Chevy Chase is one of the most recognizable figures in comedy history, having been a part of the original Saturday Night Live cast and a bankable Hollywood star with films like National Lampoon's Vacation and Caddyshack in his repertoire.
Now, the 82-year-old's life is being put under the microscope with CNN's upcoming documentary I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, which will explore his rise to fame and his complicated journey in Hollywood. "I've always loved a challenge, and Chevy certainly offered one. I wanted to understand the real person behind the guarded, conflicted man we've often seen on camera," said director Marina Zenovich to CNN.
© Getty Images for CNN"Beneath the bravado, I found someone deeply human, with layers of humor and emotion that make him far more complex than his public persona may suggest." The documentary will feature interviews with some of Chevy's most famous co-stars and friends, including Dan Aykroyd, Goldie Hawn, Lorne Michaels, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Short, Chevy's family members, and the man himself.
Join HELLO! as we discover Chevy's transformation from budding comedy star to Hollywood legend.
© Getty ImagesA tough childhood
Chevy was born in October 1943 in Manhattan and was raised in Woodstock, New York, after his parents divorced. The actor claimed that he was physically and psychologically abused by his mother and stepfather as a teenager. He later attended Bard College in New York and graduated with a degree in English in 1967, before pursuing his comedy dreams.
© NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesSaturday Night Live star
Chevy was the breakout star of Saturday Night Live's first season in 1975, and performed alongside comedy greats like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner.
He also served as a writer on the show and won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work. Chevy famously signed off on the Weekend Update segment with his signature catchphrase, "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not."
He left the show partway through season two due to the opportunities he was being offered in Hollywood at the time, in a move that he later regretted.
© MediaPunch via Getty ImagesUps and downs
In the '70s, Chevy was married twice: firstly to Susan Hewitt in 1973, whom he divorced in February 1976; and to Jacqueline Carlin, with whom he was married from December 1976 to November 1980.
© ABC via Getty ImagesHollywood hits
Chevy became the darling of Hollywood in the '80s, with hits like 1980's Caddyshack, the National Lampoon's Vacation films, 1985's Spies Like Us and 1989's Funny Farm. The New York native hosted the Oscars twice during this decade – in 1987 and 1988. He also struggled with what he later called a "low-level" addiction to prescription painkillers, after reportedly hurting his back on SNL. He entered treatment at the Betty Ford Center in 1986.
© Patrick McMullan via Getty ImageSoulmates
Chevy finally found his soulmate in Jayni Luke, who became his third wife when they tied the knot in 1982. The pair are still married today and live in New York. They welcomed daughters Cydney, Caley and Emily together.
© Getty ImagesSlowing down
Chevy nabbed his own talk show in 1993, appropriately titled The Chevy Chase Show; however, it was canceled shortly after airing. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that same year, and continued to bring box office success with films like Man of the House and Vegas Vacation.
© NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesAn unexpected resurgence
Chevy enjoyed a career resurgence in 2009 when he joined the cast of Community, a sitcom about an eccentric group of people studying at a community college. It co-starred Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, Danny Pudi and Gillian Jacobs, and was a critically acclaimed series that ran for six seasons. Chevy left the show in 2012 after using a racial slur on set, and is reportedly not on good terms with the cast.
© Getty Images for CNNChevy today
Chevy has appeared in several projects since, including 2015's Vacation, 2019's The Last Laugh, and in 2024's The Christmas Letter. His documentary is set for a 2026 release.
