Chevy Chase facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chevy Chase
Chase in 2010
Birth name	Cornelius Crane Chase
Born	(1943-10-08) October 8, 1943 (age 81) New York City, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up film television
Alma mater	Bard College (BA)
Years active	1967–present
Genres	Sketch comedy improvisational comedy physical comedy slapstick
Spouse	Suzanne Hewitt ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1976)​ Jacqueline Carlin ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1980)​ Jayni Luke ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	3
Relative(s)	Miles Browning (maternal grandfather) Frank Swift Chase (granduncle) Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane (adoptive maternal grandfather) Edward Leigh Chase (paternal grandfather)

Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He first became famous as a star on the first season of the TV show Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1976. His part on the show, called Weekend Update, became a very popular segment. For his work as a writer and actor on the show, he won two Primetime Emmy Awards.

After leaving Saturday Night Live, he became a leading actor in movies. He starred in many hit comedy films of the 1980s. Some of his most famous roles include Ty Webb in Caddyshack (1980) and Clark Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies. He also played Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher in Fletch (1985) and its sequel.

Other popular movies he starred in include Foul Play (1978), Seems Like Old Times (1980), Spies Like Us (1985), and ¡Three Amigos! (1986). He also hosted the Academy Awards twice, in 1987 and 1988. From 2009 to 2014, he played Pierce Hawthorne on the TV show Community.

Early Life and Family

Cornelius Crane Chase was born in New York City on October 8, 1943. He grew up in Woodstock, New York, and has an older brother named Ned Jr.

His father, Edward "Ned" Chase, was a book editor and magazine writer. His mother, Cathalene Parker, was a concert pianist. His mother was adopted by Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, who was the heir to a large company. Chase was named after his adoptive grandfather, Cornelius. His nickname, "Chevy," was given to him by his grandmother. She named him after a famous English song called "The Ballad of Chevy Chase".

Chase's parents divorced when he was four years old. He has said that he grew up in an upper-middle-class family.

Education and Early Interests

Chase went to several schools as a child. He graduated in 1962 from the Stockbridge School in Massachusetts, where he was known for being a practical joker. He then went to Haverford College for a year. He was known there for his slapstick comedy, which is a type of physical humor.

He later transferred to Bard College and graduated in 1967 with a degree in English. Before becoming a comedian, Chase played drums and keyboards for a rock band called Chamaeleon Church. He also played drums in a band with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who later started the famous band Steely Dan.

Career in Comedy and Television

Early Career

In 1967, Chase helped start an underground comedy group called Channel One. He also wrote for Mad magazine and for the Smothers Brothers TV show. By 1973, he was working full-time in comedy as a writer and performer on The National Lampoon Radio Hour. Many of his co-stars from the radio show, like John Belushi and Gilda Radner, later worked with him on Saturday Night Live.

Saturday Night Live

The original cast of Saturday Night Live with President Gerald Ford in 1976. Chase is on the far left.

Chase was one of the first cast members of Saturday Night Live (SNL) when it started in 1975. He was famous for starting each show by saying, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" He was also known for his physical comedy. He once did a sketch where he pretended to be President Gerald Ford tripping. This made people think of President Ford as being clumsy, even though he was a good athlete in college. Chase and President Ford later became friends.

Chase was the first anchor for the Weekend Update part of the show. His catchphrase, "I'm Chevy Chase… and you're not," became very famous. He won two Emmy Awards for his work on SNL. In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as one of the most important SNL cast members ever.

Chase left SNL in the middle of its second season in 1976. He was the first original cast member to leave. He was replaced by Bill Murray. Even after leaving, he returned to host the show eight times.

A Star in Hollywood Movies

Chevy Chase at a movie premiere party in December 1976.

After SNL, Chase became a movie star. His first big movie was Foul Play in 1978, which was a big hit. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role.

Success in the 1980s

Chevy Chase at the premiere of Seems Like Old Times in 1980.

The 1980s were a great decade for Chase's career. In 1980, he starred in the classic comedy Caddyshack. That same year, he starred with Goldie Hawn in Seems Like Old Times. Both movies were very successful.

His most famous role from this time was Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Vacation (1983). The movie was a huge hit. He played the same character in four more Vacation movies over the years.

In 1985, he starred in Fletch, which was another big success. He also starred with fellow SNL actor Dan Aykroyd in Spies Like Us. In 1986, he teamed up with Steve Martin and Martin Short for the comedy ¡Three Amigos!. Chase said this was the most fun he ever had making a movie.

He finished the decade with two more hits. He starred in Funny Farm (1988) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). The Christmas movie became a holiday classic and is still very popular today.

Later Career

In the 1990s, Chase's career had some ups and downs. He starred in movies like Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) and Cops & Robbersons (1994). In 1993, he hosted his own late-night talk show, The Chevy Chase Show, but it was cancelled after only five weeks.

He had more success with the family comedy Man of the House (1995) and Vegas Vacation (1997). In 1993, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Return to Television and Recent Work

Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs and Chase at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010.

From 2009 to 2014, Chase starred in the TV show Community as the character Pierce Hawthorne. The show was very popular with critics and gained a loyal group of fans. Chase left the show after the fourth season because of disagreements with the show's creator about his character.

In 2015, he appeared as Clark Griswold again in the movie Vacation. More recently, he starred in the Netflix movie The Last Laugh with Richard Dreyfuss. In 2024, he appeared in the film The Christmas Letter.

Personal Life

Chase has been married three times. He married his third wife, Jayni Luke, in 1982. They have three daughters and live in Bedford, New York.

Chase is an active supporter of environmental causes. He has also supported the Democratic Party and has campaigned for presidential candidates like Bill Clinton and John Kerry.

While he was on Saturday Night Live, Chase sometimes had disagreements with other cast members. He and Bill Murray had a fight backstage in 1978 when Chase returned to host the show. They later became friends and starred together in the movie Caddyshack.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Ronald Reagan and Chevy Chase, 1985

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  Gerald Ford with Chase in 1986

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  Chase in 1990

See also

In Spanish: Chevy Chase para niños