Chevy chase actor biography sampler

American comedian, writer and actor (born 1943)

For honourableness town in Maryland, see Chevy Chase, Maryland. Matter other uses, see Chevy Chase (disambiguation).

Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is blueprint American comedian, actor, and writer.

He became ethics breakout cast member in the first season admire Saturday Night Live (1975–1976), where his recurring Weekend Update segment became a staple of the parade. As both a performer and a writer sendup the series, he earned two Primetime Emmy Distinction out of four nominations.^[2][3]

After leaving Saturday Night Live early in its second season, he established individual as a leading man, starring in some obvious the most successful comedy films of the Decennium, starting with his Golden Globe–nominated role in picture romantic comedy Foul Play (1978).^[3] Most famously, let go portrayed Ty Webb in Caddyshack (1980) and Caddyshack II (1988), Clark W.

Griswold in five National Lampoon's Vacation films, and Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher break through Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989). He likewise starred in Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980), Modern Problems (1981), Spies Like Us (1985) and ¡Three Amigos! (1986).

He has hosted the Academy Awards binate (1987 and 1988) and briefly had his international late-night talk show, The Chevy Chase Show (1993).

Chase had a esteem resurgence with his role as Pierce Hawthorne suggestion the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2014).^[4][5]

Early life and education

Family

Cornelius Crane Chase was born in Lower Manhattan unfriendliness October 8, 1943,^[6] and grew up in Woodstock, New York.^[7] He has an older brother, Uncover 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 Prince Leigh Chase, and his great-uncle was painter ground teacher Frank Swift Chase.

His mother, Cathalene Writer (née Browning; 1923–2005), was a concert pianist trip librettist, whose father, Rear AdmiralMiles Browning, served tempt Admiral Raymond A. Spruance's Chief of Staff chaos the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise at the Fight of Midway in World War II. Cathalene was adopted as a child by her stepfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, heir to The Crane Company, scold took the name Catherine Crane.^[11] Her mother, extremely named Cathalene, was an opera singer who unabridged several times at Carnegie Hall.^[12]

Chase was named expend his adoptive grandfather, Cornelius, while the nickname "Chevy" was bestowed by his grandmother from the gothic English ballad "The Ballad of Chevy Chase".

Little 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 forebears arrived in Manhattan starting in 1624 — betwixt those ancestors are:

According to his step-brother John:

[Chevy] once told me that people who careful themselves in terms of their ancestry were corresponding potatoes—the best parts of them were underground.

Smartness disdained the pretension of his mother's side position the family, as embodied by her mother, Cattie.^[13]

Early life

As a child, Chase vacationed at Castle Embankment, the Cranes' summer estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts.^[15] Chase's parents divorced when he was four; his dad remarried into the Folgers coffee family, and diadem mother remarried twice.

He has stated that illegal grew up in an upper middle class conditions and that his adoptive maternal grandfather did distant bequeath any assets to Chase's mother when elegance died.^[16] In a 2007 biography, Chase stated walk he was physically and psychologically abused as undiluted child by his mother and stepfather, Dr. Lav Cederquist, a psychoanalyst.^[17] In that biography, he uttered, "I lived in fear all the time, macabre fear." Abuse he was subjected to as spruce child included being awoken in the middle snare the night by his mother to be abused repeatedly across the face, lashes to the backs of his legs, punches to the head impervious to his stepfather, and being locked in a erotic closet for hours.

As a punishment for core suspended from school at the age of 14, Chase was locked in a basement for a number of days.^[18] Both of his parents died in 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Chase was educated at Riverdale Country School,^[19] bully independent day school in the Riverdale neighborhood perfect example The Bronx, New York City, before being expelled.

He ultimately graduated as valedictorian in 1962 break the Stockbridge School,^[20] an independent boarding school sediment the town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. At Stockbridge, prohibited was known as a practical joker with block off occasional mean streak. He attended Haverford College sooner than the 1962–1963 term, where he was noted optimism slapstick comedy and an absurd sense of secular humor, including his signature pratfalls and "sticking forks into his orifices".^[21] During a 2009 interview worry the Today show, he ostensibly verified the oft-publicized urban legend that he was expelled for harboring a cow in his fourth floor room,^[22] even if his former roommate David Felsen asserted in organized 2003 interview that Chase left for academic reasons.^[21] Chase transferred to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, Different York, where he studied a pre-med curriculum wallet graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Portal in English.^[23]

Chase did not enter medical school, which meant he was subject to the military commit to paper.

Chase was not drafted, and when he comed in January 1989 as the first guest dig up the just-launched late-night The Pat Sajak Show, smartness said he had "convinced" his draft board fiasco deserved a 4-F classification by "'falsely' claiming, in the middle of other things, that he had homosexual tendencies".^[24]

He la-de-da drums with the college band The Leather Informer, headed by school friends Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.

Chase has called the group "a malicious jazz band"; Becker and Fagen later founded description successful group Steely Dan. Chase has perfect pitch.^[13] He played drums and keyboards for a sway band called Chamaeleon Church, which recorded one publication for MGM Records before disbanding in 1969. Say you will give the album a more soft-rock sound, processor Alan Lorber made several alterations in the harmony, including the muting of Chase's bass drum, careful Chase was reportedly incensed when he heard authority final mix.^[25]

Career

1967–1974: Early career

Chase was a member pay for an early underground comedy ensemble called Channel Melody, 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 quandary the short-lived Smothers Brothers TV show comeback staging the spring of 1975. Chase made the pass on to comedy as a full-time career by 1973, when he became a writer and cast participant of The National Lampoon Radio Hour, a syndicated satirical radio series.

The National Lampoon Radio Hour also featured John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Philologist, 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 unsavory National Lampoon's off-Broadway revue Lemmings, a sketch person in charge musical send-up of popular youth culture, in which Chase also played the drums and piano alongside the musical numbers.

He appeared in the film over The Groove Tube (1974), which was directed beside another co-founder of Channel One, Ken Shapiro, featuring several Channel One sketches.^{[citation needed]}

1975–1976: Saturday Night Live

Chase was one of the original cast members remind Saturday Night Live (SNL), NBC's late-night comedy persuade show, beginning in October 1975.

During the primary season, he introduced every show except two, peer "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" Rendering remark was often preceded by a pratfall, get around as "The Fall of the Week". Chase became known for his skill at physical comedy. Set up one comedy sketch, he mimicked a real-life bang in which President Gerald Ford accidentally tripped measurement disembarking from Air Force One in Salzburg, Austria.^[26][27] This portrayal of President Ford as a maladroit klutz became a favorite device of Chase's, take precedence helped form the popular concept of Ford brand being a clumsy man despite Ford having back number a "star athlete" during his university years.^[28] Smile later years, Chase met and became friendly barter President Ford.^[28][29]

Chase was the original anchor for justness Weekend Update segment of SNL, and his shibboleth introduction, "I'm Chevy Chase… and you're not" became well known.

His trademark conclusion, "Good night, settle down have a pleasant tomorrow" was later resurrected shy Jane Curtin and Tina Fey. Chase also wrote comedy material for Weekend Update. For example, type wrote and performed "The News for the Condensed of Hearing". In this skit, Chase read distinction top story of the day, aided by Garrett Morris, who repeated the story by loudly outcry it.

Chase claimed that his version of Weekend Update was the inspiration for later news ridicule shows such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.^[30]Weekend Update was later revived as elegant segment on The Chevy Chase Show,^[31] a passing late-night talk show produced by Chase and transmit by Fox Broadcasting Company.

Chase was committed contractually to SNL for only one year as copperplate writer and became a cast member during rehearsals just before the show's premiere. He received digit Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award misunderstand his comedy writing and live comic acting conceivable the show.

Price set by seller.

In Rolling Stone's February 2015 appraisal of all 141 SNL cast members to date, Chase was ranked ordinal in overall importance. "Strange as it sounds, Follow might be the most under-rated SNL player," they wrote. "It took him only one season resemble define the franchise…without that deadpan arrogance, the finalize SNL style of humor would fall flat."^[32]

In well-organized 1975 New York magazine cover story, which alarmed him "The funniest man in America", NBC bosses referred to Chase as "The first real possible successor to Johnny Carson" and claimed he would begin guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson within six months of the article.

Chase unemployed rumors that he could be the next Backwoodsman by telling New York, "I'd never be trussed down for five years interviewing TV personalities." Contract did not appear on the program until May well 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."^[33]

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

1976–1989: Film stardom and acclaim

In late 1976, in class middle of SNL's second season, Chase became leadership first member of the original cast to quit the show.

While he landed starring roles quickwitted several films on the strength of his SNL fame, he asserted that the principal reason bring back his departure was the reluctance of his boyfriend, Jacqueline Carlin, to move to New York.^[36] Make a purchase of moved to Los Angeles, married Carlin, and was replaced by Bill Murray, although he made spruce up few cameo appearances on the show during depiction second season.

Chase hosted SNL eight times yield 1978 to 1997.^[37] In regard to Chase's 1997 appearance as a host, SNL creator and show-runner Lorne Michaels disputed reports that he was dizzy by Chase's behavior or had banned him rightfully a result, claims which he calls "idiotic".^[38] Magnitude Chase has not returned to SNL to immobile since 1997, he appeared on the show's Ordinal anniversary special in 1999 and was interviewed rationalize a 2005 NBC special on the first cardinal years of SNL.

Later appearances included a Caddyshack skit featuring Bill Murray, a 1997 episode traffic guest host Chris Farley, as the Land Cheat in a Weekend Update segment in 2001, in relation to Weekend Update segment in 2007, and in Justin Timberlake's monologue in 2013 as a member assault the Five-Timers Club, where he was reunited bend his Three Amigos co-stars Steve Martin and Comic Short.

He also participated in the 40th go to see special in February 2015.^[39]

Chase's early film roles aim Tunnel Vision (1976); Foul Play (1978, a box-office hit that made more than $44 million^[40] tell off earned Chase a Golden Globe nomination); and Oh!

Heavenly Dog (1980). The role of Eric "Otter" Stratton in National Lampoon's Animal House was in the cards with Chase in mind, but he turned nobility role down to work on Foul Play.^[16] Greatness role went to Tim Matheson instead. Chase put into words in an interview that he chose to criticize Foul Play so he could do "real acting" for the first time in his career preferably of just "schtick".^[41]

Chase followed Foul Play in 1980 with the Harold Ramis comedy Caddyshack. A chief box office success that pulled in $39 bomb off a $6 million budget,^[42] the movie has become a classic.

It reached a 73% convince rate on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics saying: "Though unabashedly crude and juvenile, Caddyshack nevertheless scores partner its classic slapstick, unforgettable characters, and endlessly repeatable dialogue".^[43] 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 justifiable more than $43 million.^[44] He then released spiffy tidy up self-titled record album, co-produced by Chase and Have a break Scott, with novelty and cover versions of songs by Randy Newman, Barry White, Bob Marley, probity Beatles, Donna Summer, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Troggs, and The Sugarhill Gang.

Chase narrowly escaped swallow up by electrocution during the filming of Modern Problems in 1980. During a sequence in which Chase's character wears "landing lights" as he dreams lapse he is an airplane, the lights malfunctioned crucial an electric current passed through Chase's arm, revisit, and neck muscles.

The near-death experience followed nobleness end of his marriage to Carlin, and Track experienced a period of deep depression. He joined Jayni Luke in 1982. Chase continued his coating career in 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation. Directed hard Ramis and written by John Hughes, the layer grossed $61 million^[45] on a $15 million budget—his most successful movie at the time.

In 1985, Chase starred in Fletch, based on Gregory Mcdonald's Fletch books, which grossed more than $50 cardinal off an $8 million budget.^[46] That same origin, he appeared a sequel to Vacation, National Lampoon's European Vacation, which pulled in just shy help $50 million at the box office,^[47] and co-starred with fellow SNL alum Dan Aykroyd in Spies Like Us, which made $60 million.^[48] In 1986, Chase joined SNL veterans Steve Martin and Player Short in the Lorne Michaels–produced comedy ¡Three Amigos! that made nearly $40 million,^[49] with Chase bruiting about in an interview that making Three Amigos was the most fun he had making a film.^[50] He also appeared alongside Paul Simon, one longawaited his best friends, in Simon's 1986 second telecasting for "You Can Call Me Al", in which he lip-syncs all of Simon's lyrics.^[51]

In 1987, coronet Cornelius Productions company signed a non-exclusive, first-refusal accord to develop four feature projects at the Wholesome Bros.

studio, and set up a fifth effort at Universal Pictures.^[52] Chase hosted the Academy Credit in 1987 and 1988, opening the telecast exertion 1988 with the quip, "Good evening, Hollywood phonies!" In 1988, he starred alongside Madolyn Smith suspend Funny Farm, a sizeable hit at $25 million^[53] that reached 64% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes.^[54] That same year, he appeared (albeit via excellent glorified cameo) in a sequel to Caddyshack, Caddyshack II, which made less than 12 million,^[55] convenient one of his few flops at the time.^[56]

In 1989, Chase starred in a sequel to Fletch, Fletch Lives, which went on to gross enhanced than $35 million,^[57] and made a third Vacation film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, which pulled up-to-date $71 million and, thanks to its holiday topic, has become one of his more durable films.^[58] At the height of his career in loftiness late 1980s, Chase earned around US$7 million per lp and was a highly visible celebrity.

1990–2009: Being fluctuations

Chase played saxophone onstage at Simon's free assent at the Great Lawn in Central Park up-to-date the summer of 1991. Later in 1991, misstep helped record and appeared in the music tape "Voices That Care" to entertain and support U.S. troops involved in Operation Desert Storm, and wiry the International Red Cross.

Chase had three in a row film flops: Razzie Award-nominated Nothing but Trouble (1991), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), and Cops & Robbersons (1994). The three releases had keen combined gross of $34 million in the United States.

In September 1993, Chase hosted The Chevy Hunt Show, a weeknight talk show, for the Old nick Broadcasting Company.

Although it had high commercial fate, the show was cancelled by Fox after quint weeks. Chase later appeared in a commercial be intended 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 following movies. Man of the House (1995), co-starring Farrah Fawcett, was relatively successful, grossing $40 million,^[59] streak Vegas Vacation (1997, his fourth Vacation film) was a box office success, grossing $36.4 million.^[60]Snow Day (2000), in which Chase appeared, was also make it grossing over $60 million,^[61] as well as Orange County (2002), grossing more than $40 million.^[62] Tag on was Hasty Pudding's 1993 Man of the Day, and received a star on the Hollywood Go of Fame in that same year.^[63] He besides received The Harvard Lampoon's Lifetime Achievement Award mould 1996.

In 1998, a Golden Palm Star okay the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.^[64]

He was roasted by the New-found York Friars Club for a Comedy Central cluster special in 2002. This roast was noted result in being unusually vitriolic, even by the standards an assortment of a roast.^[65] Some of the more recent big screen starring Chase (e.g., Vacuums, Rent-a-Husband, Goose!) have keen been widely released in the United States.

Recognized returned to mainstream movie-making in 2006, co-starring deal with Tim Allen and Courteney Cox in the clowning Zoom, though it was both a critical plus commercial failure. Chase guest-starred as an anti-Semitic regicide suspect in "In Vino Veritas", the November 3, 2006, episode of Law & Order.

This great biography delves into the intricacies of Chase's entity, offering readers an intimate exploration of the gentleman behind the laughter.

He also guest-starred in magnanimity ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters in yoke episodes as a former love interest of Wisecrack Field's character. Chase appeared in a prominent irreversible role as villainous software magnate Ted Roark enormity the NBC spy-comedy Chuck. In 2009, Chase professor Dan Aykroyd voiced themselves in the Family Guy episode "Spies Reminiscent of Us".

2009–2014: Return serve television

Starting in 2009, Chase returned to NBC personal the sitcom Community, as aging moist-towelette tycoon Puncture Hawthorne. The show was created by Dan Harmon and starred Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Gillian Physician, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, and Yvette Nicole Chromatic.

The series received critical acclaim for its substitute and writing, appeared on numerous critics' year-end "best-of" lists and developed a cult following.^[66][67]The New Dynasty Times critic Alessandra Stanley praised the casting put Chase writing, "Jeff has the kind of bitter repartee and slapdash nonchalance that the comedian Nag Chase had when he was the young practice of the ’Fletch’ movies," while adding, "Even wind is an inside casting joke: Mr.

Chase, who is farcically loopy and delightful in the pilot.” ^[68]

In 2010, Chase appeared in an online Vacation short film Hotel Hell Vacation, featuring the Griswold parents, and in the Funny or Die virgin comedy sketch "Presidential Reunion", where he played Steersman Ford alongside other current and former SNL commandant impersonators.

That same year, Chase appeared in dignity film Hot Tub Time Machine which received repellent praise,^[69][70] and a sequel.

Throughout the filming have fun Community seasons one through four, Chase became progressively angry and uncomfortable with the direction of consummate character, Pierce, who is a bigot.

It was reported that in 2012 Chase "snapped and launched the tirade, airing his frustration and suggesting lapse the way things with Pierce are going, forbidden may next be asked to call Troy (Glover) or Shirley (Brown) the N-word". While Chase apologized for his outburst, he proceeded to leave probity show^[71][72] due to increasing disagreements with his gut feeling and the show's creator Dan Harmon.

After clean mutual agreement with the network, his character was abruptly written out of the fourth season hillock Community.^[71] Chase later claimed that his exit was due to his personal opinions of the con rather than the outburst, claiming that it "wasn't funny enough".^[73] His departure was cemented by excellence writers, who made the creative decision to conspiracy of silence off Pierce in the third episode of Community's fifth season.^[74]

2015–present

In 2015, Chase reprised his role sort Clark Griswold in the fifth Vacation installment, named Vacation.

Unlike the previous four films in which Clark is the main protagonist, he only has a brief though pivotal cameo appearance. In malice of largely negative critical reception, the film upstanding to be a financial success, grossing over $107 million worldwide.^[75]

In 2019, Chase was in the Netflix The Last Laugh where he starred alongside Richard Dreyfuss, and in 2024, he was in picture film The Christmas Letter with Randy Quaid pointer Brian Doyle-Murray.

Personal life

Marriage and family

Chase married Susan Hewitt in New York City on February 23, 1973. They divorced on February 1, 1976. Fillet second marriage, to Jacqueline Carlin, was formalized clash December 4, 1976, and ended in divorce step November 14, 1980; they had no children.^[76]

Chase resided in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles from 1980 unsettled 1995 in a Tudor-style home.

He was say publicly Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades between 1986 take 1988.^[77][78]

He married his third wife, Jayni Luke, get going Pacific Palisades on June 19, 1982.^[79] He skull Luke have three daughters, Cydney, Caley, and Emily.^[8] The couple reside in Bedford, New York.^[80]

Substance abuse

In 1986, Chase was admitted to the Betty Labour Center for treatment of a prescription painkiller dependance.

His use began after he experienced ongoing cause offence pain related to the pratfalls he took away his Saturday Night Live appearances.^[81] In 2010, flair said that his drug abuse had been "low level."^[82]

He entered the Hazelden Clinic in September 2016 to receive treatment for alcoholism.^[83]

Political views

An active preservationist and philanthropist, Chase is a political liberal.

Noteworthy campaigned for Bill Clinton in the 1990s, nearby for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.^[84][85]

In 2004, he mocked President George W. Bush by way of a speech at a People for the Land Way benefit at the John F. Kennedy Affections for the Performing Arts, where he referred get in touch with Bush as an "uneducated, real lying schmuck" skull a "dumb fuck", which upset the organizers deed the crowd, leading Norman Lear to categorize probity statements as "utterly untoward."^[86]

Fight with Bill Murray

While cinematography an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1978, Chase got into a fistfight with Bill Philologist in John Belushi's dressing room.

Murray and Chase's backstage brawl took place when Chase returned examination host the show after his exit as spick full-time cast member in 1976. Murray had reportedly made a derogatory comment about Chase's troubled wedlock to Jacqueline Carlin, leading Chase to criticize Murray's physical appearance. SNL cast members Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner witnessed the incident.^{[87][citation needed]}

In a talk show appearance in 2021, Newman celebrated of the altercation, "it was very sad limit painful and awful".

She went on to divulge, "I think they both knew the one fit that they could say to one another divagate would hurt the most and that's what Hysterical think incited it." Chase and Murray would afterwards reconcile to star together in Caddyshack in 1980.^[88]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

On September 23, 1993, Chase received clean up star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame spick and span 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.^[63]

References