to star together in Caddyshack in 1980.[77]

Chris Columbus allegations

[edit]

In December 2024, writer-director Chris Columbus revealed that he quit directing National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as a result of his two meetings with Chase, whom he considered extremely dismissive and disrespectful toward him.[78]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1968 Walk... Don't Walk Pedestrian Short film
1974 The Groove Tube The Fingers/Geritan/Four Leaf Clover
1976 Tunnel Vision Himself
1978 Foul Play Tony Carlson
1980 Oh! Heavenly Dog Browning
Caddyshack Ty Webb
Seems Like Old Times Nicholas Gardenia
1981 Under the Rainbow Bruce Thorpe
Modern Problems Max Fiedler
1983 National Lampoon's Vacation Clark Griswold
Deal of the Century Eddie Muntz
1985 Fletch Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher
National Lampoon's European Vacation Clark Griswold
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird Newscaster Cameo
Spies Like Us Emmett Fitz-Hume
1986 ¡Three Amigos! Dusty Bottoms
1988 The Couch Trip Condom Father Cameo
Funny Farm Andy Farmer
Caddyshack II Ty Webb
1989 Fletch Lives Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Clark "Sparky" Griswold
1991 Nothing but Trouble Chris Thorne
L.A. Story Carlo Christopher Cameo
1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man Nick Halloway
Hero Deke Uncredited[79]
1993 Last Action Hero Himself Cameo
1994 A Century of Cinema Himself Documentary
Cops & Robbersons Norman Robberson
1995 Man of the House Jack Sturgess
1997 Vegas Vacation Clark Griswold
1998 Dirty Work Dr. Farthing
2000 Snow Day Tom Brandston
Pete's Pizza Narrator Voice; Short film
The One Armed Bandit Cop Short film
2002 Orange County Principal Harbert
2003 Vacuums Mr. Punch
Bitter Jester Himself Darren Watkins
2004 Our Italian Husband Paul Parmesan
Bad Meat Congressman Bernard P. Greely Direct-to-DVD
2005 Ellie Parker Dennis Swartzbaum
2006 Funny Money Henry Perkins
Doogal Train Voice
Goose on the Loose Congreve Maddox Direct-to-DVD
Zoom Dr. Grant
2007 Cutlass Stan Short film[80]
2009 Stay Cool Principal Marshall
Jack and the Beanstalk Antipode
2010 Hot Tub Time Machine Repairman
Hotel Hell Vacation Clark Griswold Short film
2011 Not Another Not Another Movie Max Storm
2013 Before I Sleep Gravedigger
2014 Lovesick Lester
Shelby Grandpa Geoffrey Direct-to-DVD
2015 Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Repairman
Vacation Clark Griswold
2017 The Last Movie Star Sonny
Hedgehogs ThinkMan Voice; Direct-to-DVD
2019 The Last Laugh Al Hart
2020 The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee Chevy
2021 Panda vs. Aliens King Karoth Voice; Direct-to-DVD
2023 Zombie Town Mezmarian
Glisten and the Merry Mission Santa Claus Voice
2024 The Christmas Letter Norm De Plume

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1975 The Smothers Brothers Show Writer
1975–2015 Saturday Night Live Various characters/
Himself (host) 		38 episodes; also writer
8 episodes
1977 The Chevy Chase Show Himself Television special; also writer
The Paul Simon Special Himself Television special; also writer
1979 The Chevy Chase National Humor Test Himself Television special; also writer
1987 59th Academy Awards Himself (co-host) Television special
1988 60th Academy Awards Himself (host) Television special
Untitled Dan Aykroyd Project Adin A. Oss Pilot
1990 The Earth Day Special Vic's Buddy Television special
1993 The Chevy Chase Show Himself (host) 25 episodes; also writer and producer
1995 The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode: "Roseanne's Return"
1997 The Nanny Himself Episode: "A Decent Proposal"
2002 America's Most Terrible Things Andy Potts Pilot
2003 Freedom: A History of US Various characters 5 episodes
2004 The Karate Dog Cho-Cho Voice
Television film
2006 The Secret Policeman's Ball General Nuisance Television special
Law & Order Mitch Carroll Episode: "In Vino Veritas"
2007, 2009 Family Guy Clark Griswold / Himself (voices) Episodes: "Blue Harvest"
"Spies Reminiscent of Us"
2007 Brothers & Sisters Stan Harris 2 episodes
2009 Hjälp! Dan Carter 8 episodes
Chuck Ted Roark 3 episodes
2009–2014 Community Pierce Hawthorne 83 episodes
2014 Hot in Cleveland Ross Episode: "People Feeding People"
Wishin' and Hopin' Adult Felix (voice) Television film
2015 Chevy Chase Pilot
2016 A Christmas in Vermont Preston Bullock Television film

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Association Category Title Result Ref.
1976 Writers Guild of America Writing for a Variety Series The Smothers Brothers Show Nominated [81]
1976 Primetime Emmy Award Individual Performance in a Variety Program Saturday Night Live Won
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Won
1977 Individual Performance in a Variety Program Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Nominated
1978 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special The Paul Simon Special Won
1978 Golden Globe Award Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Foul Play Nominated
New Star of the Year — Nominated
1992 Saturn Award Best Actor Memoirs of an Invisible Man Nominated [82]

On September 23, 1993, Chase received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.[54]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Famous birthdays for Oct. 8: Bella Thorne, Chevy Chase". UPI. October 8, 2022. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Chevy Chase". Emmys.com. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Golden Globe Awards for 'Chevy Chase'". Goldenglobes.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  4. ^ Guerrero, Danger (November 21, 2012). "Chevy Chase is leaving "Community"". Uproxx.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 21, 2012). "Chevy Chase Leaving NBC's "Community"". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  6. ^ "Chevy Chase biography". Biography.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  7. ^ "Is Chevy Chase a Potential Successor to Johnny Carson?". New York Magazine. June 26, 2008. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Chevy Chase is 74, sober and ready to work. The problem? Nobody wants to work with him". Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Edward Chase, 86, Longtime Book Editor, Is Dead (Published 2005)". The New York Times. June 17, 2005. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  10. ^ "Edward Tinsley Chase '41 | Princeton Alumni Weekly". Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "Explorer's Survivor Omitted". The New York Times. July 11, 1962. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  12. ^ Martha Burgin; Maureen Holtz (2009). Robert Allerton: the private man & the public gifts. The News-Gazette. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-9798420-7-8.
  13. ^ a b c Fruchter, Rena. I'm Chevy Chase...and You're Not. Virgin Books, 2007.
  14. ^ Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase, Edward Tinsley "Ned" Chase, Edward Leigh Chase, Charles Dennison Chase, Henry Seymour Chase, Jarvis Brown Chase, Paul Chase m. Betty Kinnicutt, John Kinnicutt m. Hannah Gorham, Jabez Gorham Jr., Jabez Gorham Sr., John Gorham m. Desire Howland, daughter of John Howland & Elizabeth Tilley.
  15. ^ New York Magazine. August 23, 1993. p. 32. ISSN 0028-7369. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  16. ^ a b Chase, Chevy, interview on Howard Stern Show, Sirius Satellite Radio, September 18, 2008.
  17. ^ "Chevy Chase says in book he was beaten by mother". Reuters. April 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  18. ^ Jarvis, Jeff (September 12, 1983). "Chevy Chase's New High: Fatherhood". People. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  19. ^ "The Milwaukee Sentinel — Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  20. ^ a b Rudolph, Stephanie. "Prankly Speaking". The Bi-College News. October 28, 2003. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  21. ^ "blogs.haverford.edu". blogs.haverford.edu. October 8, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  22. ^ "Chevy Chase Movies and Shows". Apple TV. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Late-Night Chitchat Additions: Pat Sajak and Arsenio Hall Archived September 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, a January 11, 1989, review from The New York Times
  24. ^ Joynson, Vernon (1995). Fuzz, Acid, & Flowers Archived August 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. London: Borderline Books. See entry on Chamaeleon Church.
  25. ^ Cannon, Lou (December 27, 2006). "Gerald R. Ford" (Obituary). The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  26. ^ Chawkins, Steve (October 25, 2005). "Bush's Tribute to a Lofty Symbol". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  27. ^ a b "Chevy Chase recalls Ford as 'a terrific guy': 'SNL' comedian became famous in the '70s portraying president as klutz". Today.com. December 27, 2006. Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  28. ^ Chase, Chevy (January 6, 2007). "Mr. Ford Gets the Last Laugh". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  29. ^ Keller, Joel (April 16, 2007). "A delusional Chevy Chase says he created The Daily Show". AOL TV. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. [...] asked what he thought of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, [Chase] took credit for their success. "[I] think that, you know, I started it with my Weekend Update," he responds, implying that the ideas for both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report came directly from WU.
  30. ^ Carter, Bill (July 13, 1993). "With Pratfalls, Chevy Chase's Plans For Late-Night TV". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  31. ^ Rolling Stone, issue 1229, February 26, 2015, p. 32.
  32. ^ "The 25 Meanest Things Ever Said by Men". Menshealth.com. June 25, 2011. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  33. ^ Chevy Chase, "The Unique Comedy of Ernie Kovacs", TV Guide, April 9, 1977, p. 39–40.
  34. ^ Hofer, Stephen F.(2006). TV Guide: the official collector's guide, Bangzoom Publishers.
  35. ^ "Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius". IMDb. November 17, 1982. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  36. ^ "Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live". Saturday Night Live. February 20, 2005. NBC.
  37. ^ "The Saturday Night Live Season 2 Cast: Live from New York, It's Bill Murray". NBC Insider. January 5, 2024. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  38. ^ Edgers, Geoff (September 19, 2018). "Chevy Chase can't change". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  39. ^ McCoy, Terrence (February 17, 2015). "Chevy Chase, Too Mean To Succeed". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  40. ^ "Foul Play". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  41. ^ Shales, Tom. Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Back Bay Books, 2003.
  42. ^ "Caddyshack". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  43. ^ "Seems Like Old Times". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  44. ^ "National Lampoon's Vacation". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  45. ^ "Fletch". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  46. ^ Tusher, Will (May 27, 1987). "Chevy Chase's Cornelius Prods. Lines Up Projects With WB, U". Variety. p. 28.
  47. ^ "Paul Simon - You Can Call Me al (Official Video)". YouTube. June 16, 2011.
  48. ^ "National Lampoon's European Vacation". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  49. ^ "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  50. ^ "Man of the House". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  51. ^ "Vegas Vacation". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  52. ^ "Snow Day". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  53. ^ "Orange County". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  54. ^ a b "Chevy Chase". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. October 25, 2019. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  55. ^ "Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  56. ^ Heffernan, Virginia (December 2, 2002). "Chevy Chase, Humiliated Again". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  57. ^ "Community was one of the most inventive shows in TV history". Vox. September 20, 2019. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  58. ^ "The Meta, Innovative Genius of Community". The Atlantic. May 12, 2011. Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  59. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (September 16, 2009). "A Wink at Colleges and a Nod to Clichés". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  60. ^ a b Sharf, Zach (February 15, 2022). "'Chevy Chase Ignores Claims of Problematic Set Behavior: 'I Don't Give a Crap…I Am Who I Am'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  61. ^ "Chevy Chase Drops N-Word In Tirade On The Set Of 'Community'". Deadline Hollywood. October 20, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  62. ^ "Chevy Chase Claims 'Community' Just "Wasn't Funny Enough" for Him". Vanity Fair. September 26, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  63. ^ Hedash, Kara (March 6, 2020). "Community: The Reason Why Chevy Chase Left Before Season 5". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  64. ^ "Vacation". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  65. ^ "Obituary: Jacqueline Carlin Melcher 1942–2021". Bermudez Family. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  66. ^ "Chevy Chase Hunts Buyer for Home / Comedian wants to leave L.A." April 12, 1995.
  67. ^ "Honorary Mayors". Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  68. ^ Gelder, Lawrence Van (October 15, 1982). "At the Movies (Published 1982)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  69. ^ "Hermit Hell! Chevy Chase Living Like A Loner: 'He's Alienated Himself From Everyone'". RadarOnline. February 15, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  70. ^ "Chevy Chase Being Treated For Addiction to Painkillers". The New York Times. October 12, 1986. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  71. ^ Fussman, Cal (September 23, 2010). "Chevy Chase: What I've Learned". Esquire. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  72. ^ France, Lisa Respers (September 6, 2016). "Chevy Chase enters rehab". CNN. Archived from the original on September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  73. ^ White, Mark, ed. (May 15, 2012). The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy. London, UK: I.B. Tauris. p. 239. ISBN 9780857722478.
  74. ^ "Stars Raise Voices Against Bush". Los Angeles Times. July 9, 2004. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  75. ^ Leiby, Richard (December 16, 2004). "It's the F-Time Show With Chevy Chase". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  76. ^ "It's Saturday Night!". Vanity Fair. June 4, 2008. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  77. ^ Roberto, Melissa (June 18, 2021). "Bill Murray and Chevy Chase's backstage fight at 'SNL' was 'painful' to watch, show alums say". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  78. ^ Chris Columbus Details “Bizarre” Experience With Chevy Chase That Led Him To Quit As Original Director Of ‘Christmas Vacation’
  79. ^ "Chevy Chase". IMDb. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  80. ^ "Cutlass". Tribeca. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  81. ^ "Chevy Chase – Awards". IMDb. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  82. ^ "Memoirs of an Invisible Man". TV Guide. Retrieved December 24, 2024.

Further reading

[edit]
  • I'm Chevy Chase...and You're Not (The Authorized Biography) by Rena Fruchter. Virgin Books, 2007. ISBN 1-85227-346-1.
  • Who's Who in Comedy by Ronald L. Smith. Pp. 102–103. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0-8160-2338-7.
  • Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller. Back Bay Books.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chevy Chase.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Chevy Chase.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chevy_Chase&oldid=1264980429"