Chevy Chase has opened up about what might have convinced him to remain a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
As fans of the iconic sketch comedy show may recall, Chase, now 81, was a standout cast member during SNL’s debut season in 1975. As the original host of Weekend Update, he became one of the show’s breakout stars, earning two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976. However, his sudden departure early in SNL’s second season left viewers stunned.
Reflecting on that time, Chase recently told The New Yorker that it wouldn’t have taken much to keep him on the show. "It wouldn’t have f------ taken much! All [Lorne Michaels] had to do is tell me he loved me, basically. But his nature is to be above it in some fashion," Chase shared.
Lorne Michaels, now 80, also reflected on the situation while being profiled for The New Yorker ahead of the February 18 release of his biography, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. According to Michaels, he saw cast turnover as inevitable and wasn’t concerned about Chase’s departure. "The show would take a hit, but we’d still be okay," Michaels recalled telling colleagues at the time.
Despite leaving early, Chase returned to host SNL eight times between 1978 and 1997. He explained to The New Yorker that, although he admired Michaels early on, he believed the show’s creator was reluctant to express gratitude, which Chase attributed to insecurity. "Frankly, I always felt back then that I was smarter than him, that I was really the guy who got the show going, not Lorne," Chase said.
After leaving SNL, Chase enjoyed significant success in Hollywood, starring in classics like Caddyshack (1980), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), and the hit NBC sitcom Community. These days, Chase has taken on a new role as a proud grandfather to baby Ivy.
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