Chevy Chase, one of the original breakout stars of Saturday Night Live, is reflecting on what could have convinced him to stick with the iconic show longer than he did.
Lorne Michaels and Chevy Chase in 2008. Photo: JIMI CELESTE/getty
For fans of SNL, Chase is remembered as the first host of Weekend Update during the show’s inaugural season in 1975. His sharp comedic timing and undeniable charisma earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976, helping to cement the show’s early success. However, in a move that shocked viewers, Chase left SNL early in its second season, setting off decades of speculation about why he walked away from such a groundbreaking platform.
Now, Chase, 81, has shared the surprisingly simple gesture that might have kept him on the show. Speaking with The New Yorker ahead of the release of a biography on SNL creator Lorne Michaels (Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, due out Feb. 18), Chase admitted it "wouldn’t have f------ taken much" for him to stay.
“All [Lorne] had to do is tell me he loved me, basically,” Chase told the outlet. He went on to describe Michaels, now 80, as someone who tends to stay emotionally reserved, speculating that this trait stems from a sense of insecurity. “His nature is to be above it in some fashion,” Chase explained.
Photo: Julien M. Hekimian/Getty
Despite his early departure, Chase clearly had great respect for Michaels in the beginning, sharing that he “knew instantly that Lorne was a funny guy.” However, Chase also noted that he viewed himself as the driving force behind SNL’s success at the time. “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,” he added.
For Michaels, though, Chase’s exit was just part of the show’s natural evolution. The SNL creator told The New Yorker he never tried to convince Chase to stay, believing the show could survive without him. “The show would take a hit, but we’d still be okay,” Michaels reportedly told his colleagues at the time.
While Chase returned to host SNL eight times between 1978 and 1997, he found his biggest success in Hollywood. From classic comedies like Caddyshack (1980) and National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) to his role as Pierce Hawthorne on the NBC sitcom Community, Chase has built an impressive legacy that extends far beyond his SNL roots.
Now enjoying life as a grandfather to baby Ivy, Chase appears to have left the past behind him. However, his recent comments offer fans a rare glimpse into the dynamics that shaped SNL’s earliest days—and remind us that even comedy legends sometimes crave a little extra appreciation.
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