Tragic Details About Original SNL Cast Member Chevy Chase

The following article contains references to child abuse, domestic abuse, addiction, and racism.

Chevy Chase was one of the OG "Saturday Night Live" cast members, and arguably one of its most famous breakout stars. Handsome, funny, and wildly successful, Chase seemed to live a charmed life. Off-camera, however, the comedian wasn't laughing. Over the years, tragic details about Chevy Chase's life have emerged and revealed a man whose experiences have more closely resembled a tragedy than a comedy.

Although he's known for many iconic roles, Chase's portrayal of the zany, yet lovable family guy, Clark W. Griswold, in National Lampoon's "Vacation" franchise has become one of his most beloved. In fact, Chevy Chase was slated as a top guest for Hallmark fan-favorite Christmas Con in 2023 thanks to "Christmas Vacation," a movie that has become a holiday tradition and spawned a wealth of quotable lines. But while his fans may adore him and sing his praises, those close to the actor know a different side to the star that is a far cry from the goofy Griswold. Offensive behavior and sometimes violent outbursts have derailed Chase's career and earned him a less-than-favorable reputation. While that might bother some actors, Chase doesn't seem to care. "It's just Hollywood stuff," he said in the 2026 CNN documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not." "It never really bothered me." The film's director, Marina Zenovich, described Chase as "one of those people everybody thinks they know," and added, "He has a reputation that precedes him, and there's something underneath that you want to get to."

Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase, was one of two sons born to Edward and Cathalene Chase. His parents divorced when Chase was young, and his mother remarried John Cederquist. Chase suffered horrible abuse at the hands of his mother and stepfather. He was often slapped, hit with hairbrushes and yardsticks, and locked in closets for extended periods of time. "Not a lot of people knew about [the abuse]," Chase told People. "Some did, and some came close. But it was my true life."

Most of the horrors were inflicted by Chase's mother, a woman he referred to as "out of control" in the 2026 documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not." "One of the things that most of us have is, we know that our moms loved us, and some of us are lucky enough to be able to say that our fathers also loved us," his wife, Jayni Chase, told The Washington Post in 2018. "There's layers of lucky and grateful, and things that give you a good start in life, and a foundation and self-confidence, and give you a capacity to live without fear. And Chevy doesn't have those things." Chase may have risen above his circumstances, but he is still bitter. "I'm angry at what I was left with from my parents," the comedian told The New York Times. "I'm angry with the fact that I had to go through that and continue to go through it every day of my life, in some fashion." 

A child who grew up in an abusive household can become an abusive adult. Although Chevy Chase has been vocal about breaking the cycle with his three daughters, his ex-wife Jacqueline Carlin told a different tale. Citing threats of violence from her former husband, Carlin filed for divorce less than two years into the marriage, and asked the court to ban Chase from their home. Carlin, a model and actor, was the first woman to appear on "Saturday Night Live," and the second woman to become Mrs. Chevy Chase (he was previously married to Suzanne Hewitt for three years). 

Chase was one of the biggest stars to leave "SNL" after just one season. While some blamed his ego, and the lure of Hollywood, the star said Carlin was to blame. "I left for a girl that I was in love with," Chase said in the 2026 documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not." "It had nothing to with lucrative film deals awaiting me. I didn't make a movie for three years. It was just a lot of bunk ... I was very much in love with a girl who just would not leave California." Chase has remained tight-lipped about details of the split, but he has expressed regret for leaving "SNL" for love. In the book "Live from New York," Chase confessed, "I'm still hurting, I still grieve for all those years that I could have had there." 

Comedians are notorious for doing anything for a laugh, and Chevy Chase was no exception. His specific brand of comedy often included trips, falls, and other physical acts that kept audiences and crew members in stitches. Chase may have been a little too good at his craft, though, because like the boy who cried wolf, when he actually was injured on the set of "Modern Problems," the crew thought it was a bit.

In the 1981 film, Chase played an air traffic controller with telekinetic powers. During the filming of a scene where Chase's character dreamed he was an airplane, the special effects crew thought it would look more realistic to place lights directly on the actor's body, despite his concerns. According to Rena Fruchter's 2007 book, "I'm Chevy Chase ... and You're Not," Chase told the crew, "Look, I'm clammy, sweaty. I hate electricity, electric shocks. I think there's a danger." It turned out that his fears weren't unfounded.

However, when the lights were activated, Chase was nearly electrocuted. His pleas to turn the lights off went unheeded because, allegedly, the crew thought the jokester was still fooling around. The result was that Chase passed out and suffered burns to his arms and shoulders. Michael Shamberg, one of the movie's producers told The New York Times that when the paramedics arrived and asked Chase his name, the comedian replied, "Don't you know who I am?" It seemed that his ego remained unharmed. 

The '80s were a time of excess, and as one of the biggest stars of that decade, Chevy Chase enjoyed the decadent lifestyle. The "Three Amigos" star has been open about his drug and alcohol use — and about his trips to rehab. His first stint was in the mid-80s when Chase voluntarily entered the Betty Ford Clinic for what his agent at the time said was ”dependency on prescription drugs relating to chronic and long-term back problems” (per The New York Times). 

It was later revealed that pain killers were only part of the problem. In the 2026 CNN documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not," everyone from Chase's brother Ned to "Fletch" producer Alan Greisman had a story about Chase's excessive cocaine use. According to the show, both Chase's doctor, and his wife, Jayni Chase, staged an intervention prior to the actor entering the Betty Ford Clinic. "He said, 'I know I need to stop, and I know I need help,'" Jayni said. The actor told a different story to Esquire in 2010, calling his drug use "low-level," and saying, "I checked myself into the Betty Ford Clinic after my nose started to hurt." He may have kicked the drugs, but Chase entered rehab again in 2016 for what his rep described as a "tune-up" due to a problem with alcohol. Per TMZ, the rep said the actor "wants to be the best that he can be."

After just one season of "Saturday Night Live," it was clear that Chevy Chase was a breakout star. Unlike some other cast members, he had a reputation for being able to get laughs every time he set foot on stage. As his popularity grew, so did Chase's ego, and his reputation went from being one of the funniest cast members on set to being one of the most problematic. Chase left "SNL" halfway into the show's second season, but reappeared as a host multiple times. During those stints, his behavior was reportedly so horrific that Chase soon found himself persona non grata.

One of the most famous incidents occurred during Chase's first appearance as host, when he came to blows with his replacement, Bill Murray. What you don't know about Bill Murray was that he, too, was known to be difficult, and when the two former costars came together sparks, and punches, flew. In a 2010 interview with Esquire, Chase downplayed the incident, saying, "Billy Murray and I came to fisticuffs, but we never really ended up hitting each other." In other appearances, Chase made homophobic remarks to gay cast member Terry Sweeney, and in what became the straw that broke the camel's, or maybe Lorne Michaels' back, he hit cast member Cheri Oteri in the head during a rehearsal. Although he has made guest appearances since, that incident marked the last time Chase hosted "SNL." 

Fans loved Chevy Chase on "Saturday Night Live," and in hit movies like "Christmas Vacation," but when it came to "The Chevy Chase Show," a late-night program that aired on Fox in the early '90s, fans said, "No thanks." Chase, who often stood in as a guest host on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," seemed like a natural choice to join the ranks of late-night kings with his comedic chops and handsome face, but the show was deemed a disaster and the station pulled the plug after just six weeks. Fox chairwoman Lucie Salhany told the Associated Press (via the New York Post), "He was very nervous. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing to watch." 

The poorly received show was just the latest in what was turning out to be a string of flops for the one-time megastar. His box-office credit had been slipping due to duds like "Nothing But Trouble," and he wasn't as in-demand as he was in his prime. In fact, Chase wasn't Fox's first choice as late-night host; they reportedly wanted Dolly Parton to headline the show. Chase later revealed in an interview with Time in 2010 that the show's format wasn't his first choice either. "I wasn't taken by it enough, and maybe people saw that," he admitted. "Certainly one of the worst decisions Fox made was putting me on at 11. And having humorless production executives making phone calls down to the stage every night didn't help."

After several years away from the spotlight, Chevy Chase got what many actors in the second half of life don't get: a career reboot. Chase was cast in the sitcom "Community," a show that featured a talented ensemble cast. Chase played Pierce Hawthorne, a grumpy, old millionaire. "Community" was a hit for NBC and ran for six seasons, but Chase was given the boot during the show's fourth season for allegedly using the "N-word" while complaining about his character's bigotry. Although it was reportedly not directed at anyone, co-star Donald Glover told The New Yorker that racial comments from Chase weren't uncommon and that he once told Glover, "People think you are funnier because you're Black." The show's creator, Dan Harmon, chalked it up to Chase's insecurity. "Chevy was the first to realize how immensely gifted Donald was, and the way he expressed his jealousy was to try to throw Donald off."

Chase later told The New York Times that the incident was blown out of proportion. "It was too great a misunderstanding of what I was saying and not saying," he said. "I thought that there was at least one person — and another who, for some ungodly reason, didn't get me, didn't know who I was, or didn't realize for one second I'm not racist." As for his sudden departure from the popular sitcom, Chase told The Times, "I just didn't think it was that good, the show."

Fans of Chevy Chase's hit film "Christmas Vacation," might remember that his character, Clark W. Griswold, got into a road rage situation that ended with the family station wagon lodged firmly underneath an 18-wheeler. In a case of life imitating art, the star found himself in an actual road rage incident in 2018 that didn't put him under a truck, but it did result in a minor injury. According to police reports obtained by TMZ, Chase followed a black pickup that had allegedly cut him off while they were both traveling along the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York. Chase claimed he thought the truck had struck his car and he was trying to get him to pull over by flashing his headlights.

The driver did eventually stop, but as Chase approached his vehicle, the actor claimed that one of the truck's passengers gave him the middle finger, prompting Chase to threaten retaliation. "If I were a lot younger I'd bust your nose," the star admitted to saying. The driver then delivered a kick to Chase's shoulder that was hard enough to knock the actor off his feet. The driver, who was 22 years old, told police he did it in self defense and claimed Chase was about to throw a punch, but the cops still slapped him with a second-degree harassment charge. Chase's injuries were not serious, but he's lucky that the situation wasn't much worse.

Chevy Chase may be sober now, but years of heavy drinking took its toll. In the 2026 CNN documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not," his wife, Jayni Chase revealed that, "During those years he was drinking, he got cardiomyopathy; when the heart muscles get weaker, and they can't pump as much blood out with each beat." That eventually led to a serious heart problem that nearly cost the funnyman his life. 

Chevy Chase revealed that he was hospitalized for five weeks due to what he described as a "heart issue." "These are my first few days home," Chase told Page Six in 2021 following his ordeal. "I can only say how happy I am to now be back with my family. I'm feeling good." While Chase didn't elaborate at the time, more specific details of the scary situation were revealed in the documentary. "Something was wrong, and he couldn't explain to me what was wrong," Jayni said. "So, we go to the ER. His heart stops." Doctors put Chase in a medically induced coma for eight days, and warned his family to "prepare yourselves for the worst." Chase recovered, but admitted in the documentary that it left him with memory loss. "Heart failure is what it is," he said. "I'm fine now. It's just that it affects your memory, and the doctors have told me that, so I have to be reminded of things."

Whether you love him or hate him, most people will admit that you wouldn't have "Saturday Night Live" without him. Chevy Chase was largely responsible for the success of the show's first season, winning over audiences with his special brand of slapstick humor. Despite his tarnished reputation, fans were shocked that Chase did not perform one of his famous skits during the show's 50th anniversary special. But no one was more shocked than Chase himself. "Well, it was kind of upsetting actually," the former "Weekend Update" host said in the CNN documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not." 

Given how often Chase slammed the show and many of its performers over the years, maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised. Most notably, he angered "SNL" star Pete Davidson who dissed Chevy Chase for his bigotry comments over the years. Pete Davidson, who has had his own "SNL" controversy, called the OG "SNL" star a "genuinely bad, racist person" during an interview on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2018. But on "CBS News Sunday Morning" in 2023, it was clear that Chase is unfazed by his critics' words. "I'm who I am," Chase said. "And I like who I am. I don't care. And it's part of me that I don't care." Or does he? Although he went to the "SNL" 50th anniversary show, the snub hit Chase hard. "They should've had me on that stage," he said in the CNN documentary. "It hurt."

In the 2026 CNN documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not," Jay Chandrasekhar, director of "Community," spoke about how challenging Chase could be on set. "It was out in the open that Chevy Chase was a little difficult on 'Community,' and I'm being nice," Chandrasekhar said. That opinion is shared by many, and it's one that has been the downfall of one of the funniest men of stage and screen.

Chase is part of a generation of funnymen that include big names like Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Bill Murray, all of whom have continued to enjoy success well beyond what Hollywood might have once considered their expiration date. But for Chase, the phone hasn't been ringing, and he points to everything but his own behavior as the reason why. "They're really more about the George Clooneys and people that age," he told The Washington Post in 2018. "I look pretty good for 74. I don't know why I couldn't do a Chevy Chase picture, but it just doesn't happen." Ironically, in the same interview, Chase went on to criticize "SNL" (again), along with Will Ferrell, who he said was "just not funny."

Chase's legendary rude, reckless, ego-driven personality has been the subject of books, movies, and interviews, yet he remains seemingly unbothered and blatantly unapologetic. "I've already done what I've done," he told the Post. "I can't change anything." 

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

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