Original SNL Star Admits Leaving The Comedy Show Was A Mistake

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Chevy Chase was an original star on Saturday Night Live and was among the first cast members to leave the show to focus on making movies.

Fifty years later, Chevy Chase acknowledges he should have reconsidered leaving television for movies when he did. “Leaving Saturday Night Live was a mistake,” Chase says in the trailer for I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, a new CNN documentary about his life (according to Entertainment Weekly).

Considering John Candy’s often sarcastic and dry wit, it’s difficult to discern from the video clip whether he’s being genuine or not.

According to historical accounts, Chevy Chase left Saturday Night Live during its second season due to increasing conflict, especially with John Belushi. It’s believed that Chase’s growing popularity created jealousy among his fellow cast members, the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players.”

Drug and alcohol use likely worsened the strained relationships among the original cast members of Saturday Night Live.

Later, Chase downplayed the idea that these conflicts caused his early departure from the show. In a 2007 interview with David Letterman, he explained that he left SNL to relocate to Los Angeles and be with his then-fiancée, Jacqueline Carlin.

Chevy Chase recently admitted he regrets leaving Saturday Night Live, but to get the full picture, we need more information. A CNN documentary, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which will debut on January 1, 2026, is expected to provide further insights from Chase himself.

The documentary features not only Chevy Chase, but also appearances by many of his famous friends and colleagues, such as Goldie Hawn, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, and the creator of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels.

Chevy Chase’s acting career took off after leaving Saturday Night Live with a Golden Globe nomination for the 1978 film Foul Play. He then starred in a series of popular comedies, including Caddyshack (1980), where he appeared with Bill Murray – the comedian who had taken his spot on SNL.

Thanks to hits like National Lampoon’s Vacation and Fletch, Chevy Chase became a major movie star in the 1980s. He also starred in popular films like Spies Like Us with Dan Aykroyd, another original Saturday Night Live cast member, and Three Amigos alongside Steve Martin and Eugene Levy.

Chevy Chase, known for his role in films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, hosted Saturday Night Live several times. However, he was eventually banned from the show after reports surfaced of him mistreating other cast members during his 1997 appearance. Despite the ban, Chase has made brief appearances on SNL over the years, including at the show’s 40th and 50th anniversary celebrations.

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2025-11-22 02:20