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Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of Saturday Night Live (SNL), back then known as The Not Ready For Primetime Players. Chevy was groomed for stardom, being the first anchor of Weekend Update became the staple of the show. Chevy left SNL the earliest of all the cast members, little over one year after SNL's premiere in 1975. He is the first and only original and former cast member to ever be banned from SNL. As both a performer and a writer, he earned three Primetime Emmy Awards out of five nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations.

After the success of SNL he established himself as a leading man starring in a string of successful comedy films including the romantic comedies Foul Play (1978) and Seems Like Old Times (1980) opposite Goldie Hawn. He portrayed Clark W. Griswold in five National Lampoon's Vacation films including Vacation (1983), European Vacation (1985), Christmas Vacation (1989), and Vegas Vacation (1997). He also played Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher in Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989). He also starred in Caddyshack (1980), 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 career resurgence with his lead role as Pierce Hawthorne on the NBC sitcom Community from 2009 to 2012. He also acted in Orange County (2000), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), Vacation (2015), The Last Movie Star (2017), and The Last Laugh (2019).

Departure[]

Chase missed the second and third episodes of the second season, reportedly due to an injury sustained in the first episode. The injury was most likely a fabrication, as Chase could be clearly seen dancing at the end of the episode in which he was supposed to have been injured, which would have been impossible with a groin injury requiring hospitalization. His absences may have been, and in any event proved to be, an opportunity to see how the opening sketch and Weekend Update could function in his absence. He would return for another three episodes, before leaving for good.

Fight with Bill Murray[]

Chase is notorious for being difficult to others working on the show, an attribute that would eventually earn him a lifetime hosting ban (see below). When he returned to host for the first time in season 3, his attitude immediately angered Bill Murray, who had been hired to replace him the previous year. Words between the two turned to blows immediately before the beginning of the episode; marks can be seen on Chase's face as he does the opening sketch.

Ban[]

Chase returned eight times over the years to host the show, (9 if counted the promotional trailer of the October 31, 1981 episode.) but was notorious for his highly verbally abusive treatment of the cast and crew over the years. In 1985, for example, he suggested a sketch where openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney had AIDS, and the sketch showed viewers how much weight he lost every week.

When Chase returned to host the February 15, 1997 episode, his behavior caused him to be the 12th person banned from the show. During dress rehearsal, after a week of dishing out abuse to several cast members, he slapped Cheri Oteri in the back of the head.[citation needed] While he swore it was meant as a joke, a furious Will Ferrell complained to Lorne Michaels, who decided that it was the final straw. Chase is the only cast member banned so far, as well as the only member of the Five-Timers Club to have been banned.[citation needed]

While Chase was apparently banned from hosting the show, he has made several guest appearances since his ban, which suggests he be somewhat in Lorne Michael's good graces as he was not forced off set, but his ban has not been formally repealed, as was Elvis Costello's. Chase's guest appearances include:

He was also interviewed on the 101 most Infamous SNL moments on E!.

Impressions/Characters[]

Impressions[]

Characters[]

SNL Career[]

Gallery[]

Weekend Update Anchor
(October 11, 1975October 30, 1976)
Followed by:
Jane Curtin
Preceded by:
Mark King, Bill Murray, Charles Rocket as Saturday Night NewsLine anchors
Weekend Update Anchor (one episode)
(April 11, 1981April 11, 1981)
Followed by:
Brian Doyle-Murray and Mary Gross as SNL Newsbreak anchors
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