Chevy Chase | |
|---|---|
 Chase in 2010 | |
| Born | Cornelius Crane Chase (1943-10-08)October 8, 1943 (age 82)[1] New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Bard College (BA) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Miles Browning (maternal grandfather) Frank Swift Chase (granduncle) Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane (adoptive maternal grandfather) Edward Leigh Chase (paternal grandfather) |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Medium | |
| Genres | |
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 ofSaturday Night Live (1975–1976), where his recurringWeekend Update segment became a staple of the show. As both a performer and a writer on the series, he earned twoPrimetime Emmy Awards out of four nominations.
After leavingSaturday Night Live early in its second season, he established himself as aleading man, starring in some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s, starting with hisGolden Globe-nominated role in the romantic comedyFoul Play (1978). Most famously, he portrayed Ty Webb inCaddyshack (1980), Clark Griswold in fiveNational Lampoon's Vacation films, and Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher inFletch (1985) andFletch Lives (1989). He also starred inSeems Like Old Times (1980),Spies Like Us (1985),¡Three Amigos! (1986), andFunny Farm (1989).
He has hosted theAcademy Awards twice (1987 and1988) and briefly had his own late-night talk show,The Chevy Chase Show (1993). Chase had a popularity resurgence with his role asPierce Hawthorne on theNBC sitcomCommunity (2009–2014).
Cornelius Crane Chase was born inLower Manhattan on October 8, 1943,[2] and grew up inWoodstock, New York.[3] He has an older brother, Ned Jr.[4]
His father, Edward Tinsley "Ned" Chase (1919–2005),[5] was aPrinceton-educated Manhattan book editor and magazine writer.[6] Chase's paternal grandfather was artist and illustratorEdward Leigh Chase, and his great-uncle was painter and teacherFrank Swift Chase. His mother, Cathalene Parker (née Browning; 1923–2005), was a concert pianist andlibrettist, whose father,Rear AdmiralMiles Browning, served as AdmiralRaymond A. Spruance's Chief of Staff on the aircraft carrierUSSEnterprise at theBattle of Midway inWorld War II. Cathalene was adopted as a child by her stepfather,Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, heir toThe Crane Company, and took the name Catherine Crane.[7] Her mother, also named Cathalene, was an opera singer who performed several times atCarnegie Hall.[8]
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 ScottishClan Douglas, she thought the name appropriate.[9]
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.[9]
As a child, Chase vacationed atCastle Hill, the Cranes' summer estate inIpswich, Massachusetts.[10] Chase's parents divorced when he was four; his father remarried into theFolgers coffee family, and his mother remarried twice. He has stated that he grew up in anupper middle class environment and that his adoptive maternal grandfather did not bequeath any assets to Chase's mother when he died.[11] In a 2007 biography, Chase stated that he was physically and psychologicallyabused as a child by his mother and stepfather, Dr. John Cederquist, a psychoanalyst.[12] In that biography, he said, "I lived in fear all the time, deathly fear." Abuse he was subjected to as a child included being awakened in the middle of the night by his mother to be slapped repeatedly across the face, lashes to the backs of his legs, punches to the head by his stepfather, and being locked in a bedroom closet for hours. As a punishment for being suspended from school at the age of 14, Chase was locked in a basement for several days.[13] Both of his parents died in 2005.[14]
Chase was educated atRiverdale Country School,[15] anindependent day school in theRiverdale neighborhood ofThe Bronx, New York City, before being expelled. He ultimately graduated as valedictorian in 1962 from theStockbridge School,[16] an independent boarding school near theInterlaken section ofStockbridge, Massachusetts. At Stockbridge, he was known as a practical joker with an occasional mean streak. He attendedHaverford College during the 1962–1963 term, where he was noted forslapstick comedy and an absurd sense of physical humor, including his signaturepratfalls and "sticking forks into his orifices".[17] During a 2009 interview on theToday show, he ostensibly verified the oft-publicizedurban legend that he wasexpelled for harboring a cow in his fourth floor room,[18] although his former roommate David Felsen asserted in a 2003 interview that Chase left for academic reasons.[17] Chase transferred toBard College inAnnandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he studied apre-med curriculum and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.[19] While at Bard, Chase played drums in a band called The Leather Canary. The other two members,Walter Becker andDonald Fagen, went on to foundSteely Dan.[20] He also played drums and keyboards for a band.Chamaeleon Church. They recorded one album forMGM Records before disbanding.
Chase did not entermedical school, which meant he was subject tothe military draft. Chase was not drafted, and when he appeared in January 1989 as the first guest of the just-launched late-nightThe Pat Sajak Show, he said he had tricked his draft board into believing he deserved a4-F classification by falsely claiming that he had "homosexual tendencies".[21]
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 ofMission: Impossible forMad magazine in 1970 and was a writer for the short-livedSmothers 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 ofThe National Lampoon Radio Hour, a syndicated satirical radio series.The National Lampoon Radio Hour also featuredJohn Belushi,Gilda Radner,Bill Murray, andBrian Doyle-Murray, all of whom later became the "Not-Ready-For-Prime Time Players" onNBC Saturday Night (later re-titledNBC's Saturday Night and finallySaturday Night Live). Chase and Belushi also appeared in National Lampoon'soff-Broadway revueLemmings, a sketch and musical send-up of popularyouth culture, in which Chase also played the drums and piano during the musical numbers. He appeared in the movieThe Groove Tube (1974), which was directed by another co-founder of Channel One,Ken Shapiro, featuring several Channel One sketches.[citation needed]
Chase was one of the original cast members ofSaturday 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'sSaturday Night!" The remark was often preceded by apratfall, known as "The Fall of the Week". Chase became known for his skill atphysical comedy. In onecomedy sketch, he mimicked a real-life incident in which PresidentGerald Ford accidentally tripped while disembarking fromAir Force One inSalzburg, Austria.[22][23] 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.[24] In later years, Chase met and became friendly with President Ford.[24][25]
Chase was the original anchor for theWeekend Update segment ofSNL, 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 byJane Curtin andTina Fey. Chase also wrote comedy material forWeekend 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 byGarrett Morris, who repeated the story by loudly shouting it. Chase claimed that his version ofWeekend Update was the inspiration for laternews satire shows such asThe Daily Show andThe Colbert Report.[26]Weekend Update was later revived as a segment onThe Chevy Chase Show,[27] a short-lived late-night talk show produced by Chase and broadcast byFox Broadcasting Company.
Chase was committed contractually toSNL for only one year as a writer and became a cast member during rehearsals just before the show's premiere. He received twoEmmy Awards and aGolden Globe Award for his comedy writing and live comic acting on the show. InRolling Stone's February 2015 appraisal of all 141SNL cast members to date, Chase was ranked tenth in overall importance. "Strange as it sounds, Chase might be the mostunder-ratedSNL player," they wrote. "It took him only one season to define the franchise…without thatdeadpan arrogance, the wholeSNL style of humor would fall flat."[28]
In a 1975New York magazine cover story, which called him "The funniest man in America", NBC executives referred to Chase as "The first real potential successor toJohnny Carson" and claimed he would begin guest-hostingThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson within six months of the article. Chase dismissed rumors that he could be the next Carson by tellingNew 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 (who was never a fan ofSNL) later said of Chase: "He couldn't ad-lib a fart after a baked-bean dinner."[29]
Chase acknowledgedErnie Kovacs's influence on his work inSaturday Night Live,[30] and he thanked Kovacs during his acceptance speech for his Emmy Award.[31] In addition, Chase spoke of Kovacs's influence on his work in an appearance in the 1982 documentary calledErnie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius.[citation needed]
In late 1976, in the middle ofSNL's second season, Chase became the second member of the original cast to leave the show (afterGeorge Coe during the first season). While he landed starring roles in several films on the strength of hisSNL fame, he asserted that the principal reason for his departure was the reluctance of his girlfriend, Jacqueline Carlin, to move toNew York.[32] Chase moved toLos Angeles, married Carlin, and was replaced by Bill Murray, although he made a fewcameo appearances on the show during the second season.
Chase hostedSNL eight times from 1978 to 1997.[33] In regard to Chase's 1997 appearance as a host,SNL creator and show-runnerLorne Michaels disputed reports that he was shocked by Chase's behavior or had banned him as a result, claims which he calls "idiotic".[34] While Chase has not returned toSNL 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 ofSNL. Later appearances included aCaddyshack skit featuring Bill Murray, a 1997 episode with guest hostChris Farley, as the Land Shark in aWeekend Update segment in 2001, anotherWeekend Update segment in 2007, and inJustin Timberlake's monologue in 2013 as a member of theFive-Timers Club, where he was reunited with hisThree Amigos co-starsSteve Martin andMartin Short. He also participated in the 40th anniversary special in February 2015.[35]
Chase's early film roles includedTunnel Vision (1976);Foul Play (1978, a box-office hit that made more than $44 million[36] and earned Chase aGolden Globe nomination); andOh! Heavenly Dog (1980). The role of Eric "Otter" Stratton inNational Lampoon's Animal House was written with Chase in mind, but he turned the role down to work onFoul Play.[11] The role went toTim Matheson instead. Chase said in an interview that he chose to doFoul Play so he could do "real acting" for the first time in his career instead of just "schtick".[37]
Chase followedFoul Play in 1980 by portraying Ty Webb in theHarold Ramis comedyCaddyshack. A major box office success that pulled in $39 million off a $6 million budget,[38] the movie has become a classic. It reached a 73% approval rate onRotten Tomatoes, with critics saying: "Though unabashedly crude and juvenile, Caddyshack nevertheless scores with its classic slapstick, unforgettable characters, and endlessly quotable dialogue".[39] That same year, he reunited withFoul Play co-starGoldie Hawn forNeil Simon'sSeems Like Old Times, a box-office success that earned more than $43 million.[40] He then released a self-titled record album, co-produced by Chase and Tom Scott, with novelty and cover versions of songs byRandy Newman,Barry White,Bob Marley,the Beatles,Donna Summer,Tennessee Ernie Ford,The Troggs, andThe Sugarhill Gang.
Chase narrowly escaped death byelectrocution during the filming ofModern 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. Thenear-death experience followed the end of his marriage to Carlin, and Chase experienced a period of deepdepression. He married Jayni Luke in 1982. Chase continued his film career by playing Clark Griswold in 1983'sNational Lampoon's Vacation. Directed by Ramis and written byJohn Hughes, the movie grossed $61 million[41] on a $15 million budget—his most successful movie at the time.
In 1985, Chase played Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher inFletch, based onGregory Mcdonald'sFletch books, which grossed more than $50 million off an $8 million budget.[42] That same year, he appeared in a sequel toVacation,National Lampoon's European Vacation, which pulled in just shy of $50 million at the box office,[43] and co-starred with fellowSNL alumDan Aykroyd inSpies Like Us, which made $60 million.[44] In 1986, Chase joinedSNL veterans Steve Martin and Martin Short in the Lorne Michaels–produced comedy¡Three Amigos! that made nearly $40 million,[45] with Chase declaring in an interview that makingThree Amigos was the most fun he had making a film.[46] He also appeared alongsidePaul 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]
In 1987, his Cornelius Productions company signed a non-exclusive, first-refusal deal to develop four feature projects at theWarner Bros. studio, and set up a fifth project atUniversal Pictures.[48] Chase hosted theAcademy Awards in 1987 and 1988, opening the telecast in 1988 with the quip, "Good evening, Hollywood phonies!" In 1988, he starred alongsideMadolyn Smith inFunny Farm, a sizeable hit at $25 million[49] that reached 64% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes.[50] That same year, he appeared (albeit via a glorified cameo) in a sequel toCaddyshack,Caddyshack II, which made less than $12 million,[51] becoming one of his few flops at the time.[52]
In 1989, Chase starred in a sequel toFletch,Fletch Lives, which went on to gross more than $35 million,[53] and made a thirdVacation film,National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, which pulled in $71 million and, thanks to its holiday theme, has become one of his more durable films.[54] At the height of his career in the late 1980s, Chase earned around US$7 million per film and was a highly visible celebrity.
Chase played saxophone onstage at Simon's free concert at the Great Lawn inCentral 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 inOperation Desert Storm, and supported theInternational Red Cross. Chase had three consecutive film flops:Razzie Award-nominatedNothing but Trouble (1991),Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), andCops & Robbersons (1994). The three releases had a combined gross of $34 million in the United States.
In September 1993, Chase hostedThe Chevy Chase Show, a weeknight talk show, for theFox Broadcasting Company. Although it had high commercial expectations, the show was cancelled by Fox after five weeks. Chase later appeared in a commercial forDoritos, airing during theSuper Bowl, in which he made humorous reference to the show's failure.[55]
Chase found success with some of his subsequent movies.Man of the House (1995), co-starringFarrah Fawcett, was relatively successful, grossing $40 million,[56] andVegas Vacation (1997, his fourthVacation film) was a box office success, grossing $36.4 million.[57]Snow Day (2000), in which Chase appeared, was also successful grossing over $60 million,[58] as well asOrange County (2002), grossing more than $40 million.[59] Chase wasHasty Pudding's 1993 Man of the Year, and received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in that same year.[14] He also receivedThe Harvard Lampoon's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on thePalm Springs, California,Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[60]
He wasroasted by theNew York Friars Club for aComedy Central television special in 2002. This roast was noted for being unusually vitriolic, even by the standards of a roast.[61] 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 withTim Allen andCourteney Cox in the comedyZoom, though it was both a critical and commercial failure. Chaseguest-starred as ananti-Semitic murder suspect in "In Vino Veritas", the November 3, 2006, episode ofLaw & Order. He also guest-starred in theABC drama seriesBrothers & Sisters in two episodes as a former love interest ofSally Field's character. Chase appeared in a prominent recurring role as villainous software magnateTed Roark on the NBC spy-comedyChuck. In 2009, Chase andDan Aykroyd voiced themselves in theFamily Guy episode "Spies Reminiscent of Us".
Starting in 2009, Chase returned toNBC in the sitcomCommunity, as aging moist-towelette tycoonPierce Hawthorne. The show was created byDan Harmon and starredJoel McHale,Alison Brie,Gillian Jacobs,Donald Glover,Danny Pudi, andYvette Nicole Brown. The series received critical acclaim for its acting and writing, appeared on numerous critics' year-end "best-of" lists and developed acult following.[62][63]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 theFletch movies", while adding, "Even that is an inside casting joke: Mr. Chase, who is farcically loopy and delightful in the pilot."[64]
In 2010, Chase appeared in an onlineVacation short filmHotel Hell Vacation, featuring the Griswold parents, and in theFunny or Die original comedy sketch "Presidential Reunion", where he played President Ford alongside other current and formerSNL president impersonators. That same year, Chase appeared in the filmHot Tub Time Machine which received some praise,[65][66] and asequel.
Throughout the filming ofCommunity, Chase became increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of Pierce's character arc. It was reported that in 2012 Chase had an outburst on set yelling if it continued he may be asked to call eitherDonald Glover orYvette Nicole Brown's character theN-word. Chase later apologized for the outburst.[67][68] Soon after his apology, Chase left the show[69][70] due to increasing disagreements with his character and the show's creatorDan Harmon. After a mutual agreement with the network, his character was abruptly written out of the fourth season ofCommunity.[69] 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".[71] His departure was cemented by the writers, who killed off Pierce in thethird episode ofCommunity'sfifth season.[72]
In 2015, Chase reprised his role as Clark Griswold in the fifthVacation installment, titledVacation. Unlike the previous four films in which Clark is the main protagonist, he only has a brief though pivotal cameo appearance.[73] In spite of largely negative critical reception,[74] the film proved to be a financial success, grossing over $107 million worldwide.[75]
In 2019, Chase was in theNetflix movieThe Last Laugh where he starred alongsideRichard Dreyfuss. In 2024, he starred in the filmThe Christmas Letter withRandy Quaid andBrian Doyle-Murray.[76]
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Chase married Susan Hewitt inNew York City on February 23, 1973.[citation needed] 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.[77]
Chase resided inPacific Palisades, Los Angeles from 1980 until 1995 in aTudor-style home. He was theHonorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades between 1986 and 1988.[78][79]
He married his third wife, Jayni Luke, inPacific Palisades on June 19, 1982.[80] They have three daughters: Cydney, Caley, and Emily.[4] The couple reside inBedford, New York.[81]
In 1986, Chase was admitted to theBetty Ford Center for treatment of a prescription painkiller addiction. His use began after he experienced ongoingback pain related to the pratfalls he took during hisSaturday Night Live appearances.[82] In 2010, he said that his drug abuse had been "low level."[83]
He entered theHazelden Clinic in September 2016 to receive treatment foralcoholism.[84]
An activeenvironmentalist andphilanthropist, Chase is apolitical liberal. He campaigned forDemocratic presidential nomineesBill Clinton in the 1990s, andJohn Kerry in2004.[85][86]
In 2004, during a speech at aPeople for the American Way benefit at theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts he mockedRepublican PresidentGeorge W. Bush, Kerry's opponent in the 2004 election, referring to Bush as an "uneducated, real lying schmuck" and a "dumb fuck". His comments upset both the organizers and the crowd.[87]
He endorsedHillary Clinton's2008 presidential campaign.[88]
Before performing a third-season episode ofSaturday Night Live in 1978,[89] Chase got into a fistfight withBill Murray inJohn Belushi's dressing room. It occurred 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. The fight was witnessed by cast membersJane Curtin,Laraine Newman, andGilda Radner.[90] In a talk show appearance in 2021, Newman noted of the altercation, "it was very sad and painful and awful." She added, "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."[91] Chase and Murray later reconciled with the help ofHarold Ramis[89] and starred inCaddyshack in 1980.[91][89]
| 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 | |
| 1993 | Last Action Hero | Himself | Cameo |
| 1994 | A Century of Cinema | 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[92] |
| 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Smothers Brothers Show | Writer | |
| 1975–2025 | Saturday Night Live | Various characters / Himself (host) | 39 episodes; also writer; 8 episodes |
| 1977 | The Chevy Chase Show | Himself | Television special; also writer |
| The Paul Simon Special | |||
| 1979 | The Chevy Chase National Humor Test | ||
| 1987 | 59th Academy Awards | Himself (co-host) | Television special |
| 1988 | 60th Academy Awards | Himself (host) | |
| 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 | 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 |
In 1976, he was nominated for aWriters Guild of America Awards for "Writing for a Variety Series" as part ofThe Smothers Brothers Show's writers room.[citation needed] Also in 1976 he was nominated at thePrimetime Emmy Awards for his work on the first season ofSaturday Night Live. He won both nominations.[93]
On September 23, 1993, Chase received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.[14]
| Award | Year[a] | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writers Guild of America Awards | 1976 | Writing for a Variety Series | The Smothers Brothers Show | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 1976 | Individual Performance in a Variety Program | Saturday Night Live | Won | [93] |
| 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 | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | 1978 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Foul Play | Nominated | [94] |
| New Star of the Year | — | Nominated | |||
| Saturn Awards | 1992 | Best Actor | Memoirs of an Invisible Man | Nominated | [95] |
[...] 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.
