Chevy Chase has formally returned to “Saturday Night Live.”
The actor, 81, set foot in his outdated stomping grounds at Studio 8H for the comedy sequence’ fiftieth anniversary particular at Rockefeller Heart on Sunday. He was additionally photographed strolling the crimson carpet earlier than the three-hour particular together with his spouse, Jayni Chase.
Chase, who was one of many unique forged members of “Saturday Night Live” from 1975 to 1976, has had a tumultuous relationship with the NBC selection present over time.
In actual fact, “Saturday Night” director Jason Reitman revealed what the comic’s response was to his 2024 drama detailing the 90 minutes main as much as the first-ever broadcast of the late-night sketch present.
“Chevy loves to say the thing you’re not supposed to say — to the extreme,” he informed David Spade and Dana Carvey on their “Fly on the Wall” podcast in Dec. 2024. (Spade appeared on “SNL” from 1990 to 1996 whereas Carvey starred from 1986 to 1993. He kicked off Season 50 of the sequence by taking part in Joe Biden.)
“I have an example for you… So Chevy comes in to watch the movie, and he is there with [his wife] Jayni, and they watch the film, and he’s in the group, and he comes up to me after, and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed.’”
“What an exact Chevy thing,” Spade. 60, replied. “You could’t even write it better.”
Reitman, in the meantime, took the criticism in stride.
“I’m trying to balance it because, in my head, I know, ‘Alright, I’m getting a Chevy Chase moment that’s 1,000 percent only for me right now,’” he shared.
“And from a comedy point of view that’s really pure, and that’s kind of cool. But also, I just spent, like, two years of my life recreating this moment and trying to capture Chevy perfectly, and — even in the ego — find the humanity and give him a moment to be loved. And no, none of that shit played. He’s not talking about that stuff.”
Chase is not any stranger to creating waves, together with the time he got here to blows with fellow “SNL” member Invoice Murray whereas filming an episode in 1978.
The “Lost in Translation” star, 74, reportedly made a impolite remark about Chase’s alleged tumultuous marriage on the time.
Chase then bashed Murray’s bodily look and the 2 obtained into an argument in John Belushi’s dressing room.
“Billy Murray and I came to fisticuffs, but we never really ended up hitting each other,” Chase informed Esquire in 2010. “We tried, but Belushi got in the middle and we both ended up hitting John. And if anybody deserved to be slapped in the forehead it was John, for instigating it all.”
On Sunday, Murray dropped Chase’s identify throughout a “Weekend Update” sketch that additionally featured Colin Jost, Michael Che, Cecily Sturdy, Bobby Moynihan, Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer.
“Next up, Cornelius Crane Chase, who we’ve all come to know as Conny,” Murray started, rating the previous “Weekend Update” co-hosts. “Let’s face it. ‘Weekend Update’ would simply not exist without him, so it would be wrong to have him listed anywhere but … No. 4.”
In 1985, Chase went on to get into it with Robert Downey Jr. after he made a jab at his late father.
The Emmy winner allegedly informed the “Iron Man” actor: “Didn’t your father used to be a successful director? Whatever happened to him? Boy, he sure died, you know, he sure went to hell.”
By 2018, Chase made it clear he was on the outs with the brand new model of the present.
“I had to watch a little of it, and I just couldn’t f–king believe it,” he mentioned in an interview with The Washington Submit. “That means a whole generation of s–theads laughs at the worst f–king humor in the world. You know what I mean? How could you dare give that generation worse s–t than they already have in their lives? It just drives me nuts.”
Pete Davidson, who was a forged member on “SNL” on the time and in attendance Sunday night time, didn’t maintain again in his response after showing on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM present.
“He’s a f–king douchebag. F–k Chevy Chase. I hate that dude,” the comedian acknowledged. “He’s just a genuinely bad, racist person, and I don’t like him.”
Davidson additionally defended “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels, saying Chase’s phrases had been “disrespectful to a guy who gave you a career” and that “no matter how big you get, you can’t forget what that guy did for you.”
Chase has had points together with his “Community” forged, too. He performed millionaire Pierce Hawthorne for 5 seasons, however was fired from the present in 2013 after allegedly utilizing a racist slur towards co-star Donald Glover throughout filming and following a heated confrontation with its creator, Dan Harmon.
Glover, 41, claimed that Chase used the N-word whereas on a rant about his points together with his character.
“I could have said it,” Chase informed the Washington Submit in 2018, earlier than noting it might have been misinterpreted. The forged is ready to reunite for a film, however lead Joel McHale just lately informed the Submit Chase isn’t “allowed” to be within the challenge.
On Sunday night time, Chase was joined by fellow “SNL” vets together with Murray, Davidson, Spade, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Eddie Murphy, Molly Shannon, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Chris Rock and extra.
