Shortly before I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not landed on the 2026 TV schedule, there was a major uproar about a viral clip of the Saturday Night Live alum having a prickly conversation with the documentary’s director. In the heated moment, the Saturday Night Live alum said Marina Zeonvich wasn’t “bright enough” to figure him out, and people almost immediately went running for their digital pitchforks. Even I put off watching because of the whole ordeal until recently.

After watching the documentary about one of the funniest yet most controversial figures in Hollywood history, I have to say: you shouldn’t judge it based on a clip of a clip you saw on TikTok. I’m not saying that Chase is blameless, but this backlash is taking away from what is an oftentimes hilarious, heartfelt, and eye-opening exploration of the life, legacy, and reputation of an incredibly complex person.

Chevy Chase Does Come Off As A Jerk At Times, But It Feels Like A Defense Mechanism

Make no mistake about it, Chevy Chase comes off as egotistical, bitter, jealous, angry, and mean throughout the new documentary, and you wouldn’t be alone in calling him a jerk (I mean, just look what former co-stars have said about him). A few minutes into I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (a play on his signature “Weekend Update” intro), I began to pick up on the fact that the anchor of the Vacation franchise, more times than not, becomes a jerk whenever he feels threatened, slighted, or the butt of a joke.

If anything, the comedian’s behavior can be seen as a defense mechanism. Sure, it’s not that healthy and rubs pretty much everyone the wrong way, but I can totally understand Chase’s whole attitude of lashing out to defend or protect himself. Does he take it too far at times? Yes. Does this justify everything he’s said and done over the years? No. However, it does explain a lot of his behavior.

This Is An Exploration Of A Complex Man

I have been a fan of Chase's for about as long as I can remember. I’ve watched his best movies, make sure I watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as soon as the tree is set up each year, and laugh at most of his jokes. However, there was so much I didn’t know about him before watching his documentary, and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to check it out.

Unlike something like the highly emotional John Candy: I Like Me documentary and its two hours of actors, comedians, fans, friends, and family talking about the late star’s kindhearted nature and legacy, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is an exploration a complex man and the many messes he’s made over the years. All of the “Chevy Chase is a jerk” stuff is there (and it’s in no short supply), and it doesn’t make him anything he isn’t. You love him one moment and detest him the next, but through this, you get a near-complete portrait of the man behind the persona, for better or worse.

Again, this fascinating documentary does not make up for the mean-spirited comments Chase has made over the years (or during the film’s runtime), but don’t let one 30-second confrontation stop you from checking it out, especially if you have an HBO Max subscription.

Chevy Chase is funny, he’s gruff, he’s an enigma, he’s vulnerable, and he’s sometimes mean-spirited. He’s a person of opposites, seen as loving, dutiful and in need of protection by his family, seen as difficult and unkind by some of his co-workers. Or, seen as hilarious and wonderful by his legions of fans. The 2026 documentary I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not highlights every single one of these aspects, culminating in a moment where the comedian even snaps at the woman trying to understand him on camera. So, why did he sign up to be put under this spotlight, anyway?

Chase was interviewed for the release of his documentary, which also deep dives into stories from his past (lest he forget about cocaine in a shaving cream can), as well as follows him putzing around in the current day (which includes meetings with fans in flower shops and other places). Chase was asked about why he decided to allow a documentary crew into his home and personal life, and it turns out, he was familiar with director Marina Zenovich’s work before he said “yes.”

He's talking about the director's previous viral Lance Armstrong doc (Lance), which dove into the cyclists achievements and doping scandal, also highlighting ups and downs. In this case, that’s a totally Chevy comment if I’ve ever seen one. In his and Zenovich’s interview with The New York Times, he was both forthcoming and opaque at once, humorous but also quite possibly serious when he said he felt he’s been unproblematic through his career. In print, it’s even more difficult to tell where his brain's going with a given comment, but in the documentary too, he at times shows more self-awareness through his humor than at other times. Either way, Zenovich is good at chronicling this.

After the movie premiered, Marina Zenovich told reporters that Chase having to watch the documentary play out was a “tough,” particularly as it dove into the abuse he suffered as a kid. She said she felt the movie did a good job of “humanizing” Chevy, but told the Times that early on in the process she was struck by the dichotomy of fans versus coworkers. Another exchange with Chevy highlights this.

To note, he heard her make the above comment and nearly immediately responded:

• CHASE: “Really?”
• ZENOVICH: "Yes.”
• CHASE: “I didn’t realize.”

Things were so difficult for Zenovich, she had trouble even landing anyone from Community who would discuss working with the actor, though director Jay Chandrasekhar eventually stepped in. His even-keeled accounting, along with Chevy’s, really helped to frame the actor’s exit from the NBC sitcom, as well as make the documentary better as a whole.

Ultimately, whether you are a fan or not, there’s so much to unpack in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. I’d definitely recommend throwing it on with your HBO Max subscription if you haven’t given it a whirl yet.

If there’s one thing I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not makes it clear, it’s that the comedian is complicated. The doc explores everything from his tough childhood to his sometimes tense interpersonal relationships, as well as the way he is with his family. In a pivotal moment in the doc, audiences see Chase interacting in a negative way with the director, in a moment he asks to cut (but she keeps intact). It all feeds into the narrative that Chevy Chase is difficult, but despite this, director Marina Zenovich believes there’s one big “feat” he’s achieved in his life.

Speaking with WHNT, Zenovich got candid about the abuse Chevy Chase endured as a young man. The documentary delves into his poor relationship with his mother and stepfather, who physically abused him and subjected to being locked in a basement, sometimes for days. His lived experiences turned him into a complicated adult, but that’s what Zenovich is most interested in exploring.

At one point Marina in the doc told Chevy she was “just trying to figure” him “out,” and he responded, “It’s not going to be easy for you,” and I think the moment ties in with what she’s saying here. This is what fascinates her about the work, even when she has problematic figures calling her “a b–ch” and more in interviews. In the past, she’s also done documentary profiles on Richard Pryor, Lance Armstrong, Roman Polanski and Robin Williams.

So, what is Chevy Chase most successful at, according to the I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not director? The answer lies in his relationships with his family, and how he broke the cycle with the three delightful daughters he shares with wife Jayne Chase.

Outside of the doc, he's called his wife "the most honest" and "most beautiful" woman he's ever met, and has said becoming a dad was the thing he's "proudest" of.

Ultimately, despite a viral moment in which Chase is unkind to Zenovich in the documentary, it’s very clear he has loving family dynamics with his wife and daughters. Jayni Chase staunchly defends Chevy throughout I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, and his daughters spoke up about their dad’s harrowing health scare (and his hilarious responses after waking up from a coma). They also opened up about how they felt he was treated unfairly on the Community set before his exit from the show.

Not everyone gets along with Chevy, and the documentary even had trouble finding someone from Community who would speak on record. Still, Marina Zenovich truly believes the comedian has managed a big feat when it comes to his family.

Chevy Chase is responsible for some of the most beloved comedies of the 80s and 90s, but his legacy isn’t defined by laughs alone. Over the years, stories about clashes on set and difficult behavior have followed him almost as closely as his filmography. Fair or not, that reputation has stuck. But after decades of hearing the same stories repeated, the National Lampoon's Vacation star’s family is speaking up for the man they know, one who looks very different from the public image that’s taken hold.

That tension is at the heart of the new CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which doesn’t gloss over his turbulent professional history. At the same time, the Fletch star and those closest to him make it clear there’s more to the story. In a recent interview with People, the iconic funny man focused not on his career milestones, but on the parts of his life that matter most to him now, like his 43-year marriage to Jayni Chase. He shared with the outlet:

Their relationship has endured for an almost unheard-of length of time in Hollywood, especially given how unpredictable Chase’s career has been. The way he talks about his wife, with warmth and humor, feels worlds away from the abrasive image he’s often publicly associated with.

Jayni Chase, meanwhile, doesn’t pretend her husband is perfect, but she’s clear that his flaws don’t define him. She’s described him as charming, difficult to stay angry with, and refreshingly lacking in macho bravado. As she’s put :

Their origin story reflects that same nuance. In a 1990 interview with Barbara Walters, Jayni recalled initially brushing off the advances from the Saturday Night Live founding member, only to reconsider after seeing how deeply a careless comment affected him. It was then, she said, that she realized there was genuine kindness beneath the comedian’s surface.

Family, more broadly, is where Chase says he feels most at home. He’s the father of three daughters, Cydney, Caley, and Emily, and a proud grandfather to Emily’s daughter, Ivy. Of all his accomplishments, of being a father, the 82-year-old actor shared:

Chase has spoken openly about a complicated childhood that included both warmth from his father and physical abuse from his stepfather and mother. Watching his own dad make silly faces to keep his kids laughing left a lasting impression. Now, he says, it’s his granddaughter who makes him laugh the most, even at just a year and a half old.

Of course, the softer side of Chase exists alongside a long list of very public controversies. His clashes with collaborators have been well documented, including a high-profile falling out with Community creator Dan Harmon, and the new documentary reportedly struggled to find cast members from the show willing to participate. The film also revisits his infamous conflict with former Saturday Night Live castmate Terry Sweeney, who has said Chase pushed a sketch idea he found offensive during the height of the AIDS crisis. Chase disputes that version of events.

Even the documentary itself isn’t free of tension, featuring a moment in which Chase sharply berates the director, who has since acknowledged that interviewing him was often challenging.

None of this softer context erases the more challenging chapters of Chevy Chase’s career, and neither he nor his family suggests it should. Instead, it adds complexity. The same person who has been combative or careless in professional settings is also deeply devoted to his wife, children, and grandchildren. Which is a dichotomy that many, except maybe his direct family, will have a hard time reconciling.

I'm Chevy Chase, and You're Not is currently available via CNN’s streaming platform and will be available with an HBO Max subscription on January 31.

I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not spoke with a whole host of actors and creatives who have known the OG SNL star during the course of his life. Among those names was Beverly D’Angelo, his onscreen partner over the decades in the popular Vacation films. She’s spent a lot of time with the actor, and clearly enjoys their onscreen rapport, but even she hasn’t the faintest idea why Chase "says the things he says."

D’Angelo is on the list of actors who have spent the most time working with Chevy Chase. They’ve appeared in five movies together: National Lampoon’s Vacation, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Vegas Vacation, and the final simply titled Vacation. The two famous names also collaborated elsewhere as attention on the franchise waned over time (See: CinemaBlend’s 2015Vacation review), but she says his frequently bold and sometimes uncomfortable responses still surprise her to this day. She told ET:

The pilot in question was 2015's Chev and Bev, which ultimately did not get off the ground at ABC, but would have followed the two as a retired couple raising grandchildren. Still, it shows the willingness the actress had to continue working with her Vacation bud years after they initially got thrown together.

Not everyone is as in “love” with Chase as Beverly D’Angelo still seems to be. While his wife Jayni Chase staunchly defended his sometimes controversial behavior throughout the doc, most of the people involved with Community refused to speak on the record about him after the drama and headlines that abounded before he exited the NBC sitcom in 2012. In fact, director Marina Zenovich said that if it hadn’t been for director Jay Chandrasekhar, she ‘would have been screwed' and would not have been able to even track down first person info about the show.

For some people in Hollywood, however, Chevy Chase holds a firm and lovely place in their hearts. Though D’Angelo admits she wouldn’t have seen staying in touch across the decades coming years ago:

D’Angelo herself has had a storied history with Hollywood relationships, leaving her first, Italian heir husband for Al Pacino. (And her ex was seemingly enthusiastic about the match!) They later split in 2003. She also was famously good friends with Carrie Fisher before the Star Wars actress tragically passed in 2016, and has recounted stories of Carrie being there for her when her young kid was sick years ago. She’s seemingly had very loyal friendships and marks Chevy Chase among them, despite his sometimes ornery and brash personality.

Perhaps one day that will lead them to movie number 6.

While Chevy Chase’s professional career has included some of the greatest comedies of all time, the man doesn’t simply have a reputation for being a great comedian, although he is one. He also has a reputation for being difficult and frequently clashing with others on set. Chevy Case’s wife of four decades has certainly heard it all, and it sounds like she’s heard enough.

Jayni Chase and Chevy have been married since 1982, so the pair have certainly been through it all, from the heights of his fame to the heart problems that left him in a coma. She’s likely also heard every negative thing anybody has ever said about her husband. Speaking with CNN, which aired the recent documentary film I’m Chevy Chase, and You’re Not, Jayni Chase made it clear that in her opinion, if you’ve ever taken issue with anything Chevy Chase said, that’s a you problem. She said…

The general argument here seems to be that everybody has said and done things that maybe weren't the best, or at least done things that weren't taken the way we were meant, and doing so doesn't make you a terrible person. I suppose there's some truth in that.

Chevy Chase has a history of behavior that has made headlines of its own over the years. The new documentary reportedly had difficulty finding anybody from the show Community who was willing to appear. Chase had a rather famous falling out with creator Dan Harmon.

The documentary itself even rekindled some feuds, as it brought back an infamous battle between Chase and Terry Sweeney, who clearly was offended by his SNL co-star reportedly suggested Sweeney perform in an allegedly homophobic sketch concept at the height of the AIDS crisis. However, Chase says in the film that he doesn’t remember it the way Sweeney claims it happened.

Even the documentary film itself isn’t without its controversy, as it contains a moment where Chevy Chase berates the film’s director as she is interviewing him. She has spoken openly about the fact that interviewing the comedian was a difficult task.

Certainly, sometimes comedians say and do controversial things, and sometimes those things can upset people more than the comedian necessarily intended. At the same time, many of the people who have been upset by Chase’s actions and statements in the past are also comedians.

Still, it is good to hear Jayni Chase’s own perspective and understand how she feels about the whole situation. The documentary on the life of Chevy Chase is currently available via CNN’s streaming platform, and will be available with an HBO Max subscription on January 31.

The new documentary I’m Chevy Chase, And You’re Not gave us a largely unvarnished look at the life of the famous comedian, complete with his somewhat controversial professional life. It also revealed new details about his personal life, including heart problems in 2021 that put him in a brief medically induced coma.

During the film, Chase’s daughter Caley discusses the situation dealing with her father’s health problems from her own perspective. It was clearly a somewhat terrifying time, as the long-term consequences were far from clear. It wasn’t until her dad made a very old, and very bad, joke that she began to relax. Caley Chase explained…

Never has such an awful joke likely sounded so wonderful as it did when a weak Chase found the energy to make a suggestive comment to a nurse after being awoken from a week-long coma. I don’t know Chevy Chase personally, but the guy is a dad and a comedian, so one has to assume he’s a master of the dad joke... even when he’s not in the best shape.

Seeing Chevy Chase in the documentary itself shows us that, by and large, he’s still in pretty good shape, all things considered. As his daughter mentions, the Fletch actor might, for all intents and purposes, no longer be himself when he woke up. And it's possible he might not have woken up at all. If that had been the case, we wouldn’t have been able to get this new look at his life and career.

That’s not to say that Chevy Chase hasn’t had to deal with the consequences of his medical issues. Chase admits to having some problems with his memory and needing to be reminded of things. The documentary’s director has even suggested those memory issues may have something to do with the fact that Chase doesn’t remember certain interactions, such as his feud with fellow former SNL performer Terry Sweeney, the same way as others.

While there may be some lingering issues for the actor, one can only imagine his family was more than happy to hear him utter one of the most clichéd jokes ever. It’s exactly what we’d all probably expect Chevy Chase to say, revealing he was doing just fine.

It would take longer than I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not’s hour and 37 minute runtime to unpack everything that gets said, explained, and is still often left unexplained about the enigmatic comedian. One thing that is very clear about the SNL star and occasional guest host is that he got famous during a rampant era of drug use and abuse, and I can’t stop thinking about one shaving cream can story after watching.

I’m not a person that could tell you literally everything about every cast iteration of Saturday Night Live, but Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller’s Live From New York is one of my favorite books, and I did know a thing or two about Chevy Chase and his career following his run on late night TV. I specifically came of age in this industry during the era of Chase’s Community run ending and the drama that followed, so I know a bit about how the comedian developed a difficult reputation (and continued to do so with the release of the doc). But I can’t remember ever having heard or read this cocaine story before.

Chevy Chase Allegedly Brought Cocaine In A Shaving Cream Can

Cocaine came up pretty early in I’m Chevy Chase…’ SNL writer Rosie Shuster mentions Gilda Radner used to call it “the devil’s dandruff” and Dan Aykroyd admits everyone did it in the cast, though he “didn’t much like the coke.” Cut to Chevy Chase, who was allegedly the biggest user of the stuff around set, and “the person that they worried about most.”

If you haven’t watched the doc, the story in question came from Alan Greisman, a producer who spent considerable time with the funnyman. He mentioned one wild story about them spending time together in Hawaii that I can’t remember ever hearing about the comedian’s drug use, noting:

Chase confirmed the story, noting he'd ship the drugs from the "mainland" to Hawaii, and cracking a "mail's here" joke. His fellow SNL stars also said Tuesday became the late night on set to get the writing ready for late night TV, and that was the night where the drug use was most rampant. The seventies were a wild time at 30 Rock (so were the '80s), and it sounds like it was Chevy Chase who was often bringing the party.

Yet, people like Goldie Hawn and more also spoke about Chevy Chase’s softer side, how he would put her kids to bed, and show her empathy when she was a single mom in Hollywood. More on his multi-faceted personality has been explored in plenty of media in the past. Or, as the director of the doc noted, interviewing him wasn't "freakin' easy."

Chevy Chase Has Been Clear About How Drugs Came Into Play When He Got Famous

In the doc, Chevy Chase says being famous “made no difference” to him, but years ago he tried to explain how getting famous on Saturday Night Live at 32 was a “wonderful” thing from one standpoint, but also a “frightening” thing from another. This contrarian point of view I think really helped me to understand the person he is, or seems to be in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. Years ago he told the aforementioned to Shales and Miller:

Chase also said in Live From New York that he has always been living “this kind of dualism,” a dualism “between the marvelous magic of becoming accepted” and “a lingering sense that one doesn’t deserve it.” It almost sounds like a weird sort of famous person’s survivor’s guilt. Meanwhile, he did also share one piece of advice Lorne Michael once gave him about coke.

Eventually, Chevy Chase’s partying ways in his younger days caught up with him, and his new documentary goes into the heart failure incident he faced in 2021 that left him in bad shape and with subsequent memory issues. His daughter Caley admitted he was still drinking before the incident, though he’d stopped using cocaine after a rehab stint in the ‘80s.

I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, a documentary that recently hit the 2026 TV schedule, offers a look into the life, career and mind of the eponymous comedian – warts and all. The doc – directed by Marina Zenovich – has sparked various conversations on social media and, most recently, a number of fans took offense to a clip from the film that showed Chase insulting Zenovich. In the aftermath of the hoopla surrounding the Vacation star’s slight, Zenovich herself discussed why she kept that portion in the finished production.

Early on in the doc, Zenovich tells Chase that she’s trying to figure him out, leading the comic to say, No shit. It’s not going to be easy for you. The documentarian then asks why, and Chase declares, “You’re not bright enough. How’s that?” Those sentiments rubbed a lot of viewers the wrong way, based on the comments many shared online. Check it out for yourself:

During that clip, Chase voices his hope that the exchange won’t be added to the completed doc. When asked about that moment from the movie, Zenovich said:

Maria Zenovich – whose credits include Lance and Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic – has her fair share of experience talking with celebrities. However, it sounds like interviewing Chevy Chase was something else entirely. During her appearance on The Daily Beast’s Obsessed podcast (which was shared to YouTube), Zenovich further explained how while doing research on Chase, she learned more about his reputation for being difficult. She further recalled how she was worried about bringing that status up during her chat with Chase:

So, while fans saw the Saturday Night Live veteran’s remarks as insulting (which they were, of course), Zenovich also viewed them as a prime component for her documentary. Many filmmakers – whether they’re crafting scripted features or not – gush about the magical moments that can spring forth when the cameras are rolling. As for Zenovich’s moment with Chase, she also had this to say:

Maria Zenovich’s documentary lays bare Chevy Chase’s career, shedding light on his professional and personal highs and lows. Among the topics covered are the disparaging comments Chase allegedly made about fellow SNL alum Terry Sweeney as well as Chase’s omission from the sketch comedy show’s 50th anniversary special. Also mentioned is Chase’s medical emergency from 2021, which saw him put into a coma for eight days due to heart failure. That situation apparently caused memory loss for Chase, which Zenovich attributes to some of his denials of stories told about him.

Although Chase may not have been the easiest interview subject for Zenovich to converse with, she’s also said that he does care a great deal about his reputation and that he was quite emotional while watching the film. So I’d take it that, given that and the acclaim the film has received, Zenovich seems pleased with how everything turned out, in spite of the insult. Check out I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not now by streaming it with CNN, and know that the doc will also be available for HBO Max subscription holders starting January 31.

Chevy Chase has been talked about a lot lately due to a new documentary film about his life, and his tendency to sometimes make headlines for allegedly less-than-stellar behavior. This has led more than a few in Hollywood to have negative opinions on Chase, but the actor says he’d love to work together again with a couple of other great comedians, Steve Martin and Martin Short.

Back in 1986, Chase, Martin, and Short co-starred in The Three Amigos, an absolutely hilarious film that sees three actors mistaken for actual heroes and enlisted to help protect a Mexican village from bandits. During a recent appearance, Chase said (via People) that of all his movies, that’s the one he would be most interested in making a sequel to. Of course, one hurdle is that his co-stars are a little busy right now. Chase said…

As somebody who grew up watching The Three Amigos on VHS and cable TV more times than I can count, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to seeing these three get together again. And while there are certainly some stories of people who worked with Chase not having great experiences, there’s no indication that Martin Short or Steve Martin feel that way, so maybe they’d be up for it.

The Three Amigos is just one of those great comedies. It's one of the best movies of Steve Martin's career, and really, it's one of the best movies in all of their careers. It's full of some of the best quotable lines of any comedy ever made. It's got Martin showing off his trick roping skills, which he learned while working at Disneyland as a kid. It's got amazing musical numbers too.

Of course, since Only Murders in the Building is still on and has a new season on the way, there would be a much easier way to get these three together again, which is to get Chase a guest spot on the show. The series has regularly been able to bring in some pretty big names, either to play characters in the series or to play themselves. It's also already had a Three Amigos reunion with a different actor. Chase seems quite ready for that if the chance opens up. He said…

Chase was clearly having some fun with the comment, but as ideas go, I’ve heard worse. Whether it’s an appearance on OMITB, a legacy sequel to Three Amigos, or an entirely new concept, seeing Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase together again would likely be comedy gold. Somebody make this happen.

Chevy Chase, the iconic Saturday Night Live alum, has been vocal about his disappointment at not being involved in the milestone 50th-anniversary Saturday Night Live special, and those frustrations are laid bare in CNN’s recent documentary, I’m Chevy Chase, And You’re Not. But, while the former Community actor’s reaction has reignited long-running debates about his legacy and temperament, not everyone sees the decision as a slight. In fact, fellow castmate Martin Short offered a measured defense of why his absence may have been unavoidable.

Why Chevy Chase Felt Snubbed By SNL50

In the CNN documentary, Chase reflects on his relationship with Saturday Night Live and his exclusion from SNL50, the star-studded anniversary event celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. For the founding cast member and one of the original breakout stars, the omission clearly stung. Chase specifically said:

The film positions his frustration as part of a broader pattern, tying it to the long-documented tensions between the Fletch star and the SNL machine that have followed him for decades.

Martin Short Explains Why Not Everyone Could Be Included

Martin Short has deep ties to SNL history as a former castmate, and he's a former co-star to Chase. (The two starred together in The Three Amigos.) When discussing Chase's discontent Short framed the situation less as a personal snub and more as a logistical reality. In the documentary, Short notes just how impossible the anniversary celebration was to curate fairly, saying:

That comparison is telling. Billy Crystal could definitely be considered one of the most influential performers in Saturday Night Live history. He was already famous when he became a cast member for his one-year historic run. Yet even he took a backseat during the event.

Martin Short wasn’t dismissive of Chase’s contributions, but he did make a really good point. The show has featured over 160 people in its cast over its half-century run, with generations of main performers, writers and guest stars competing for limited airtime during its 50th celebration. Even Bill Hader, one of the most famous cast members in decades, didn't make an appearance.

SNL creator Lorne Michaels also addressed Chevy Chase’s perceived slight in the doc, offering a glimpse into the anniversary’s behind-the-scenes deliberations. According to Michaels, there were a couple of versions of the Weekend Update sketch, and some included the National Lampoons A-lister. As he explains:

It’s a carefully worded statement, but one that fits the larger portrait the documentary presents. Chase’s reputation for being difficult didn’t emerge in a vacuum, and the film has only added to that “bad behavior” lore, especially after his cutting remarks toward the documentary’s director went viral. Michaels’ comments also suggest there were practical concerns at play, including worries about focus and memory tied to Chase’s health, which gave producers pause about placing the longtime comedian in such a prominent spotlight.

Chevy Chase Has A Complicated Legacy

Short and Michaels comments don’t erase Chevy Chase’s hurt, but they do add context. SNL50 wasn’t meant to judge any one performer’s legacy. It was an overcrowded celebration of a 50-year institution, shaped by limited time and competing histories.

That distinction, however, may offer little comfort to the 82-year-old Cops & Robberson performer. And, based on the ongoing reaction to I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, this chapter in his complicated relationship with Saturday Night Live is unlikely to be the final word. The documentary is currently available on demand through CNN, with a wider streaming release for everyone with an HBO Max subscription on January 31.

Chevy Chase, the 82-year-old founding SNL cast member, has been making headlines as of late due to his new CNN documentary. There have been a plethora of responses to some of the comments he makes within the doc, and they've ranged. Now, Chase is drawing fresh criticism after a clip from the production shows him lashing out at the film’s director. Fans are not holding back at what they see as the iconic funnyman being “insufferable.”

What Happened During Chevy Chase's Interaction With The Documentarian?

Said moment comes from I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which is part of the 2026 TV schedule. The now-viral clip captures an early exchange between the actor and director Marina Zenovich and shows the Snow Day star quickly slipping into a dismissive, combative tone. After the footage was shared to TikTok, it spread rapidly across the platform and to others like X. Check out the clip below:

As can be seen above, Zenovich tells Chase she's "just trying to figure [him] out." From there, the ‘80s comedy star immediately responded with sarcasm, cutting her off before the discussion could go any further and saying, "no shit... it's not going to be easy for you." When Zenovich asks why, Chase simply says, "You're not bright enough... How's that?"

Zenovich could only respond with a stunned “woah,” but Chase wasn’t finished. Acknowledging the cameras, he continued, seemingly assuming the exchange wouldn’t make the final cut. He followed up with:

The exchange, which the comedian seemingly assumed would never make the final cut, has instead become one of the most talked-about moments from the project. For many viewers, it reinforced long-circulating stories about the actor’s abrasive behavior behind the scenes. But how are fans reacting online?

Fans React To Chevy Chase’s Viral Documentary Clip

As expected, the online response was immediate, although somewhat divided. Social media users quickly piled on after the clip began circulating, many echoing the original poster’s blunt assessment: “I’m sorry but what an insufferable old goat.” As the clip spread on X, several reactions rose to the top, and here are some of the standout responses:

• @SouthDallasFood: “I’m sorry but what an insufferable old goat."
• @ChavuraStephen: “In fact, he’s totally correct. He’s tired of putting up with young midwits insulting him by assuming his mind is small enough to be comprehended by theirs. I’m with Chevy on this.”
• @mikepat711: “Calls the woman unintelligent before proceeding to show through his words and demeanor that he himself is definitely not a bright individual.”
• @_markfenner: “People for years said this man was an absolute asshole. I see that now lol”
• @sean_a_mcclure: “Just imagine how many idiots you need to put up with being in that industry. Can we really blame him?”
• @TheCriticalDri1: “People don’t randomly have their guard up this high. Hurtful stuff went down over many decades in Hollywood.”
• @SassySouthBlond: “Holy shit, old Chevy Chase might be my spirit animal. I might just be an ornery old man.”
• @Rahll: “I know you're not gonna put that on the air, and I hope not.” “His instant regret and weak bad pedaling in the form of trying to be an emotional smol bean is too good.”
• @CryptoBullRon: “He was honest”
• @heathenft: “he wanna be deep so bad”
• @courtstarr: “Apparently the director of Home Alone couldn’t work with Chevy Chase because he was such a dick”
• @DannyNoonanGolf: “I think he needs some new ball bearings.”
• @stealthlauncher: “That's why Bill Murray doesn't like him.”
• @womenoptionswin: “He thinks no one has him figured out and everyone did figure him out and didn’t like what they saw.”

The reaction ultimately splits into two clear camps. On one side, viewers see the clip as confirmation that the former Community actor crossed a line and, on the other, longtime fans are seemingly shrugging it off as vintage Chevy Chase, rough edges and all. Either way, the response has been loud and deeply divided, mirroring the uncomfortable, unpolished moment that set the whole conversation off.

You could argue the moment is taken out of context but, even with that in mind, the exchange still comes off as inappropriate. Viewers can judge for themselves by watching the documentary, which is currently available on demand through CNN for streaming and pay TV subscribers, and is expected to arrive to streaming for everyone with an HBO Max subscription on January 31.

The new documentary film I’m Chevy Chase, and You’re Not takes a look at the life and career of a comedian who has led a somewhat controversial life and made more than a few enemies in his time. Ultimately, the new film doesn’t attempt to excuse anything that’s happened in Chase's career. The production does, however, perhaps explain some of the reasons behind the star's behavior, as well as some of the conflicting stories he’s providing, including comments involving Terry Sweeney.

One of the more attention-grabbing pieces of the new documentary surrounds Chase’s feud with former Saturday Night Live's Terry Swenney. In his own book, Sweeney described an experience on the show in the 1980s where Chase suggested a hobophobic sketch that would see the openly gay Sweeney play a character diagnosed with AIDS.

In the new documentary film, Chase denies that the exchange happened that way. Speaking with USA Today, the documentary’s director, Marina Zenovich, discusses Chase’s denial. Zenovich says that, at least in part, the denial is fueled by a simple difficulty that Chase has apologizing for anything. She said…

However, after spending a lot of time interviewing Chevy Chase for the documentary, Zenovich says there’s another reason that Chase may have denied the encounter. He might actually no longer remember it, or not remember the way it actually happened.

The film revealed that Chevy Chase had serious heart issues back in 2021 that actually resulted in him spending over a week in a coma. One of the lingering effects of that experience has apparently been memory loss. Zenovich does believe this memory loss also played a part in Chase’s denial of the Terry Sweeney event, as he may simply no longer remember exactly what happened. She continued…

There's potentially a lot that Chevy Chase might not want to remember as the Terry Sweeney situation is far from the only controversial story in Chase's career. The documentary film apparently had a hard time convincing anybody who was part of Community to be interviewed for the movie. Chase's history on that show led to a long-term feud with creator Dan Harmon.

If there is a medical issue at play, it certainly doesn’t excuse any inappropriate behavior, but it might at least explain why two sides remember an interaction so differently. Perhaps, if a real conversation and an apology happened Chase and Terry Sweeney might actually be able to put this behind them., Unfortunately, if one party truly doesn’t remember the event the same way, that seems quite impossible.

Viewers can check out I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, as it's available to stream by way of CNN.com and accessible through Pay TV services. And, starting January 31, it'll also be streamable with an HBO Max subscription.

For decades, Chevy Chase has occupied a strange place in pop culture as a comedy legend with an impressive body of work, but also a figure surrounded by stories of bad behind-the-scenes behavior. A new documentary that just hit the 2026 TV schedule doesn’t shy away from that complicated legacy, and according to those involved, the Caddyshack actor didn’t either. Reportedly, the longtime comedian had a surprisingly emotional response to CNN’s new controversial doc, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not.

In an in-depth interview with USA Today, the doc's director, Marina Zenovich, explained that the goal was never to rehabilitate Chase’s image or tear it down. Instead, Zenovich and co. sought to understand how someone so successful could also be so frequently at odds with the people around him. That balance is part of what made the finished film so challenging for the Fletch lead to sit through. Zenovich explained:

The film doesn’t shy away from Chase’s well-documented controversies, such as an alleged meltdown after using the N-word on the set of Community. Zenovich said it was difficult to convince anyone from the aforementioned NBC sitcom to participate, with every cast member declining, including creator Dan Harmon. While other former collaborators do appear to discuss Chase’s reputation as difficult, the documentary also spends significant time examining the Vacation actor’s deeply traumatic childhood.

According to the Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind documentarian, the former SNL star endured abuse from his mother and stepfather, experiences that she believes shaped his insecurities and tendency to lash out. The doc presents those experiences as context, allowing viewers to see how pain and success collided throughout the Hollywood legend’s life. She added:

Chase's health struggles are front and center in the movie, including memory issues that may explain why he disputes or doesn’t recall specific incidents. This complicates conversations around accountability, Zenovich explained.

Despite moments of tension during filming, Zenovich says the Cops and Robbersons star ultimately wanted to understand himself better. That desire came through in small but meaningful ways, including an apology he offered her near the end of their time together, “just for being who I am.” For Zenovich, that moment stood out because it wasn’t delivered shockingly sincere.

I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not doesn’t offer a verdict on the star’s behavior; instead, it presents a pretty raw portrait. The film asks viewers to sit with discomfort, and the comedy staples many contradictions. The idea that someone can be both enormously talented and deeply flawed is a hard one for many to understand or accept. The Christmas Vacation icon’s reaction to seeing his life laid bare suggests that, for perhaps the first time, he’s been confronted with all of it at once, and it may have had a significant effect on him.

The documentary may or may not shift how audiences feel about Chevy Chase, but viewers can now judge for themselves. At present, the film is available on demand via CNN.com for CNN streaming and pay TV subscribers. It’s also expected to be available to anyone with an HBO Max subscription beginning on January 31.

The recently released CNN documentary I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not seeks to provide insight into the psyche of the eponymous actor and comedian. With that in mind, director Marina Zenovich had a major task set before her. Part of that process, of course, also meant that Zenovich would have to interview the now-82-year-old Chase. Zenovich recently opened up about that experience and, as she put it, that wasn’t “freakin’ easy.” However, that level of difficulty isn’t due to the reason some fans might be thinking.

Over the course of Chase’s legendary career, he’s gained a reputation for being “difficult,” as he apparently even irritated his Saturday Night Live co-stars. Zenovich also got a taste of the Vacation star’s occasionally blunt way of speaking while making the doc. Early on in the production, Chase even muses that the filmmaker isn’t “bright enough” to figure him out. Zenovich spoke to USA Today and revealed an expletive Chase threw her way, and she explained one particularly tiring aspect of it all:

As someone who’s interviewed a fair amount of people at this point, I can understand why she found the interview to be “exhausting.” The Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic helmer isn’t referring so much to Chase’s demeanor here but more so to the fact that as an interviewer, she needs to conjure up enough energy to get him going. Such vivaciousness (among other things) is crucial for a great interview. At the same time, Zenovich also had to take part in a bit of a “dance” to get answers from her main interviewee:

Through I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, Zenovich manages to cover a lot of ground. Her documentary chronicles Chase’s formative years, including the abuse he suffered at the hands of mother and stepfather. Of course, it also delves deep into his career, from his rise as one of the OG stars of SNL to his unceremonious exit from Community. Zenovich also recently explained how she had a hard time getting anyone from the NBC sitcom to be interviewed for the doc. (Eventually, series director Jay Chandrasekhar agreed to participate.)

In the end, Marina Zenovich does indeed believe she was able to get to the core of Chevy Chase (who also recently drew the ire of SNL alum Terry Sweeney). The seasoned filmmaker holds that belief, in great part, because she was able to dive into the comic’s backstory and unpack his personal trauma. I honestly can’t imagine speaking about such delicate subject matter with any celebrity let alone the Fletch star. So kudos to Zenovich for getting Chase to open up, at least to some degree.

Some in the world of Hollywood have reputations of being really wonderful people, and some…do not. Chevy Chase is one star whose reputation, earned or not, isn’t the best. A new CNN documentary that ran on the 2026 TV schedule, I’m Chevy Chase, and You’re Not, took a look at the career of the controversial comedian and the various battles, of both words and fists, that he has had with people like Saturday Night Live's John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Jane Curtin.

Chevy Chase reportedly had many battles with his co-stars. Stories about Chase's time on Community have become legendary. Former SNL cast member Terry Sweeney still doesn't like Chase due to events from their time on the show. However, that was far from the only battle on the set of the NBC sketch comedy show.

John Belushi’s Problem With Chevy Chase reportedly Led To A Fight With Bill Murray

The new documentary reminds one of some fairly famous stories about Chase’s career, which include the fact that he and Bill Murray famously got into a physical altercation backstage on Saturday Night Live. Back in 2008 with Howard Stern, Chase discussed the famous fight, which, according to him, stemmed from jealousy on the part of Belushi. Chase said…

As Chevy Chase tells it, Belushi’s frustration with Chase’s success led to him telling Bill Murray things about Chase that, according to the Fletch star, weren’t true. However, because of this, when Chase came back to host the show, Murray, who joined SNL after Chase left, said some things that led to the two attempting to get into it, though Belushi apparently tried to keep the two apart, and may have gotten the worst of it because of that.

Jane Curtin Has Made Comments About Chase As Well

If the incident with John Belushi and Bill Murray were an isolated incident, that would be one thing, but stories of Chase’s behavior are well known, so much so that SNL performers who claim not to know Chase well don't have the best opinion of him. Appearing on Watch What Happens Live back in 2018, Jane Curtin claimed that she didn’t know Chase well, but wasn’t a huge fan of his behavior, saying…

While Jane Curtin may not have worked with Chevy Chase as long as other members of the SNL cast, eight months is certainly long enough to get to know somebody, assuming you want to get to know them, so the fact that Chase and Curtin did not become friends may in itself say something.

It's not like everybody who ever worked with Chevy Chase disliked him. Garrret Morris told GQ last year that Chase wrote for him during a period when others on the staff were unwilling to do so, citing racism on the part of some at the show. As the new documentary shows, Chevy Chase has both the good and the bad in him, and people's opinions on him clearly vary.

It’s no secret Chevy Chase had turbulent relationships with the Community cast and its creator, Dan Harmon. Now, those relationships and his abrupt exit from the comedy are coming back into the spotlight as a documentary about Chase hits the 2026 TV schedule. However, he does not address it in the new project. During a new interview, he was directly asked about how he left the show, and he answered.

Ahead of the premiere of I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which aired January 1 on CNN, Chase and the project’s director, Marina Zenovich, spoke with the NYT about it and the comedian’s career. Specifically, the journalist brought up Community, because in the documentary Chase apparently does not address it and his exit. In response to that fact, the SNL vet said:

Now, he has spoken about not enjoying working on Community before, and his co-stars, including Joel McHale and Allison Brie, have responded to those claims. On top of that, it’s well known that Chase and Dan Harmon were in a feud.

However, this story specifically revolves around the Chase's exit from the series. In the midst of production on Season 4, he reportedly got frustrated about his character's actions and “increasing bigotry,” as the NYT put it. According to Community director Jay Chandrasekhar (via People), who spoke in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, the writing of a blackface hand puppet bit for the actor’s character is what led to an outburst and his eventual actions that caused his exit. In the documentary, it’s claimed that Chase had a meltdown and reportedly used the N-word while talking about the situation.

After that, he was no longer on the show. Again, while this is covered in the documentary, the subject of the project did not speak about this himself. After being pushed a bit further to discuss how his time on Community ended, Chase said he “thought it ended great.” When asked, “You did?” he replied by saying:

Overall, this documentary brought a lot of issues that have come up throughout Chase’s career into the light again. In terms of Community, the director said it was hard to convince anyone from the cast to participate. She explained that they all said no, and while she did get in contact with Dan Harmon, he eventually declined, too.

Along with that, Chase’s relationships with SNL cast members have come up, as well. For example, in the documentary, he made comments about Terry Sweeney, and in response, Sweeney said, “It all reflects rightly horribly on [Chase],” among other things.

All of this has happened before I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not’s premiere. So, as the documentary airs on CNN, I’m sure the discourse surrounding the comedian will continue. As we learn more about this, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Chevy Chase is one of the more interesting and controversial performers in all of comedy. His impact as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live is undeniable, but Chase is known not only for making fans but also for making enemies. Now, a new documentary about the star’s life, which takes on the controversy surrounding him directly, is adding fuel to the fire. That became clear as SNL vet Terry Sweeney reacted to what the comedian said about him in this documentary.

What Chevy Chase Said About Terry Sweeney In New Documentary

On New Year’s Day, CNN will air the new documentary I’m Chevy Chase, And You’re Not, which follows the career of the SNL and National Lampoon’s Vacation star. One topic it covers is a decades-long battle between Chase and fellow SNL performer Terry Sweeney. This happened because Chase suggested doing an AIDS related sketch with the openly gay comedian in the mid-1980s.

Sweeney was, quite obviously, upset by all this. In a book later written by him, he says Chase eventually apologized but was “furious” that he had to do so. Chase claims in the doc that the event didn’t happen that way, or if it did, he has since changed. However, the Community actor also (via THR) refers to Sweeney saying…

Without the full context of the quote, it’s difficult to say whether Chase is even trying to make a joke or whether he honestly believed Sweeney was dead, but to Sweeney, it doesn’t matter.

How The SNL Vet Responded To Chase’s Comment

Needless to say, Terry Sweeney is not dead. He’s also not loving the latest comments from Chevy Chase. It’s not hard to see how a line about Terry Sweeney being dead, made in the context of a discussion about AIDS, might be seen as less than funny. When THR asked Sweeney for comment, he responded, saying…

Sweeney is far from the only person to have professional issues with Chevy Chase. The director of the documentary revealed that almost nobody from the series Community wanted to be involved in the film, a fact which is potentially due to the dramatic way Chase left the show.

I think we can safely say that the feud between Chevy Chase and Terry Sweeney won’t be coming to an end as a result of this documentary film. While some of the discussion of Chase’s life in the new film puts his comments and behavior in a different perspective, perhaps making him more sympathetic, it certainly doesn’t appear that the Christmas Vacation star is looking to use the film to mend all fences.

Community is one of the most rewatchable shows ever, so much so that a rumored movie has been long in the works. Most of the cast is expected to return, aside from Chevy Chase. The Saturday Night Live alum has made it clear that he disliked being part of the NBC sitcom, and his stance on the show has created a rift between him and some of the cast members. This includes them not wanting to participate in his new documentary, and the director revealed how hard it was to convince anyone from Community to be interviewed.

The CNN documentary special, called I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not as a nod to how he would start his Weekend Update bit during the first season of SNL, is premiering on New Year’s Day as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Along with highlighting his personal life and struggles, it will also delve into Chase’s career, including disputes with actors such as the cast of Community. Evidently, getting people from the show to talk about Chase for the documentary was a tough feat, and even though documentary director Marina Zenovich nearly got Community creator Dan Harmon, it didn’t pan out. She told Variety:

Chase starred in the series as Pierce Hawthorne in the first four seasons before some behind-the-scenes tension and an alleged drop of the N-word ultimately led to his departure. Since starring in the show, Chase’s comments in recent years have not been kind. Joel McHale and Yvette Nicole Brown both responded to his take on the show, defending the fan-favorite sitcom, so it’s not surprising that the Community cast, as well as Harmon, weren’t on board to talk about Chase for the documentary.

That being said, Zenovich wasn’t completely out of luck when it came to the Community portion of the documentary. She revealed that series director Jay Chandrasekhar agreed to participate, and if he hadn’t, it would have been a completely different story:

What exactly will be talked about when it comes to Community in Chevy Chase’s documentary is unknown, as well as what Chandrasekhar will spill and his own thoughts on Chase’s comments. Perhaps it will shine a light on Chase’s time on Community and give an insight on what people who worked on the show think him. If anything, this will be one portion of the documentary that will likely be pretty entertaining.

As previously mentioned, Chase will not be part of the upcoming Community movie, which still doesn’t have a set premiere date, so it’s unknown when it will premiere. Whether there will be any mention of Pierce is hard to tell, but it can be assumed that there won’t be, since Chase hadn’t been part of the cast since the fourth season. But only time will tell.

The Chevy Chase documentary will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on January 1, 2026 on CNN.

Even over 50 years on, Chevy Chase’s legendary career remains firmly associated with Saturday Night Live. Chase was part of the original cast that helped launch the sketch comedy series in 1975 though, despite that link, his relationship with the show has been up and down. On that note, Chase notably didn’t participate in the SNL50 event that took place earlier this year, though he did appear as a member of the star-studded audience. That exclusion now hits differently after hearing Chase was in a coma for a portion of 2021.

The documentary special I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is set to debut on New Year’s Day on CNN amid the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime, quotes from the production have already been hitting the web. These comments about Chase being in a coma are among the latest to surface ahead of the program’s debut. Via THR, Chase’s daughter, Caley, explained that the situation was brought upon by “heart failure” and that her dad “has basically come back from the dead.” On the delicate subject, Chevy’s wife, Jayni, said:

Due to those heart problems, the National Lampoon’s Vacation star was put in a coma for eight days. Caley Chase recalled that, at the time, the family was told that when it came to Chevy’s well-being, the family “might not get him back.” Although the Chases were told to prepare for “the worst,” Chevy did wake up and was talkative, per his daughter. Despite mostly recovering, Chase also noted in the doc that his coma caused some lingering memory issues:

There are apparently a number of memories Chevy Chase has needed to be reminded of, including his beef with Community co-star Donald Glover as well as some other confrontations with collaborators. On the SNL front, it’s also been said that Chase has and continues to have his share of issues with people at Saturday Night Live.

So, upon hearing the information about the 82-year-old comedian’s health, it’s hard not to wonder whether any of this factored into his omission from SNL50, which took place this past February. There were rumors that Chase didn’t appear on stage due to bad blood with people behind the scenes. So could an inability to remember any past feuds have prevented any harsh feelings from being smoothed over?

Whatever the case, this coma revelation is enough for me to look at Chevy Chase’s minimal involvement through a somewhat different lens. The public at large may never know exactly what contributed to Chase not being utilized in the special. All of that aside, though, he and his family just appear grateful that he was able to pull through his health issue.

I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not premieres on January 1 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN. For now, fans can also stream SNL50: The Anniversary Special with a Peacock subscription.

In November 1994, Tim Allen, one of the biggest names on the small screen, kick-started his impressive movie career with his portrayal of Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause. The box office hit, which instantly became one of the best Christmas movies of all time, went on to launch a massive franchise and led to the Home Improvement star becoming an even bigger force in show business. But, that wasn’t always the plan.

As someone who saw it in a theater (RIP, Saint Vincent 6 Theatres) and has long been obsessed with the movie, I was shocked when I learned that Allen wasn’t the first or second choice to lead the beloved holiday classic. After learning some of the names who were approached before the eventual Toy Story staple, I have to wonder, what would this movie be like if these household names took on the role?

Bill Murray Turned It Down, But What Would That Even Be Like?

First up, there’s Bill Murray, who had previously starred in the all-time great ‘80s movie, Scrooged. On the surface, he would have been perfect for the prickly and self-centered Scott Calvin before his big transformation, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. According to The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray by Robert Schnakenberg (via the Washington Post), the Saturday Night Live alum had an “unpleasant experience” in the 1988 Richard Donner adaptation of A Christmas Carol and had “no interest in pursuing another holiday-themed project.”

This version of The Santa Clause certainly would have been different to incorporate Murray’s signature wit and personality. I’m not saying Tim Allen’s character wasn’t sarcastic, but Murray’s take would have undoubtedly been even more sardonic.

Chevy Chase Reportedly Had To Pass On The Santa Clause, Giving Us A Major ‘What-If’

Chevy Chase, who led one of my favorite holiday movies, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, was also reportedly up for the role of Scott when the film was being developed. In a Vulture piece about all the “what-ifs” of the impactful Saturday Night Live alum’s film career, there was a short blurb about Chase turning down an offer because of a scheduling conflict.

Like the case above, I can’t help but think Chase’s version of Scott would have been more sarcastic than Tim Allen’s eventual portrayal. However, I can’t help but think this version, like Clark Griswold, would have been lacking self-awareness, making it an even wilder performance.

Tom Hanks Was Also Considered, And That Has Me Wondering

Tom Hanks would eventually go on to play Santa Claus (and numerous other characters) in The Polar Express, but he could have played St. Nick a decade earlier. During an interview with the Grunt Work podcast (a podcast about all things Home Improvement), director John Pasquin was asked about developing The Santa Clause and the actors who were considered for the part before Tim Allen. One of the biggest names listed was Allen’s eventual Toy Story co-star.

An early ‘90s, pre-consecutive Oscar wins Hanks playing Santa Claus would have been a treat. Would he have taken a more wholesome approach, or would his version of Scott be more akin to his parts in The Burbs and The Money Pit? Loud outbursts, a cup runneth over with sarcasm and manic energy, and that signature laugh would have been an experience.

Though each of these would have been great to see, I’m honestly glad Tim Allen ended up getting the part. It’s just hard to imagine it any other way.

In the 1980s, Dan Aykroyd played a big part in some of the best movies of the decade, but there is one movie that isn’t just unfunny, it’s not a dark comedy, either; it’s just downright scary: 1991’s Nothing But Trouble. If you’ve never seen it or even heard of it, I wouldn’t be surprised. It was on cable a lot back then, and given that it has an all-star cast that also included Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, and John Candy, I will reluctantly admit I’ve watched it more times than it deserves. Now, when I think back, I don’t think of the laughs; I think of the horrors of the movie, and it’s not just the crummy writing.

An All-Star Cast At The Height Of Their Careers

The movie, which is also written and directed by Dan Aykroyd, features four of the biggest stars of the era. Chevy Chase was coming off National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, unquestionably one of the best Christmas movies of all time. John Candy had just starred in Home Alone. Demi Moore’s film directly before this one was a little movie called Ghost. Aykroyd starred in My Girl earlier that same year.

It’s hard to imagine a more successful group of movies where the stars then returned for a movie as… disappointing as Nothing But Trouble. The premise of the film is simple enough: Chase and Moore’s characters are on a road trip and find themselves in a backwater town called Valkenvania. They are pulled over after running a stop sign by the town’s police chief, played by Candy, and end up in front of a judge, played by Aykroyd. Everyone in the town is related and all named Valkenheiser, hence the name of the town.

It all goes off the rails after that.

The Movie Is Just Gross

In the movie, all of the Valkenheisers, mostly played by Aykroyd and Candy, who both assume multiple roles, are really, really weird-looking. It’s hard to describe just how unsettling all of the characters look. There is one scene in particular, where Chase and Moore end up at dinner with the senior member of the family, the 106-year-old Alvin "J.P" Valkenheiser, played by Aykroyd, wearing some of the most upsetting makeup I’ve ever seen in a movie. As he shovels hot dogs down his gullet, Chase and Moore try to escape, but are captured by Alvin’s inbred granddaughter (played by Candy).

The makeup alone is enough to make you sleep with the lights on. Add in the bizarre plotlines of incest, underground coal fires, and feasts of the nastiest-looking hot dogs ever, and you have the makings of a legendary horror movie. But this is a comedy. It’s hard to even laugh at how completely bizarre the whole thing is, because it’s so upsetting to watch Aykroyd and Candy in their makeup.

Oh, and did I mention that there is a random appearance by G-Shock and the rest of the legendary ‘90s rap group Digital Underground? Because, yeah, that’s in there too. Frankly, there is nothing on the 2025 movie schedule, which is full of horror movies that I love, that is nearly as nightmare-inducing as this supposed comedy. Watch at your own risk.

I’ve been an SNL aficionado for a long time, ever since my mom let me stay up way past my bedroom as a pre-teen and catch some of my favorite celebrities uttering the iconic “live from New York” line. Saturday Night Live is currently adding hosts and musical guests for Season 51, which means it’s been around my entire life and, in fact, pre-dates my existence. So, I’ve always wondered, “What was it like to be an SNL viewer from the very beginning?”

Thankfully, SNL isn’t so old that hardly anyone can remember its beginnings. In fact, a lot of people still fondly recall the 1975 season that introduced us to such comedy greats as Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Danny Aykroyd, Jane Curtain, Garrett Morris, and Laraine Newman (some of whom are still watching SNL years later). That year, the show was still finding its groove while becoming a cultural phenomenon, and TV watchers still remember a slew of beautiful and fun details about the first season of the show.

There Was A Lot Of Pot Involved When Fans Were Watching Those Early Episodes

In a Reddit thread, a current SNL fan asked some old timers what they thought about the series when it was first coming out. I would have expected a little bit more nostalgia in the responses, but a huge chunk of people admitted their main memory of those early episodes was watching the show whilst high.

• Early in 1976 the buzz was spreading (in Canada). Just started college and it brought us together like nothing else. Fabulous Saturday nights, high AF (Thai weed had just hit) --literally rotf laughing. Best of times.
• Omg SNL was so funny then. And yes we were stoned.
• We loved it and we were stoned 😊
• Very much so, and watching on a little black & white tv :). When the parody commercials came on, we’d look at each other and ask, was that a real commercial? Good times!

Later on, a bunch of fans admitted the early SNL audiences were oft college students, which differs a bit from today's makeup, and that could help explain all of the comments related to partying on Saturday nights, then tuning in late night.

There Were Also Some Thoughtful Answers From Fans Who Were Around At The Beginning

I actually own the first season of SNL on DVD, so I’ve seen the Samurai sketch and Chevy Chase’s pratfalls and more. I also really loved the well-reviewed Saturday Night movie from Jason Reitman. However, I can only experience these moments without context. For those who lived through those times, the lens is more personalized and thoughtful.

One viewer answered the original question with a super thoughtful response that really helps younger fans to give context to what made the show “subversive.”

Another commenter admitted a lot of the jokes hold up, but that SNL was still embedded in pop culture back then in ways that younger audiences watching for the first time may not realize, due to not understanding things like 60 Minutes segments that were then-popular.

Now, SNL feels like it tries to produce comedy in different buckets so the show is pretty much for everyone. I watch, my mother (who did watch at the beginning) watches, my friends college-aged kids watch. At the time, though, it was like Facebook before parents had access: Only the young adults watched (and sometimes they did so in a dorm common room, packed in and having a blast).

Decades later, Saturday Night Live can still be cool, it can still be subversive, and it can still connect to the zeitgeist of the times. However, sketches can go poorly, things can veer wildly off script, and sometimes even people get stabbed by Sarah Silverman. We take the good with the bad these days, but hearing about how people felt that first, glorious season does put a but of pep in my step.

Over the five decades that Saturday Night Live has been a staple of late-night television, it has been responsible for some of the funniest impressions of political figures in popular culture. It's invented words, like "strategery," and never failed to get the public talking. Some of the greatest cast members in the show's history have played the most famous and infamous politicians in United States history. This list is hardly exhaustive; that would be impossible, but they are some of the best.

Bill Clinton - Phil Hartman

Phil Hartman was one of the most versatile performers in SNL history and had some amazing moments on the show. He could do it all, including impersonating President Bill Clinton. In 1992, he appeared on one of the true classic skits that sees Clinton on the campaign trail, meeting people at a McDonald's. Most of the time, he's just stealing fries and taking bites of people's food.

George W. Bush - Will Ferrell

Who will ever forget Will Ferrell uttering the word "strategery" during an SNL debate? Ferrell's George W. Bush is a classic. He portrayed the former president as a little dimwitted, but generally affable. While "Dubya" is smarter than he lets on, he is certainly easygoing, just as Ferrall played him. He was so good as Bush that he later played him in a one-man show after leaving SNL and has occasionally returned to the show, as well.

Al Gore - Darrell Hammond

Will Ferrell's George W. Bush is legendary, and like all the best performances, he needed a partner to play the foil, and Darrell Hammond's portrayal of Al Gore, Bush's opponent in 2000, was perfect for the role. Like Gore himself, Hammond's take on the former VP was very dry - but make no mistake, it's pitch perfect and hilarious.

Sean Spicer - Melissa McCarthy

When Melissa McCarthy first appeared on SNL as Donald Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer, she completely stole the show. Though she wasn't a full cast member, the impression was so funny, she returned a number of times to reprise it. It's impossible not to die laughing when she starts shoving gum in her mouth, playing on one of Spicer's own habits.

Gerald Ford - Chevy Chase

The first cast member to send up a president was Chevy Chase, who became legendary for his performances as then-president Gerald Ford. Chase basically played Ford as though the president was a complete idiot, and while that might not be exactly what Ford was like, it didn't matter, because it was hilarious whenever Chase played him. Just don't make him do any math.

Vladimir Putin - Beck Bennett

Occasionally, Saturday Night Live branches out into foreign politics, and in recent years, we've had the pleasure of watching Beck Bennett as a shirtless Vladimir Putin. Is it a spot-on impression? No, but no matter, it perfectly mocks Putin's machismo that is so often on display in Russian propaganda, including his lack of shirt in pretty much every appearance.

Janet Reno - Wll Ferrell

Cast members playing across genders has a long tradition at SNL, and that certainly applies to political impressions on the show. Take, for example, Will Ferrell's hilarious impression of former attorney general Janet Reno. Especially the "Janet Reno's Dance Party" skit. Though Ferrell says he regrets the impression these days, it still should be appreciated for what it was in its time.

Ben Carson - Jay Pharoah

Jay Pharoah is hands down one of the greatest impressionists who has ever graced the SNL studio. He never failed to land just about any impersonation he took on, like former Republican presidential candidate and neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Pharoah perfectly captured Carson's sleepy appearance and gentle manner.

Michael Dukakis - Jon Lovitz

Like Al Gore, former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis was often criticized for being too dry and too much of a policy wonk. Jon Lovitz nailed the former Massachusetts governor perfectly by playing him in an almost boring manner. It wasn't boring to watch during the 1988 election, however.

Newt Gingrich - Chris Farley

Saturday Night Live legend Chris Farley wasn't known for his impressions, but that doesn't mean when he did them, they weren't top-notch. In fact, his Newt Gingrich was so good, he was even invited by House Republicans to perform as the former Speaker of the House. Right in front of the man himself! Of course, Farley nailed it.

Donald Trump - James Austin Johnson

Everyone and their brother thinks they can nail an impression of Donald Trump, but none do it better than James Austin Johnson on SNL. A ton of cast members (and guest stars) have "done" Trump in the past, including most famously Alec Baldwin, but if we're honest, none of them come close to Johnson's. It's all about the subtleties.

Sarah Palin - Tina Fey

When Sarah Palin first emerged as a vice presidential candidate in 2008, fans of the show and its former head writer and star, Tina Fey, started clamoring for her to come back to do an impression of the Alaskan governor. Fey did, of course, and in the process made the impersonation legendary. She even returned in 2018 to reprise the role.

Bob Dole - Norm Macdonald

The best thing about Norm McDonald's impersonation of Senator Bob Dole was just how little the SNL star did. It was basically just McDonald holding a pen in his hand, as Dole did, and calling himself "Bob Dole" in the third person a lot. It's absolutely hilarious.

Jimmy Carter - Dan Aykroyd

Jimmy Carter, who some would argue might be the best person to ever be president, but none would argue he was particularly effective as a president. That's exactly how Dan Aykroyd played him, too. He was a great man, willing to help out anyone he could, but maybe a little out of his depth as the leader of the free world.

Hillary Clinton - Amy Poehler

You have to wonder just how much Amy Poehler took from her impression of Hillary Clinton into her Parks & Rec character, Leslie Knope. We know Leslie idolized Clinton, just as it seemed Poehler did, especially when they appeared together on the show in 2016.

Joe Biden - Kevin Nealon

Years before Joe Biden became VP, and hence a regular target of SNL, he was a senator from Maryland leading the Senate's investigation into Clarence Thomas when Thomas was nominated for the Supreme Court. The hearings were front-page news, and SNL landed an amazing skit with Kevin Nealon playing the younger Biden.

George H. W. Bush - Dana Carvey

For Gen X, there is no more famous impersonation than Dana Carvey's George H.W. Bush. His version of the 41st president was a little nerdy, but very forthright. He also copied some absolutely classic lines, like "1000 points of light," that have become cultural touchstones. Carvey has done a lot of impressions for SNL, both as a cast member and later as a guest star, but Bush I remains his most famous.

Ted Kennedy - Phil Hartman

The great Phil Hartman may best be remembered for his version of Bill Clinton, but his take on Senator Ted Kennedy in the famous skit about Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court hearing was at least as good and really, really funny. It's always fun to do a Massachusetts accent, even for Hartman.

Bernie Sanders - Larry David

For over a decade now, Saturday Night Live has been great at bringing in guest stars to do the biggest political players these days. One of the most hilarious was when they convinced former SNL writer and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David to play Bernie Sanders. David seemed to enjoy his time playing the independent Senator from Vermont, but he admitted later he would not have wanted Sanders to win and have to play him more than he did.

Ross Perot - Dana Carvey

The 1992 Presidential election was a wild one. George H.W. Bush, was the incumbent, and he was challenged by and young upstart named Bill Clinton. A third candidate, Ross Perot, jumped into the race with a self-funded career as a financial centrist. Dana Carvey was already famous for his Bush, and he added Perot to his repertoire during this election, too.

David Paterson - Fred Armisen

One of the more underrated impressions has to be Fred Armisen's version of the former governor of New York, David Paterson. To some, it was offensive, but Paterson himself seemed to be ok with it, as he joined Armisen for an appearance in one skit.

Donald Trump, Jr - Mikey Day And Alex Moffat - Eric Trump

Sure, usually the kids of Presidents are off-limits for sketch comedy, but when they are such visible members of the campaign, like Eric and Donald Trump Jr. were, they are fair game. Alex Moffat and Mikey Day aren't really perfect impressions, but they are hilarious.

Ronald Reagan - Phil Hartman

Early in his SNL career, Phil Hartman did an amazing impression of Ronald Reagan. The skit shows Reagan as a kindly old man, much like the image he projected to the public, but things changed when the eyes were off Reagan in the script, and he was a ruthless leader with all kinds of schemes.

Elizabeth Warren - Kate McKinnon

Emmy Award winner Kate McKinnon has dozens of amazing sketches in her SNL portfolio. She was legendary in her time on the show for her impressions, including such political luminaries as Hillary Clinton and Kellyanne Conway. One of her best has to be Elizabeth Warren, who McKinnon got to play for a little bit when Warren ran for president in 2020.

Cory Booker - Chris Redd

Cory Booker was an up-and-coming Senator from New Jersey when he through his hat into the presidential ring in 2020. Chris Redd did a very funny impression of the former Newark mayor that emphasized Booker's wide eyes.

Jeanine Pirro - Cecily Strong

Though she was a local politician early in her career, Jeanine Pirro is most famous for her Fox News talk show. On Saturday Night Live, Cecily Strong nailed Pirro's unique speech pattern and made the impression incredibly effective and funny.

Rudy Giuliani - Kate McKinnon

Before he went overboard after Donald Trump's loss in 2020, Rudy Giuliani was one of the most popular politicians in the country. After his wild claims of election interference in 2020, he lost a lot of that respect. That's the version of Giuliani that Kate McKinnon played brilliantly in the aftermath of the election.

Richard Nixon - Joe Piscopo

Early on in SNL's history, Richard Nixon was played by Dan Aykroyd. In the mid-80s, the role was picked up by Joe Piscopo, who, frankly, was even better than Aykroyd. Nixon is one of those celebrities that everyone thinks they can imitate, but it takes real skill to do it as well as Piscopo did on the show.

Barak Obama - Jay Pharoah

Jay Pharoah is one of the most talented mimics in SNL history, and his most famous impression has to be Barack Obama. He crushes the part every time he does it. Though Pharoah had a falling out with the producers on the show, he'll forever be remembered as the show's best Obama.

Paul Simon - Al Franken

We just had to include this one. Even though Paul Simon, a Democrat from Illinois, isn't really remembered by anyone born after 1990, he was a prominent member of the committee that held the Clarence Thomas hearings in '91. For the now-famous skit on SNL, he was portrayed by none other than Al Franken, who himself would later be elected to the Senate.

Michael Bloomberg - Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen's Michael Bloomberg is pretty much pitch-perfect for the smart, but sometimes whiny-sounding former mayor of New York. Armisen captured both sides of Bloomberg perfectly. It's not as famous as "The Californians," but it was still a spot-on impression.

Jeff Sessions - Kate McKinnon

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was one of the most prominent members of Donald Trump's first cabinet, and s,o of course, he had to get his comeuppance on SNL. Kate McKinnon had the hono,r and like all the other impressions she did on the show, she nailed Sessions.

Whether he’s playing a bumbling fool who lets his temper get the best of him in the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies or a straight-up menace on Community, Chevy Chase has long had the uncanny ability to play the biggest jerk in the room. Not including his supposed off-screen issues in the past, the former Saturday Night Live star and perennial funnyman has given us some of the most cringe-inducing, awkward, and downright mean moments over the years. Here are 32 of the funniest examples…

The Time Clark Griswold Left Aunt Edna’s Corpse In Her Son’s Backyard (National Lampoon’s Vacation)

Clark Griswold does a lot in National Lampoon’s Vacation, setting the tone for what was to follow in the years to come for Chevy Chase’s most famous character. One of the most jerkish things he did in this quintessential ‘80s movie was leave Aunt Edna’s corpse at her son’s house. But instead of handing the corpse over to a loving family member, Clark just left her in the backyard… in the rain.

The KFC Space Simulator Incident (Community)

When a KFC space simulator is brought to Greendale Community College, it doesn’t take long for the shenanigans to get started. After being subjected to the claustrophobic conditions for too long, Chevy Chase’s Pierce Hawthorne goes mad in the capsule and begins experiencing “space madness” while still on Earth. Attacking his fellow crew and then lashing out once released, it’s a lot.

Clark Griswold Kidnaps His Boss (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

Yeah, Frank Shirley not giving out a Christmas bonus is pure evil, the way in which a maddened Clark Griswold goes about responding to it is truly something wild. With his Christmas (and financial security) ruined, Clark goes on an epic rant that eventually leads to Cousin Eddie kidnapping his boss.

The Countless Times Clark Griswold Unknowingly Offended European Cultures (National Lampoon’s European Vacation)

It’s hard to go a stretch of a few minutes without Clark Griswold offending someone or unknowingly poking fun at one of the many European cultures featured in National Lampoon’s European Vacation. This is totally an example of Clark not knowing he’s being a jerk, but it makes him one regardless.

‘Do You Have Anything Besides Mexican Food?’ (Three Amigos)

Though Dusty Bottoms is one of the actors mistaken for a real-life hero in Three Amigos, there’s no mistake that he’s a full-on jerk in this hilarious ‘80s comedy. This is on full display in a scene where, after receiving some hospitality, Dusty responds by asking if they have anything besides Mexican food. Mind you, this movie takes place south of the border.

Oh, The Time He Took A Hostage To Enter An Amusement Park (National Lampoon’s Vacation)

Russ Lasky (John Candy) was just trying to enjoy his day as a security guard at a temporarily closed Walley World when he found himself being held hostage by a crazed traveler. And who was that madman behind the crime? Oh, none other than Clark Griswold, who just couldn’t handle not being permitted into the park. Talk about an overreaction from this lovable jerk.

The Time Fletch Acted Like A Doctor (Fletch)

Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher has always been a great Chevy Chase character, but also one who has gone to great lengths to get to the bottom of a story. Sometimes, he’s a major jerk in the process. This is true in Fletch, where the undercover reporter acts like a doctor at a hospital, which leads to some medical disasters (for the living and the dead).

Emmett Fitz-Hume Cheats (And Farts) During The Exam (Spies Like Us)

Emmett Fitz-Hume, Chevy Chase’s morally ambiguous secret agent in Spies Like Us, will do anything and everything to get ahead in life, even if that means cheating on the foreign service exam. Though the subsequent mission is arguably punishment for his misdeeds, let’s not act like Emmett’s blatant attempts to get a better score (eye patch, fake arm sling, bribery schemes) are justified.

The Dog Situation (National Lampoon’s Vacation)

The “Tough Little Mutt” scene in National Lampoon’s Vacation is definitely one of the movie’s funniest moments, but let’s not forget that Clark Griswold, with his lack of awareness and jerkish attitude, led to Aunt Edna’s beloved Dinky's demise. Though the dog was admittedly mean and vicious, the pooch didn’t have to die, especially like that.

Ty Webb’s ‘Be The Ball’ Lessons (Caddyshack)

Caddyshack, a movie you can watch over and over, is filled top to bottom with great characters, including Chevy Chase’s Ty Webb. However, there’s no denying that the smug golfer and son of the Bushwood Country Club owner is a jerk more times than not. This is seen multiple times in the interactions between Ty and Danny Noonan, the young caddy helping him on the course. I mean, the “Be the ball” lesson is a total crock, right?

When Clark Griswold Lost His Family’s Savings At The Casino (Vegas Vacation)

Everyone loves to see Clark Griswold spiral into madness, right? Well, Vegas Vacation has just that. After a few days of losing one game after another in “Sin City,” Clark doesn’t just wipe out his bank account; he clears out his family’s savings, meaning they’re broke, destitute, and without a way to get back home.

Andy Farmer Has A Nuclear Reaction To Elizabeth’s Critique Of His Manuscript (Funny Farm)

Andy Farmer, Chevy Chase’s sports-writer-turned-aspiring-author in Funny Farm, isn’t necessarily a likable character, even by the actor’s standards. This is what makes a scene early in the movie so infuriating. After his wife gives him an honest critique of his manuscript, Farmer blows a gasket, stomps, yells, and throws the document in the fireplace, where it goes up in flames.

Fletch Acts Like A Televangelist And Mocks A Congregation (Fletch Lives)

Yeah, Fletch has all kinds of great undercover personas in his various movies, but there’s something about his impression of a televangelist that feels so wrong. Not only does he mock a preacher (if you could call him that), but also pokes fun at his congregation and those looking to buy their way into heaven.

Ty Webb’s ‘Thank You Very Little’ Comment (Caddyshack)

Ty Webb is full of great one-liners in Caddyshack, even if they come in moments where Chevy Chase’s iconic golfer looks like a total prick. His “Thank you very little” jab is short and not-so-sweet, which makes it such a great barb.

The Time Pierce Hawthorne Acted Like He Found Jeff’s Dad (Community)

Always one for some petty revenge on Community, Pierce Hawthorne decided to get back at everyone who had torn him down while he was in the hospital. No one received a harsher rib than Jeff Winger, who was led to believe that his long-lost father had been found. Spoiler, he wasn’t.

Clark Griswold Ruins Christmas Eve (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

The extended meltdown at the end of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is the stuff of legend and one of the funniest moments in the entire movie. But Clark does take it way too far in his long-winded teardown of the holidays, which is enough to make his parents and in-laws (and probably his kids) want to leave the day before Christmas.

Not-So Subtly Mixes Two Bottles Of Club Soda To Impress A Date (Caddyshack)

The love story shared by Ty Webb and Lacey Underall in Caddyshack is one of the best in the sports comedy genre, but this doesn’t mean Chevy Chase’s character isn’t a jerk throughout it. Early on, when Lacey comes to Ty’s place, the self-centered wealthy man pours his love interest a drink. Instead of a fresh drink, he combines two half-consumed bottles, making quite a mess in the process.

When Clark Pretty Much Tried To Cheat On Ellen… The First Time (National Lampoon’s Vacation)

Somehow, someway, we still see Clark Griswold as the hero of the Vacation movies despite his outbursts, poorly-executed plans, and wandering eye. This is all true in the 1983 franchise starter, in which the Griswold family patriarch flirts with a young blonde (played by Christie Brinkley. I’ll give him points for not pulling the trigger, but this guy was VERY close to making a terrible decision (or at least another terrible decision).

When Pierce Hawthorne Tormented ‘Fat Neil’ (Community)

Nobody likes being excluded from fun and games, but that’s no excuse for Pierce Hawthorne tormenting “Fat Neil” on an episode of Community. After being left out of the Dungeons & Dragons game, the prickly character lets everyone have it, especially poor old Neil.

Andy Farmer Tries To Trick Someone Into Buying His House (Funny Farm)

When Andy Farmer has trouble selling his home in Funny Farm, he orchestrates an over-the-top and unnecessary plot to trick an unsuspecting pair of buyers into thinking the community is more like a Norman Rockwell painting and less like a Stephen King novel. He has good reason for wanting to leave town, but this is too much.

Emmett Fitz-Hume Tries To Trade His Sister For Freedom When Facing Ninjas (Spies Like Us)

Want to know a good way to fail a test out in the field? Well, be like Emmett Fitz-Hume in Spies Like Us when he tried to trade his sister for his freedom when he encountered a group of ninjas. Brother of the Year material right here.

The Time Pierce Hawthorne Faked A Terminal Illness (Community)

Pierce Hawthorne took things to the next level in Community when he faked a terminal disease after having an overdose on a park bench. Instead of just seeking sympathy from his peers, the vindictive character uses the opportunity to enact psychological torture.

The Time Clark Griswold Flirted With The Sales Clerk (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

Clark Griswold is a DOG in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, especially in the scene where he flirts (or at least attempts to flirt) with the underwear sales clerk in downtown Chicago. Forgetting he has kids, forgetting he’s married, forgetting his manners, this stressed-out “family man” looks and acts like that old Tex Avery cartoon about the wolf.

When He Uses His New Invisibility For Unsavory Actions (Memoirs Of An Invisible Man)

Though not one of the best John Carpenter movies, Memoirs of an Invisible Man is still a wild time. One of Chevy Chase’s least talked about roles, his take on company man Nick Halloway after being involved in a life-changing accident, is up there with the rest of his work. This is especially true when it comes to being a jerk after he uses his new powers to do some rather troublesome stuff.

The Whole 20,000 Christmas Lights Situation (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

I know, I know, Christmas is pretty much Clark Griswold’s thing, and he likes to go all out. However, it’s kind of a jerk move to use 20,000 lights on your house for the holidays. The town had to go to auxiliary power, his neighbors were blinded, and the impact on birds had to be deadly.

Max Fiedler Uses Telekinesis To Win Back His Girl (Modern Problems)

Modern Problems is a Chevy Chase movie that doesn’t seem to come up in conversation all that often, which might be because of his unlikable Max Fiedler. After gaining telekinetic powers, Max uses his gift to do all kinds of things, like give a guy a nosebleed in an attempt to win back his girl.

When Mitch Carroll Tried To Abandon His Son After Being Arrested (Law & Order)

Mitch Carroll, Chevy Chase’s racist, anti-semantic, and incredibly famous character from Law & Order, was going to let his son go to prison after a brutal murder and attempt to wash his hands of the mess. Pretty much responsible for his son’s role in the homicide, Mitch would later be charged and convicted of proxy murder before being sent to the slammer.

Clark Griswold Sprays A Man Using The Bathroom (Vacation)

There’s a short scene in Vacation where Clark Griswold talks to Rusty about the family roadtrips being a mixed bag, but worth it in the end. What’s he doing while giving his adult son some fatherly advice? Oh, he’s spraying a man in the face with Lysol as the man tries to do his business.

Principal Harbert Dismisses The Idea Of Toni Morrison Being The Commencement Speaker (Orange County)

Chevy Chase’s Principal Harbert from Orange County is one of the comedian’s most distracted and uninterested characters of all time. However, he does give us some hilarious yet prickly moments throughout the early 2000s movie, like the time he totally dismissed the idea of Toni Morrison giving the commencement address.

The Time Pierce Hawthorne Refused To Admit He Didn’t Have Magical Powers (Community)

Pierce Hawthorne on Community is one of the meanest and most vile (yet hilarious) characters Chevy Chase has ever played, and he was always up to something. During an episode where he is pranked, Pierce takes things to the next level when he is tricked into thinking he has magical powers. That’s not bad on its own, but it gets awkward when the prickly character refuses to admit he in fact has no special abilities.

When Clark Griswold Destroyed Stonehenge (National Lampoon’s European Vacation)

Okay, Clark Griswold didn’t intend to destroy the iconic Stonehenge site in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, but that’s what happened when he backed into it. It’s not as severe as his other misgivings, but his lack of self-awareness makes him a jerk nonetheless.

The Time Pierce Hawthorne Wasn’t Invited To The D&D Game But Still Took It Over (Community)

On top of the whole “Fat Neil” situation, Pierce Hawthorne took his resentment to new levels on Community when he took over the Dungeons & Dragons game and inserted himself as an all-powerful villain. Talk about taking things too far, guy.

The best Saturday Night Live stars made an impact on the classic sketch comedy series, not just because of their ability to be funny but, more importantly, their ability to act. These comedy icons would go on to prove their versatility by challenging themselves in more serious roles on both the big and small screen, going on to earn widespread praise for their craft. Here, we show our appreciation for these dramatic performances by very funny people, including some that earned these SNL stars Oscar nominations.

Kristen Wiig (The Skeleton Twins)

This one technically counts as a twofer because the eponymous siblings in the 2014 twin movie, The Skeleton Twins, are played by SNL veterans Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Wiig has never given a more absorbing performance than in this movie that gets honest about mental illness as Maggie Dean, who is forced to put her own mental health struggles at bay to care for her gay, suicidal brother, Milo.

Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Robert Downey Jr. is already better known for his dramatic roles (and playing Iron Man in the Marvel movies) than his brief SNL stint. However, many agree that his career best so far is his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2023's Oppenheimer, which was his third Academy Award-nominated performance and the first to earn him the gold.

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Laurie Metcalf is one of the better examples of an actor with a largely forgotten SNL stint, considering she only made a couple of appearances on the show during Season 6. She is far better known for playing Jackie on Roseanne and The Conners and for her heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated performance in Greta Gerwig's acclaimed 2017 dramedy, Lady Bird, as the mother of the angsty titular role.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

Director Marc Forster’s 2006 film, Stranger Than Fiction, is still, essentially, a comedy but an undeniably dark one, as it follows an IRS agent named Harold Crick, who can hear the author of his life story foretelling his impending death. The role was one of the first to prove that a goofy actor like Will Ferrell had dramatic chops and his tender performance, one of the strongest of his career, would earn him a Golden Globe nomination.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

Perhaps the best thing outside of SNL to star Will Forte (in addition to the MacGruber movie and his prematurely canceled TV show The Last Man on Earth) is director Alexander Payne's Nebraska. The comedian shows a new rare side of himself in the Oscar-nominated 2013 as a David Grant, who agrees to travel cross-country with his estranged father, Woody (Bruce Dern), to claim a potentially non-existent prize of $1 million.

Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)

While Eddie Murphy scored a radio hit in 1985 with "Party All the Time," the moment that truly convinced the world that he was a musically talented SNL star was his performance in Dreamgirls. He received an Academy Award nomination for playing troubled R&B singer, James “Thunder” Early in the acclaimed 2006 musical.

Abby Elliott (The Bear)

Creator Christopher Storer's acclaimed FX original, The Bear, is often billed as a comedy, especially around awards season. However, real fans of the culinary series know that it is truly one of the most emotionally grasping shows of its time and Abby Elliott (daughter of fellow SNL vet Chris Elliott) has contributed to some of its strongest moments as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

While he is still beloved for comedies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, both critics and audiences agree that one of Adam Sandler's best movies is the intense 2019 thriller Uncut Gems. Many believed he deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance in the acclaimed A24 movie from Josh and Benny Safdie as self-destructive Manhattan jeweler Howard Rattner.

Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back)

It was not until years after her one-season stint on SNL that Sarah Silverman became one of the biggest names in comedy with her sharp stand-up and roles in popular funny movies. However, she had never received wider and stronger critical acclaim before playing vastly against type in the 2015 drama I Smile Back as a troubled woman struggling to hide her depression and self-destructive tendencies from her husband and young children.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Many would call Bill Murray (who was part of SNL's Not Ready for Primetime Players) losing Best Actor for one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, at the 2004 Academy Awards one of the biggest Oscar blunders in history. His performance in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s sophomore effort as a lonely veteran actor striking up an unlikely bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo is a masterclass in raw honesty and charm.

Chris Rock (Fargo)

No one was more surprised to see Noah Hawley offer Chris Rock one of the lead roles in the fourth season of his hit anthology TV show, Fargo, than the former SNL star himself. Rock – who went on to play a cop in a Saw movie called Spiral and starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic, Rustin – really turned heads with his commanding performance as Loy Cannon, who leads his 1950s-ear, Kansas City crime family with an iron fist.

Bill Hader (Barry)

When he created Barry with Alec Berg, Bill Hader knew people would think the idea of him playing a contract killer who falls in love with acting is pretty funny. That must have motivated the former SNL favorite to prove that he could bring himself to some disturbingly bleak places with his two-time Emmy-winning performance in the title role of the hit HBO series.

Kate McKinnon (Bombshell)

We genuinely believe that one of the most essential reasons why Bombshell is one of Kate McKinnon's best movies is the dynamic SNL star's performance. Her role as Fox News employee Jess Carr – a composite character based on real people involved with the real-life events that inspired the 2019 docudrama – could be written off as comic relief but she does show some real gravitas in its more somber moments.

Dan Aykroyd (Driving Miss Daisy)

Some of Dan Aykroyd's most notable cinematic efforts are actually movies based on SNL characters, namely The Blues Brothers and Coneheads. However, he would earn praise and an Academy Award nomination for his moving turn as Boolie Werthan in 1989’s beloved period drama, Driving Miss Daisy.

Andy Samberg (Lee)

When appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg acknowledged that a movie like Lee – the 2024 biopic about World War II photographer Lee Miller, played by Kate Winslet – is unlike anything the Lonely Island member has done before. However, not only is the SNL vet a dead ringer for Miller's colleague, David Scherman, but he excels in his emotionally heavy portrayal of the man.

Maya Rudolph (Away We Go)

Director Sam Mendes' Away We Go is a sweet, tender-hearted dramedy about a couple (played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) traveling the country in search of a worthy home for their soon-to-be-born child. Carrying most of the emotional weight in the film is Rudolph, resulting in one of her most wonderfully down-to-earth performances from one of SNL's goofiest female performers.

Molly Shannon (A Good Person)

Writer and director Zach Braff's A Good Person – following a young woman (played by Florence Pugh) and her post-accident road to recovery with help from her would-be father-in-law (played by Morgan Freeman) – is led to by heavy-hitting Oscar darlings. Yet, some say the heart and soul of the 2023 dramedy is Molly Shannon's performance as the mother of Pugh's character, for which she gives her most acclaimed, heartfelt dramatic performance yet.

Jay Pharoah (Unsane)

Jay Pharoah only departed from SNL a couple of years breaking into dramatic acting with director Steven Soderbergh's Unsane. The comedian and talented impressionist is electrifying in the mind-bending psychological thriller as a mental hospital patient who befriends Sawyer (Claire Foy), who claims she has been admitted against her will.

Jenny Slate (Obvious Child)

Arguably the most memorable moment from Jenny Slate's one-season SNL stint is when she accidentally dropped the F-bomb during her first show (which she confirmed had nothing to do with her exit, by the way). Years after her time at Studio 8H, the comedian amazed critics with her beautiful and heartbreaking performance in the 2014 romantic dramedy Obvious Child, in which she plays a stand-up comic dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.

Casey Wilson (Gone Girl)

Some might say that a sign of a great actor is the ability to convey all that an audience needs to know just in one's silent expressions. For proof, see Casey Wilson's performance as Amy Dunne's "friend" Noelle Hawthorne in David Fincher's Gone Girl, in which you rarely, if ever, hear her speak but are thoroughly captivated by her body language.

Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone)

In 1984, the same year that Anthony Michael Hall became a teen idol with roles in hilarious, high school movies The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, he became the youngest SNL cast member, coming on at just 17 years old. Years later, he fully reinvented himself as a serious actor as the star of USA's series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, in which he plays a man who wakes from a coma with the ability to see the future.

Christopher Guest (The Long Riders)

Christopher Guest joined the SNL cast in 1984, around the same time his career as the most trusted mockumentarian began as one of the writers and stars of This is Spinal Tap. He had shown Hollywood his more serious side years earlier by starring in The Long Riders – a fact-based Western noted for casting real-life siblings as real-life outlaw siblings, such as Guest and his brother, Nicholas, as Charley and Robert Ford.

Jane Curtin (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

After SNL, Jane Curtin went on to play many great comedic roles – such as her two-time Emmy-winning role on Kate & Allie and an acclaimed stint on 3rd Rock from the Sun – but did not have quite many opportunities to show her more serious side. That would change in 2018 when the one-time "Weekend Update" anchor starred in the biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? as Marjorie, who works as the agent for author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy).

Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)

Interestingly, Michael McKean was already an established comedy actor and had even hosted SNL before he joined as a cast member in the early 1990s. However, his reputation as a dramatic actor was never fully realized before his Emmy-nominated turn on Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul as Chuck, the delusional older brother of Jimmy McGill (former SNL writer Bob Odenkirk).

Joan Cusack (Arlington Road)

Joan Cusack became the first SNL star to earn two Academy Award nominations but both were for comedic roles, namely from 1988's Working Girl and In & Out from 1997. One might argue she deserved similar recognition for her work in 1999's Arlington Road as Cheryl Lang, who, along with her husband (played by Tim Robbins), is suspected of domestic terrorism by their neighbor, a professor (played by Jeff Bridges).

Billy Crystal (Before)

With the exception of, perhaps, the tearjerker ending of When Harry Met Sally..., it is hard to imagine Billy Crystal in a role that doesn't require him to be his signature goofy self. Thus, the comedic genius shocked audiences when he served as the star and showrunner of Apple TV+'s dark thriller Before, in which he plays a widowed child psychiatrist whose newest patient exhibits signs of psychopathy.

Janeane Garofalo (Cop Land)

Janeane Garofalo's time at SNL is largely forgotten but, luckily, did not affect her reputation as one of the smartest and most dynamic comedic actors in the 1990s. She further proved her versatility in 1997 as Deputy Sheriff Cindy Betts in James Mangold's acclaimed crime thriller, Cop Land.

Chevy Chase (Law & Order)

Chevy Chase's bread and butter on and off SNL was playing smarmy jerks. However, he really upped the ante in 2006 for his guest star appearance on Law & Order as an anti-Semitic murder suspect.

Tina Fey (A Haunting In Venice)

In addition to being the Agatha Christie surrogate in Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation, you could call Tina Fey's clever writer Ariadne Oliver the comic relief of A Haunting in Venice. However, the former SNL star and one-time head writer plays the role in the 2023 mystery thriller with an earnestness that is perfectly suitable for its story and tone.

Jim Belushi (The Principal)

Jim Belushi's stint at SNL was unavoidably a constant source of comparison to his older brother, John Belushi. Luckily, he went on to have a relatively successful run with more dramatic roles, such as a man who takes a job at an anarchic high school in 1987's The Principal.

Rob Riggle (12 Strong)

Rob Riggle's brief time at SNL led to a stint on The Daily Show and scene-stealing turns in comedies like Stepbrothers and 21 Jump Street but his best role might be from 2018's 12 Strong. As he told Stephen Colbert on Late Show, he was uniquely qualified to star in the fact-based military drama, not only because he is a former U.S. Marine but because the person he is portraying, Lt. Colonel Bowers, is his actual former boss.

Randy Quaid (The Last Detail)

One of the few people to become an Academy Award nominee before becoming an SNL cast member is Randy Quaid. He earned the honor from his performance in 1973's The Last Detail as a dishonorable discharged Naval officer who is shown one last good time by his superiors (played by Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) before facing jail time.

Making a movie about the institution that is Saturday Night Live has to be challenging. For starters, the audience comes to the movie with its own preconceived notions about the show. Then, director Jason Reitman spent years trying to find the ideal actors to play legendary comedians Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Garrett Morris, and more. Does he worry if those cast members watched the movie? And is he concerned what they think of it? Well, when it comes to Chase, Reitman need not worry, because the Fletch and Vacation star told him exactly what the thought after watching the comedy… and he didn’t hold back.

Jason Reitman appeared as a guest on the excellent Fly on the Wall podcast, hosted by Saturday Night Live alums Dana Carvey and David Spade. The pod has become a great spot for former cast and guests to stop by and share memories of creating iconic moments on the sketch comedy show. Jason Reitman makes for an obvious guest, having spent several years working on the movie Saturday Night. But when they got around to Chevy Chase, Reitman told the hosts what the notoriously difficult Weekend Update comedian thought of the film. Said Reitman:

That dry reaction apparently made David Spade and Dana Carvey die laughing. Because Chevy Chase is known for being such a condescending jerk, it’s hard to tell if he was being serious – shooting Jason Reitman down immediately after a screening of Saturday Night – or if he knew that delivering a crushing blow is exactly what would be funniest in that moment.

If you are going to hang out with comedians, you need to have a thick skin.

While Carvey and Spade tried to assure Rietman that Chase probably was being funny in his own vicious way, the director still confessed:

Perhaps that’s one way that a Hollywood legend like Chevy Chase can stay guarded, and protect his own image. He knows that he can’t do anything to control the way that he’s portrayed in Saturday Night by Cory Michael Smith. And truthfully, I thought Smith’s portrayal of Chase was one of the better turns in Reitman’s film. But what, am I going to argue with Chevy Chase about it? Not very likely.

Saturday Night is still a very fun watch, and a movie that was good enough to make CinemaBlend’s collective Best Movies of 2024 list. Catch up with it soon if you haven’t seen it yet.

Across four movies, National Lampoon's Vacation, National Lampoon's European Vacation, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and even Vegas Vacation, we've gone on a hilarious trip with the Griswold family. For clarity, we're not including the 2015 reboot of the series, but we are digging through some of the best quotes from the original movies in the franchise on this list.

Surprised, Eddie? If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am right now. - Christmas Vacation

Cousin Eddie, played by Randy Quaid, is the bane of Clark Griswold's existence. When he shows up unannounced for the Christmas celebration in Christmas Vacation, Clark (Chevy Chase) remarks just how surprised (and annoyed) he is to see him.

Sorry folks, park's closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya. - National Lampoon's Vacation

The best cameo role in the whole series is John Candy as the hapless security guard at Wally World when the Griswolds show up at the closed park. After Clark punches the moose in the face, Candy is there to tell that they should have listened to the defaced mascot.

And why is the carpet all wet, Todd? - Christmas Vacation

In a movie chock full of hilarious moments inside the Griswold home, one of the funniest exchanges of the movie happens in the house next door. When the yuppie neighbors, played by Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, arrive home to discover their window broken, the stereo trashed, and a mysterious wet carpet, they argue over how it could have happened.

I haven't seen a beatin' like that since somebody stuck a banana in my pants and turned a monkey loose. - Vegas Vacation

Eddie sure has a way with words, doesn't he? Vegas Vacation doesn't have many hilarious lines, but this is one of the best, and it's easily the most quotable from the whole movie.

Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament... again. - National Lampoon's European Vacation

It's easy to make the argument that European Vacation is the weakest of the original movies (though Vegas Vacation is probably weaker), but that doesn't mean it doesn't have some of the most memorable lines, like this one. How many times have you quoted this one? We'll bet it's a lot.

Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead? - Christmas Vacation

For pretty much all of Christmas Vacation, Clark is trying to figure out a way to get rid of Eddie and his family. It starts on the very first night he arrives as Clark refills Eddie's drink and offers a lot more.

Well am I gonna eat, or am I gonna starve to death? - National Lampoon's Vacation

Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) is a miserable relative who makes life harder for everyone she is around. The audience gets their first taste of Edna when she sits down at the picnic table at Eddie's house for lunch. Edna immediately makes it known that she's ready for lunch in the most unpleasant way.

Do you want that in the can? - National Lampoon's European Vacation

The one thing that makes European Vacation so memorable is all the lines you can use in real life. None more so than the one that Chevy Chase delivers when he's asked if he'd like his soft drink in the can. He looks to the lavatory and replies that he'll take it in his seat.

I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic. - Christmas Vacation

Eddie has a lot of problems. One of them happens to be a plate in his head. Instead of metal, however, it's plastic. This is one of the rare occasions when Eddie actually makes a smart decision and decides not to follow Clark with adding some cooking oil to his sled. It doesn't end for Clark.

You're the gourmet around here, Ed… Real tomato ketchup, Eddie? - National Lampoon's Vacation

The barbecue at Eddie's house is a nightmare we're all terrified of having to live through in real life. From hand-mixed punch to the hamburger helper to the "real" tomato ketchup. One thing is for sure, Eddie is no gourmet.

Yeah, I got the daughter in the clinic, getting cured off the Wild Turkey. - Christmas Vacation

One of the most underrated movies in the franchise is when Eddie is explaining why the older kids we all met in the first movie aren't around in Christmas Vacation. His son has joined the carnival and his daughter is in rehab. Classic Eddie.

Oh are you happy now Clark? She's deaf. - National Lampoon's Vacation

One of the many places where the Griswolds stop in Vacation is the cheesy tourist trap of Dodge City. The old-timey Western town features an equally cheesy old-timey saloon where Clark gets a little too into the role-playing and the bartender fires a blank at him. Of course, he's fine, but as Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) points out, their daughter Audrey is deaf.

You guys are growing up so fast, I hardly recognize you anymore! - Vegas Vacation

Despite popular belief, Vegas Vacation does have some pretty funny moments. One of those is a real meta moment when Clark makes a passing remark about how he hardly recognizes his kids anymore. This is, of course, a sly inside joke about how Audrey and Russ are played by different characters in each movie.

If that cat had nine lives, he just spent 'em all. - Christmas Vacation

You have to hand it to Eddie, sometimes he knows exactly what he is talking about. Take, for example, when the cat is electrocuted under a chair after gnawing on the Christmas tree lights. It was one of the more controversial moments in the movie, but audiences loved it.

I don't know why they call this stuff hamburger helper. It does just fine by itself, huh? I like it better than tuna helper myself, don't you, Clark? - National Lampoon's Vacation

Eddie doesn't have a lot of money. Well, he actually doesn't have any money. When stuck in that situation, you have to make lemonade out of lemons... or in this case, hamburgers out of hamburger helper. Ellen smartly doesn't let Clark eat anything but the toasted bun.

I can't believe you're standing here in my living room, Eddie. Never thought the day would come - Christmas Vacation

Clark is always astounded when Eddie is around and their back-and-forths in Christmas Vacation are among the best in the whole series. It plays right into Chevy Chase's strengths as a complete smart-aleck.

Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people, and I want him brought right here! With a big ribbon on his head! - Christmas Vacation

Clark's meltdown that the Christmas Vacation is one for the ages. After his boss, played by Brian Doyle Murray, stiffs Clark on his Christmas bonus, he completely loses it. Unfortunately, one family member takes him seriously and it almost ends with a trip to jail.

Nothing to be proud of Russ... - National Lampoon's Vacation

Easily one of the most quotable lines in the movie comes after Clark missed the "road ending" signs and launches the car off the end of the highway and gets some serious distance on the jump. Russ (Anthony Michael Hall) is impressed, though Clark insists it's nothing to be proud of, even though he clearly is pleased with himself for it.

You don't know when to quit, do ya Griswold? Here's an idea: Why don't you give me half the money you were gonna bet? Then, we'll go out back, I'll kick you in the nuts, and we'll call it a day! - Vegas Vacation

It's always a pleasure when the great Wallace Shawn shows up in a supporting role. In fact, he's probably the funniest part of Vegas Vacation, with all due respect to Wayne Newton. As the movie goes on, Clark gets more and more desperate as he gambles away his family's life savings. Wallace doesn't care, in fact, he only goads him more, the more Clark loses.

She queens... and vacuums. - National Lampoon's European Vacation

Despite Clark Griswold being the quintessential dad, he has surprisingly few pure "dad jokes." One major exception is his joke as they drive by Buckingham Palace in European Vacation.

Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. - Christmas Vacation

By the end of the movie, Clark is in full meltdown. As evident by this rant as everyone is threatening to leave before Christmas Eve is even over.

Speak the language, they're going to be very nice - National Lampoon's European Vacation

It's become a trope - the rude waiter in Paris. That's not to say it's never true, because it does happen. It happens in an over-the-top way to the family Griswold as they try to enjoy lunch under the Eiffel Tower when they have possibly the rudest waiter in all of France, despite, or perhaps because of, Clark's terrible attempt at France.

I owe it to myself to tell you that if you're taking the whole tribe cross-country, the Wagon Queen Family Truckster is the way to go. You think you hate it now, but just wait until you drive it. - National Lampoon's Vacation

Schitt's Creek cast member Eugene Levy only has a small role in the original Vacation but it's one of the most memorable. Levy plays the scummy car dealer who tricks Clark into buying a car he doesn't want. In fact, he sells him the ugliest car ever built. But it's one he'd take... if you can believe him.

Grace? She passed away thirty years ago. - Christmas Vacation

Clark's Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel) has pretty much lost all her marbles. When asked to give the blessing for the meal, she thinks the family is asking about one of her only friends who died decades earlier. Poor Bethany. And poor Grace.

Now in order to get to your rooms, you're going to have to go this way through the casino, veer to the left. Take a sharp right at the first giant palm tree. You'll see a group of blackjack tables. Not baccarat, not craps, blackjack. Keep going, then wind around to your left. If you get to the pool, you've gone too far - Vegas Vacation

Everyone who has ever been to Las Vegas has heard something like this when checking in. The key is not to start gambling before you at least find your room. It's easy to find the casino.

Eddie says after the baby comes, I can quit one of my night jobs. - National Lampoon's Vacation

Cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn) has a tough life, after all, she needs to live with her husband Eddie all the time. But, on the positive side, after she has her next baby, she can quit one of her jobs. Just one though.

He oughta know it's illegal. That's a storm sewer. If it fills with gas, I pity the person who lights a match within ten yards of it. - Christmas Vacation

Here it is, the most famous scene in all of the movies. Eddie, in his bathrobe, doing unspeakable things with the wastewater in his RV. His line is one of the most quotable lines of the movie, but in order to keep things family-friendly, we went with Clark's more underrated part of the exchange.

The dog wet on the picnic basket. - National Lampoon's Vacation

Along with Aunt Edna joining the Griswolds on their drive west is her dog, Dinky. Calling Dinky undisciplined is putting things mildly. At one point he even relieves himself on the family's lunch. Edna doesn't seem to mind, though Clark embarrasses himself while showing off.

Eddie, has anyone ever told you you're bad luck? - Vegas Vacation

In three of the four movies, Cousin Eddie does nothing but make life terrible for Clark and his family. In Vegas Vacation, that means putting the hex on Clark's gambling, at least, that's what Clark thinks. He's not afraid to tell him how terrible Eddie is.

I gotta be crazy, I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose! Praise Marty Moose! - National Lampoon's Vacation

In every Vacation movie, there is a point where Clark Griswold just loses it completely. In the first movie, it's a total classic in the car as he not-so-gently explains to his family that they aren't giving up, ever.

Kent, I believe the pyramidal tracks are housing development outside of Cairo. - National Lampoon's European Vacation

The opening scene in European Vacation finds the Griswolds one a ridiculous game show dressed in pig costumes. They are up against a family of academics and don't seem to have a chance. Clark's answer to a question about the pyramidal tracks proves it. (They are part of the human brain).

I don't know, Rusty, but when this is all over, your father... may be going away for a little while. - National Lampoon's Vacation

After Clark loses it in Christmas Vacation and Eddie kidnaps his boss, Ellen explains to Russ that things might not turn out ok. Luckily they do.

One of the most memorable musical acts on Saturday Night Live was The Blues Brothers, which were actually Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Of course, they are not the only great SNL cast members who have surprised audiences with their musical talents. See for yourself by taking a look at this list of comedic geniuses who can also sing, dance, and play instruments.

Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen has demonstrated his skills with multiple musical instruments on SNL on various occasions, from playing guitar as Prince, drums as Fericito, or piano as Joshua Rainhorn. Outside of Studio 8H, he would perform on his other great sketch comedy TV show, Portlandia, and even served as Seth Meyers' bandleader on Late Night for a while.

Maya Rudolph

Arguably the single funniest SNL sketch led by Maya Rudolph sees her demonstrate her amazing pipes as a woman who overdoes it a little bit with her World Series National Anthem performance. The daughter of famous soul singer Minnie Riperton and composer Richard Rudolph also made a great Beyoncé on the "Prince Show" sketches and, speaking of the late artist, she is part of a cover band called Princess. She even started in music before SNL when she was a keyboardist and backing vocalist for the '90s band The Rentals.

John Belushi

Not only did John Belushi perform with Dan Aykroyd as The Blues Brothers on the Studio 8H stage but the duo also had a record deal, a hit concert tour, and led one of the best SNL movies ever as Jake and Elwood Blues. The late comedian also performed a striking impersonation of Joe Cocker, including once with the "Feelin' Alright" singer himself.

Melissa Villaseñor

One of Melissa Villaseñor's most impressive impersonations on SNL was a spot-on Dolly Parton but she had been matching the vocals of artists like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears during her earlier stand-up days. Since her SNL exit in 2022, she has continued to demonstrate her singing talent, such as with her collaboration with Wolves of Glendale for the song "Life's Better in Spanish" in 2024.

Dana Carvey

Dana Carvey debuted his character Derek Stevens in an SNL sketch featuring a ridiculous song called, "The Lady I Know," which is concluded with the repeated lyric, "Chopping broccoli." Then and any other time he would appear as the vapid pop star, Carvey would actually play the song on piano, which he would also incorporate into his early stand-up and demonstrated in his audition for the show.

Jimmy Fallon

Before becoming a "Weekend Update" co-host, Jimmy Fallon had a recurring segment with acoustic parodies of hit songs commenting on various topics. He would go on to incorporate his musical talents into his career as a late-night talk show host and has since released a few musical comedy albums.

Eddie Murphy

After his skillful impersonations of artists like Stevie Wonder and James Brown helped save SNL in the 1980s, Eddie Murphy would later prove that his musical prowess was not limited to comedic imitations. He scored a hit single later that decade with "Party All the Time" and became an Oscar-nominated SNL alum with his performance in the 2006 musical, Dreamgirls.

Andy Samberg

Golden Globe-winning former SNL star Andy Samberg is also known as a member of the comedy hip-hop trio The Lonely Island, alongside Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. Many of the best SNL Digital Shorts, which the group was in charge of, are their music videos, such as "Lazy Sunday" and "I'm On a Boat."

Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler would perform music often on "Weekend Update," whether it was as himself debuting original tunes like "The Hanukkah Song" or as Opera Man, recalling the week's biggest headlines in melody. The Uncut Gems actor continued to make music a part of his career with movies like The Wedding Singer and the musical grown-up animated movie, Eight Crazy Nights, as well as in his stand-up routines.

Dan Aykroyd

If Dan Aykroyd had not introduced John Belushi to the blues, The Blues Brothers would have never taken the Studio 8H stage and experienced the success they had. Outside his performances as Elwood Blues, the Ghostbusters actor also participated in the chorus for the iconic 1985 recording of "We Are the World."

Martin Short

Martin Short's most notable musical contributions to SNL happened after his one-season stint at Studio 8H when he would return as a host. However, the comedian has numerous musical accomplishments outside the show, from his Tony Award-winning performance in Neil Simon's Little Me to an insult-filled duet he and Steve Martin performed while on tour.

Kate McKinnon

While known better for her hilarious physicality and characterizations, Kate McKinnon has had a number of chances to show off her pipes on SNL. For instance, she had host Ariana DeBose in awe when she joined the future Oscar winner for a medley of songs from West Side Story.

Christopher Guest

During his sole season on SNL, Christopher Guest could be seen playing guitarist Nigel Tunfel in one of the best movies about music, the 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. The fictional English heavy metal group would reunite for subsequent performances and album recordings, namely 1992's Break Like the Wind and 2009's Back from the Dead.

Taran Killam

Very rarely did Taran Killam, who was also a MADtv cast member for a little bit, have much opportunity to sing on SNL. However, he took many opportunities to carry a tune on Broadway, performing in shows like Hamilton and Spamalot.

Ana Gasteyer

Only a singer as talented as Ana Gasteyer could impress Celine Dion with her impersonation of the French-Canadian diva enough to be invited to join her in concert. The SNL star, also known for performing with Will Ferrell as married music teachers, The Culps, has performed on Broadway as well, such as when she played Elphaba in a Chicago production of Wicked.

Kenan Thompson

Many recurring characters played by Kenan Thompson – one of the longest-running SNL cast members – are musically inclined, such as What Up with That? host Diondre Cole. The former All That and Kenan & Kel star for co-writing an R&B parody song called, "Come Back, Barack," which he also performed with Chris Redd and host Chance the Rapper.

Harry Shearer

Harry Shearer, who was on SNL from 1979 to 1980 and once more from 1984 to 1985, has demonstrated his musical talent in movies like This is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. The Simpsons star has also co-written a satirical stage musical called J. Edgar! The Musical and released five solo musical comedy albums.

Garrett Morris

Before he became a Not Ready for Primetime Player, Garrett Morris was a Julliard-trained singer who performed with Harry Belafonte and did various Broadway shows. He utilized these talents in various memorable moments on SNL, such as when he performed a particularly risqué tune as an inmate auditioning for a prison theatre program.

Robert Downey Jr.

Perhaps if Robert Downey Jr. was given a chance to show off his vocal range during his short SNL tenure, he could have lasted a little bit longer. The Oscar winner and Marvel movie star recorded an acclaimed rendition of Joni Mitchell's "River" for a holiday album called Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas and released a studio album in 2004 called The Futurist.

Paul Shaffer

There is really no surprise that Paul Shaffer is musically talented, given his tenure as part of Studio 8H's house band and The Blues Brothers Band and as the bandleader for David Letterman's late-night TV career. What might be surprising to some – despite making history as the show's first F-bomb dropper in an infamous SNL moment – is that he was actually part of the cast during Season 5.

Pete Davidson

Given his popularity, Pete Davidson could probably release a hit album, having debuted some surprisingly good rhymes on SNL and impressed fans with his viral parody of Barbie's "I'm Just Ken," called "I'm Just Pete." The comedian once had the opportunity to perform his favorite song, "Gangster's Paradise," with the legendary rapper who crafted the song, Coolio, for a Comedy Central event.

Jim Belushi

Years after John Belushi's death, Dan Aykroyd teamed up with John's younger brother for an album called Have Love, Will Travel. Jim Belushi would also perform with a more recent iteration of The Blues Brothers Band as "Zee Blues" and he also composed and performed the theme song for his sitcom, According to Jim.

Christine Ebersole

Somehow, SNL never really figured out what to do with Christine Ebersole, whose one-season stint is much forgotten. Luckily, she would still achieve much notoriety for her Tony Award-winning performances in Broadway musicals 42nd Street and Grey Gardens.

Cecily Strong

Before Cecily Strong left SNL in 2022, she had demonstrated her singing talent as one of the main stars of Apple TV+'s musical fantasy comedy series, Schmigadoon! Thus, audiences knew to expect some special when she ended her Studio 8H tenure singing "Blue Christmas" with host and Elvis star Austin Butler.

Chloe Troast

It is a shame that Chloe Troast only lasted one season on SNL because she has one of the strongest singing voices of almost anybody to join the cast. She wowed audiences with songs she performed as a woman posing as a young orphan named Cassidy and as Mama Cass in fake footage from the recording of "Make Your Own Kind of Music."

Michael McKean

Before he joined the cast, Michael McKean appeared on SNL as Spinal Tap's David St. Hubbins and, when he hosted in 1984, was joined by Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest for a special musical performance as their other fictional band, The Folksmen. Speaking of, when The Folksmen reunited for the 2003 mockumentary A Mighty Wind, McKean won a Grammy for its title song, and another track from the film, "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," earned him an Oscar nomination.

Will Ferrell

Probably Will Ferrell's most famous musically inclined character is Marty Culp but we also know from a certain legendary SNL sketch that he can play the cowbell like no one else. The actor also did all of his own singing in the final act of StepBrothers.

Chevy Chase

There is a great cold open from the first season of SNL in 1976 starring Chevy Chase as future president Ronald Reagan, who tries to prove that the conservative politician and actor could still be "hip" by playing keyboard in a jazz band. The comedian actually plays the keys pretty sloppily in the sketch but that is by design, as he is a very talented piano player in real life. While in college, Chase played drums in a band called The Leather Canary, alongside his college friends Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, a band that would go on to become Steely Dan.

Billy Crystal

Despite blessing SNL with many "mahvelous" memories as a host and brief cast member, none of Billy Crystal's most memorable moments from Studio 8H are particularly musical in nature. However, there are plenty of memorable musical moments throughout his career, such as when he hosted the Oscars and honored the Best Picture nominees with parody renditions of popular songs or when he and John Goodman performed "If I Didn't Have You" for the Monsters Inc. soundtrack.

Phil Hartman

The late Phil Hartman had a million-dollar voice that he put to grand use throughout his time at SNL and in other notable credits from his career but not for anything related to music. However, at the end of his very last show, he participated in a The Sound of Music parody, singing the final "Good night" lyric in such a genuine and endearing fashion.

Jason Sudeikis

During his seven years as an SNL cast member, very rarely did Jason Sudeikis make any musical contributions in a sketch, save when he played possessive '80s pop star "Ocean Billy" in a Worst of Soul Train DVD ad or one-half of Bon Jovi rip-off band, Jon Bovi. He has since gotten more use out of his musical talent on an annual basis by hosting a charity event called Thundergong.

Nasim Pedrad

We heard Nasim Pedrad's singing voice in a few SNL sketches, such as a music video for a song about getting busy with your significant other in your childhood bedroom while staying with family for the holidays. It is a wonder why she never got her own song in Disney's 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin.

When a performer says goodbye to the Saturday Night Live cast, it does not necessarily mean forever. Often, the sketch comedy TV show will invite an esteemed alum to appear in an episode either as a special guest or as a headliner, sometimes resulting in a hall-of-fame hosting gig. The following are some of our favorite times a former SNL star made a grand impression when they came back to Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy

After leaving SNL in 1984, Eddie Murphy came back to host (actually his second time, having hosted while still on the cast in 1982) for an episode later that year, on which he debuted, arguably, his best SNL sketch, "White Like Me." After being honored at the 40th anniversary special, the Academy Award nominee came back to host a third time, resulting in one of the most acclaimed episodes of Season 45.

Ben Stiller

You might have forgotten that Ben Stiller was a cast member since he only lasted four episodes in 1989, which he acknowledged when he first came back to host in 1998 after becoming a bigger name in comedy. He would return to host again 2011 in, followed by a series of recurring appearances as Donald Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, in 2018.

Norm Macdonald

Famously, Norm Macdonald was fired from the SNL cast in 1998 for, as the NBC executives at the time claimed, not being funny. Just a year and a half later, he came back to host an episode, during which he joked in his monologue that he had not gotten any funnier but the show had gotten "really bad" since his exit.

Robert Downey Jr.

Before becoming one of the most beloved A-list actors in Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr. was one of the most heavily criticized cast members from one of the most heavily criticized seasons of SNL from 1985 to 1986. He only came back to host once in 1996, during which he proved was the supremely talented performer we know and love and, eventually, became the first former SNL cast member to win an Oscar for Oppenheimer in 2024.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus would not become a comedy icon until after her three-year stint at Studio 8H from 1982 to 1985 when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes. In 2006, fresh off her Emmy win for The New Adventures of Old Christine, she became the first female former SNL cast member to return as a host, which she would follow with two more gigs.

Jimmy Fallon

After a successful six years at SNL from 1998 to 2004, Jimmy Fallon would return for three hosting gigs and countless cameos. Each time the late-night TV host comes back to Studio 8H tends to be a celebrated affair, especially because there is a good chance that his friend, Justin Timberlake, will show up to participate in a new edition of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" or some other sketch.

John Mulaney

While he was never part of the SNL cast, John Mulaney would perform a few funny segments on "Weekend Update" during his five years on the writing staff. He would later become one of the biggest names in stand-up comedy and such a beloved host that he joined the Five-Timers Club within only four years.

Dan Aykroyd

Sometimes, for a cast veteran, the key to a memorable hosting gig is to wait an exceptionally long time to come back as an SNL host, much like Dan Aykroyd did. The legendary, Canadian-American comedy star, known for sketches like “The Coneheads” and “Super Bass-o-Matic ‘76” from his tenure as a Not Ready for Primetime Player, headlined an episode in 2003, more than two decades after leaving the show.

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is actually one of several SNL cast members who only lasted one season but still ended up becoming a huge success in the end. Two decades after she was let go from the series, the acclaimed comedian hosted a funny episode from Season 40.

Martin Short

It is hard to believe that a performer like Martin Short was only an SNL cast member for one season but he has, luckily, continued to demonstrate his dynamic comedic talents through memorable hosting gigs. His first hosting gig from 1986 was shared with his Three Amigos co-stars, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin – the latter of which he would co-host with again in 2022.

Adam Sandler

Surprisingly, despite making a couple of cameos over the years, Adam Sandler would not host SNL until 2019, which resulted in an instant favorite episode in which he sang two memorable songs. The former "SNL Bad Boy's" first tune (including a Chris Rock appearance) was during his monologue and discussed how he was fired after four seasons in 1995 and the other was a tribute to Chris Farley.

Kate McKinnon

After 10 wonderful years at SNL, the great Kate McKinnon would return a year and a half later to host the last episode of 2023, which proved to be a very successful episode, and not just because it featured cameos by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and her Barbie director, Greta Gerwig. Also, in Season 49, she would also come back for one more appearance as alien abduction victim Colleen Rafferty to make host Ryan Gosling laugh uncontrollably once again.

Chevy Chase

Only two weeks after his final episode as an SNL cast member, Chevy Chase made a hilarious, self-mocking cameo in the cold open as himself, performing music for tips outside of 30 Rock. He would continue to return for more cameos and eventually became the first host to join the Five-Timers Club before the idea of it had been suggested by Tom Hanks.

Billy Crystal

In a unique twist on this topic, Billy Crystal was actually meant to appear on the very first episode of SNL in 1975 but was ultimately cut for time, as depicted in the 2024 movie Saturday Night. As his notoriety increased, the comedian was asked to host twice in 1984 before being hired later that year as a cast member, during which he lit up the screen with his impersonation of Fernando Lamas and other notable characters.

Tina Fey

Having served as both "Weekend Update" host and head writer near the end of her nine-year tenure, Tina Fey was a true SNL MVP but some of her most memorable moments on the show occurred after her 2006 exit. Prior to her Five-Timers Club induction, the 30 Rock creator and star made numerous appearances as Sarah Palin that earned rave reviews.

Dana Carvey

A key element to SNL's new golden era from 1986 to 1993 was Dana Carvey and his wonderful talent for impressions, which he would continue to lend to Studio 8H in the years since his exit. The Wayne's World star is one of the most frequent returning cast members, especially in Season 50 as President Joe Biden.

David Spade

Many of David Spade's funniest quotes originate from his six years on SNL in the early-to-mid-1990s. His blunt, sarcastic, and sometimes unapologetically brutal delivery of mockery at other celebrities' expense would serve him well in his hosting gigs – the first of which included a cold open featuring Brad Pitt as his therapist.

Kristen Wiig

The final episode of SNL's 37th Season was the final episode for a few notable cast members but it ended with a grand send-off purely dedicated to Kristen Wiig's esteemed seven years, which included some hilarious quotes. It was not long before the Oscar nominee was asked to bring back her famous characters as a host and her Season 49 episode saw her induction into the Five-Timers Club.

Chris Farley

After becoming one of SNL's most esteemed icons during his five-season run and proving to be a box office draw with movies like Tommy Boy, Chris Farley was at the height of his fame when he came back to host two years after leaving. However, his October 1997 episode is now remembered more somberly because, only two months later, he would pass away from a drug overdose at the age of 33.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph proved herself as an all-time great during her seven years on SNL in the 2000s. She would return for multiple hosting gigs and an innumerable amount of special guest appearances, most notably as her Emmy-winning portrayal of Kamala Harris.

Pete Davidson

For his clever "Weekend Update" commentaries, fascinating personal life, and title as the youngest SNL cast member on record, Pete Davidson was one of the series' most talked about performers when he left at the end of Season 47. He was initially meant to return as a host for the following season but, due to the Writers' Strike, he instead returned for the Season 49 premiere, which featured a viral pre-filmed bit poking fun at his post-SNL career inspired by Barbie's "I'm Just Ken."

Tracy Morgan

Impersonations of the likes of Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey and hilarious original characters like Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones made Tracy Morgan a force to be reckoned with during his seven years on SNL. As a result, each of the 30 Rock cast member's returns to the Studio 8H stage as a host or guest have been warm celebrations of his best moments as a cast member.

Paul Shaffer

Starting off as a member of Studio 8H's house band, Paul Shaffer later made history as the first person to drop the F-bomb on SNL during his 1979-1980 stint on the cast. Of course, he bounced back from the incident without issue and would make cameos on the show and host an episode from 1987 after being David Letterman's bandleader greatly increased his notoriety.

Damon Wayans

One of the most infamous SNL cast firings is that of Damon Wayans, who changed the nature of a character on the fly in the middle of a broadcast in 1986. The comedian would find even greater success as a member of the In Living Color cast and, in 1995, was asked to come back as a host.

Phil Hartman

It is easy to understand why some argue that Phil Hartman is the greatest SNL cast member of all time and why, just two years after his exit, he was asked to host twice in 1996. We have no doubt we would have seen more of the Emmy winner gracing the Studio 8H stage again if not for his untimely murder in 1998 at the age of 49.

Chris Rock

The first "Bad Boy of SNL" to return as a host was Chris Rock in 1996, which was three years after his departure. At that point, the comedian had found decent subsequent success by making appearances on the show's biggest competitor at the time, In Living Color.

Jason Sudeikis

While he would make several post-exit guest appearances, Jason Sudeikis' first time hosting in 2021 was eight years after he left the show, which was actually a year later than he had intended. The gig was a big moment, given his Emmy-winning success on Ted Lasso at the time and his heartfelt opening monologue celebrating his time as a writer-turned-cast member.

Will Ferrell

Despite a hiccup or two in his early days on the cast, Will Ferrell became one of the most beloved SNL cast members of the 90s and early 2000s. His many appearances since, including five hosting gigs, have resulted in some of the show's most celebrated moments in recent years.

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler's impeccable skills of impersonation and arsenal of uproarious characters made her seven years on SNL a one-of-a-kind era. Her many notable appearances since include co-hosting with her friend and one-time "Weekend Update" co-anchor Tina Fey in 2015 and making cameoing as Leslie Knope alongside her fellow former Parks and Recreation cast member, Aubrey Plaza, in 2023.

Darrell Hammond

One of the all-time longest-standing SNL cast members is Darrell Hammond with 14 seasons but his time at Studio 8H would not stop there after all. In addition to making special appearances – most notably in "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches as Sean Connery – the actor would succeed Don Pardo as the show's announcer when Pardo passed away in 2014.

Molly Shannon

Three-time Emmy nominee Molly Shannon is the driving force behind one of the most iconic SNL characters to earn their own movie, Mary Katherine Gallagher. The misfit Catholic high school student is just one character she has brought back for her numerous appearances on the show since leaving in 2001, including two hosting gigs.

Bill Murray

After Chevy Chase left in 1976, stepping in to join the Not Ready for Primetime Players was Bill Murray, who hilariously acknowledged his struggle to make an impression on SNL early on in a famous sketch. Of course, the Oscar nominee would quickly achieve wild notoriety in the 1980s, which made his subsequent five hosting gigs and additional cameos much-celebrated occasions.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article gives away several pivotal moments from Saturday Night, so proceed with caution if you have not yet seen the dramedy.

As a lifelong fan of Saturday Night Live, I had a feeling that Saturday Night would be one of my favorite 2024 movies, and I was correct. However, there were also several moments throughout Jason Reitman’s dramatization of the first SNL episode when I found myself wondering, How much of this is real?

As it turns out, while there are many embellished details in Reitman and Gil Kenan’s screenplay, there is a fair amount of truth behind the 90-minute whirlwind of backstage chaos that is Saturday Night. Take a look at these facts from the history of the groundbreaking sketch comedy TV show to learn what is real and what is merely based on reality in the biopic.

John Belushi's Bee Costume Protest

To die-hard SNL fans, it is no secret John Belushi (portrayed by Matt Wood) indeed hated dressing up as a bee for the show, which was then called NBC’s Saturday Night. However, one-time Studio 8H bandmate Paul Schaffer recalls in his book We'll Be Here For The Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga that the costume eventually led to the creation of the Blues Brothers. Belushi and Dan Aykroyd debuted as Jake and Elwood while dressed as the insects before later donning their signature look and eventually inspiring one of the best moves based on SNL characters in 1980.

Lorne Michaels Almost Hosted Weekend Update

Showtime is just minutes away when Saturday Night creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) passes the responsibility of hosting “Weekend Update” to Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), who would retain the gig until he left SNL not long after completing one season. In 2014, Michaels told Deadline he was the original host, but Chase was ultimately selected much earlier and, in fact, before he was added to the cast, having originally been hired as a writer.

NBC's Tonight Show Back-Up Plan

The film sees Saturday Night under the threat of being replaced with a rerun of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (which is what NBC normally played during Saturday’s 11:30 p.m. timeslot at the time) if it does not make it to air. As mentioned in the acclaimed book Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests, it was actually Michaels himself who pushed for a backup plan, asking executives to have a movie ready in case things did not go according to plan.

Romance Between SNL Cast Members

It is implied in Saturday Night that Laraine Newman (played by Emily Fairn) was romantically linked to Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), who later played her father in the “Coneheads” sketches. The SNL stars did share a fling, as Newman recalled in her memoir May You Live in Interesting Times, but, as the film also subtly hints, Aykroyd had an additional affair with producer Rosie Shuster (played by Rachel Sennott). That juicy detail comes from the firsthand testimony of Paula Davis (an assistant from those days), according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hiring Alan Zweibel

A Saturday Night moment I was especially skeptical of is when Michaels stops by a comedy club, meets Alan Zweibel (Silicon Valley cast member Josh Brener), and hires him on the spot with roughly 30 minutes to spare. While the Emmy winner was not added to the SNL writing staff so soon before the premiere, Zweibel (as he shared with Variety) did make a living writing for stand-up comedians prior. In fact, the joke he hands Chevy Chase to read on “Update” in the film is the joke that got him hired and was actually used in the segment.

The Writers Bullying Jim Henson

In addition to playing Andy Kaufman, Succession cast member Nicholas Braun also portrays Jim Henson, who discusses with Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris (no relation) that the writers rebelled against his Muppet-starring segment, “The Land of Gorch,” by hanging Big Bird outside his dressing room door. Alan Zweibel recalled in Live from New York that the writers did hate “writing for felt,” as then-head writer Michael O’Donahue famously proclaimed. In fact, while Tommy Dewey’s portrayal of O’Donahue sarcastically apologizes about Big Bird on the writers’ behalf, Zweibel claims it was him who performed that very "lynching" using a Venetian blinds pull string in the writers’ room.

Cutting Billy Crystal's Segment

Before Billy Crystal spoke some of his best quotes as an SNL cast member in the ‘80s, he was scheduled to appear on the first episode. However, he was ultimately cut, just as Saturday Night depicts with Nicholas Podany delivering a pitch-perfect impersonation of the then-up-and-coming comedian. As he recalled in Live from New York, Crystal was initially upset he could not perform his safari-inspired bit, while fellow comedian Valri Bromfield (Corine Britti) was allowed a few minutes to show her material.

Laying Bricks On The SNL Stage

According to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live, the bricks that made up Studio 8H’s “home base” arrive a day before the premiere and had to be laid overnight – a detail that Jason Reitman told ScreenRant largely inspired his approach to making the film. While home base was not single-handedly constructed within an hour of the premiere broadcast, much of the set still was. So the image of production designer Akira “Leo” Yoshimura (who once made Chris Pine laugh in a Star Trek sketch, and is played here by Abraham Hsu) is a semi-accurate reflection of the painstaking work done that night.

John Belushi's Late Contract Signing

John Belushi causes trouble in Saturday Night in a number of ways, including waiting until the last minute to sign his contract with the show. According to Live From New York, while not depicted exactly as it happened, this is one of the film’s more accurate details. Bernie Brillstein, Lorne Michaels’ manager at the time, said in the book that he had to agree to be Belushi's manager in order to get him to sign the contract literally five minutes before air.

George Carlin's Alexander The Great Sketch Refusal

The premiere of Saturday Night Live was hosted by George Carlin – whom you will notice, if you watch the episode with a Peacock subscription, does not appear in any sketches. Saturday Night explains that he was set to play Alexander the Great in one segment until it was dropped when the comedian (played by Matthew Rhys) decided, between the dress rehearsal and the live broadcast, that he did not want to do it. Despite some clear dramatic exaggeration in the film, that is exactly what happened, as recalled in Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live.

Milton Berle Flashing Chevy Chase

While Milton Berle was not even at Studio 8H the night of the SNL premiere, there is some truth to the scene when the comedy legend (played by Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons) whips out his member in front of Chevy Chase. Alan Zweibel claimed in Live From New York that on the night of Berle’s 1979 hosting gig, he made a joke about the comedian's size and he responded by exposing himself to him on the spot right as Gilda Radner walked in.

Well, it looks like even when this film is stretching the truth, it is not too far off from it either. In some cases, this sort of approach results in the most fun kind of biopic and I believe that the critically acclaimed Saturday Night is a lively example of that.

Over on NBC, the late-night sketch comedy staple Saturday Night Live is celebrating 50 years of entertainment. Singer and Wicked star Ariana Grande will be hosting the October 12 episode, followed by Michael Keaton on October 19. As we are starting to learn, however, none of that would have been possible if Lorne Michaels and his initial cast of hooligans didn’t get the show off the ground way back in 1974… an act of rebellion that’s currently being celebrated by Jason Reitman’s upcoming 2024 film Saturday Night.

The original cast of Saturday Night Live included some heavy hitters in the comedic world, and the strength of Jason Reitman’s new movie lies in the cast he found to portray these icons in their early stages. Succession star Nicholas Braun – hilarious as Cousin Greg – all but steals the show playing both Jim Henson and Andy Kauffman. I thought Lamorne Morris and Ella Hunt were spectacular as Garrett Morris and Gilda Radner, respectively. But the standout is Cory Michael Smith as a young Chevy Chase. He’s cocky. He’s confident. He’s so damn good as young Chevy Chase, I basically want him to start remaking old Chase movies so he can keep doing this impersonation.

During a recent Saturday Night press day, though, when I asked Cory Michael Smith which classic Chevy Chase movie he’d love to remake, he didn’t go with Vacation or Fletch. Instead, the actor told CinemaBlend:

See if you can spot some of those moments in the Foul Play trailer, from 1978:

Two years after Foul Play, Chevy Chase would be part of the all-star ensemble of Caddyshack, one of the best golf movies ever made (and also the funniest). And there would be no looking back, leading to Chase becoming one of the most successful Saturday Night Live cast members to break into Hollywood. Chase would go back to television over the years, notably as part of Community, and also returned to SNL on anniversary celebrations.

But Saturday Night will show you where Chase, and several others, got their start when the movie opens wide in theaters on October 11.

Right up until October 10, 1975, no one knew what Saturday Night Live was… or what it could become. The following evening, producer Lorne Michaels launched a 90-minute live sketch comedy program that introduced the world to some of the best performers who helped to create the most memorable skits in network history. Decades later, the idea of Saturday Night Live seems obvious. Almost inevitable. But the first trailer for Jason Reitman’s upcoming Saturday Night suggests that NBC itself wanted Michaels and his crew to fail. As if these players weren’t ready for prime time.

Above you can see the full for Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, which has an outstanding cast that are doing impressions of beloved SNL alums. And while there are plenty of strong performances in this first sneak peek, Cory Michael Smith's Chevy Chase impression is perhaps my favorite. And I can't wait to see the movie when its released later this year.

The concept, as you can see, traces the 90 minutes leading up to the airing of the first episode of Saturday Night Live. As such, Reitman’s movie features fascinating portrayals of the legendary early cast: Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Jane Curtain (Kim Matula), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), and Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith). But the movie seems to be told through the POV of Michaels, portrayed in the movie by Gabriel LaBelle, who last played Sammy Fabelman in Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical awards winner.

As you watch the trailer, you start to feel the extreme urgency that comes with putting on the historic live program. Creating Saturday Night Live helped burn out so many performers, notably Jay Mohr. But the fun part of this first trailer is spotting legends who were there on night one. Looks for unconventional performance artist Andy Kaufman, the legendary Jim Henson (Nicholas Braun), Billy Crystal (Nicholas Podany) and more.

I also really love the look of Saturday Night. Jason Reitman and his cinematographer Eric Steelberg (Up in the Air, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) have shot on film, creating the appearance of canistered film that was captured in 1975 and archived until now, giving the period comedy an authentic and visceral feel.

Saturday Night Live continues to be a relevant (even vital) contributor to the culture, and expects to be even more influential as we head into a volatile presidential election season. Fans of the show expect to see Maya Rudolph back in the spotlight as Kamala Harris when the show returns for its historic 50th season. So it’ll be interesting to see how Reitman captures the long-running show in its earliest moments, bringing legendary cast members to life and showing a curious audience exactly what happened right before the announcer said, for the very first time, “Live from New York. It’s Saturday night!” While we wait for its release, check the 2025 movie release dates.

The notion of a TV show going through cast changes for one reason or another isn’t all that unusual. In some cases, an actor might choose to leave a show in order to pursue other opportunities. And, at other times, a character naturally runs their course and is written out, leading to a star being ushered out of a production gracefully. However, there have been a number of instances in which an actor has dramatically exited a popular show for more salacious reasons. And we’re going to talk about a number of those situations.

Mackenzie Phillips (One Day At A Time)

Mackenzie Phillips dealt with substance and alcohol abuse during her tenure on One Day at a Time. As her problems increased and she allegedly became erratic on set, the actress was fired after the fifth season of the Norman Lear-produced sitcom. After voluntarily receiving treatment, Philips was invited back to the series at the start of Season 7. But, as mentioned in her Biography special she was fired one more time early in Season 9.

Delta Burke (Designing Women)

Designing Women cast member Delta Burke, who played breakout character Suzanne Sugarbaker, left the beloved CBS comedy after its fifth season. At the time, Burke was having issues with series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. While appearing on the Glamorous Trash podcast years later, Burke said she and the EP “tried to kill each other” but “survived.” They eventually patched things up and teamed up again for a short-lived spinoff series, Women of the House.

John Amos (Good Times) 

Fans, like myself, would probably argue that Good Times – one of the greatest sitcoms of all time – changed tremendously after John Amos’ James Evans Sr. was written out following Season 3. That creative decision was the result of Amos being incredibly vocal about his frustrations with the direction of the show and even threatening the writers. As the actor explained during an interview, series EP Norman Lear called him up personally to tell him he’d been fired. 

Rob Lowe (The West Wing)

Before he dazzled on Parks and Recreation and after rising to prominence as a “Brat Pack” member, Rob Lowe starred on The West Wing. The show was originally set to center around his character, Sam Seaborn, though the focus shifted early on. Feeling underutilized as time went on, Lowe left the show after four seasons.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

Roseanne Barr’s eponymous ABC sitcom was revived for a tenth season that aired in 2018, and it saw considerable success. Following its renewal, Barr was fired after posting a tweet about former government official Valerie Janet that was condemned as being racist. Her dismissal led to the cancellation of Roseanne and the conception of a spinoff sequel series The Conners.

Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Two actresses portrayed Vivian “Aunt Viv” Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the first being Janet Hubert. By the NBC sitcom’s third season, she and lead actor Will Smith began to butt heads. Both were also dealing with situations in their personal lives. Ultimately, Hubert left Fresh Prince due to getting an unsatisfactory new contract offer and, years later, she and Smith made amends during the show’s 2020 reunion.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

House of Cards experienced a significant shake-up after Kevin Spacey was accused of being inappropriate towards actor Anthony Rapp while he was still a minor. Netflix eventually cut ties with Spacey and, as a result, he was replaced as the lead of the show by co-star Robin Wright.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

When it comes to an exit from a TV series, few get more dramatic than Charlie Sheen’s departure from Two and a Half Men. During the eighth season of the hit CBS show, he made headlines for partaking in wild parties and even entered rehab. Sheen’s fate was sealed, however, when he made disparaging remarks about series co-creator Chuck Lorre. Men would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher taking over as co-lead.

Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) 

There are a lot of moving parts to Katherine Heigl’s Grey’s Anatomy exit, but it was truly set in motion after the actress kept her name from Emmy consideration in 2008. Heigl did that because she didn’t think the work she’d done for that particular season was Emmy-worthy. In 2009, the Izzie Stevens actress accused series creator Shonda Rhimes and the producers of initiating long work hours for the cast and crew. And, in 2010, amid Season 6 of the drama series, Rhimes released Heigl from her contract early.

Valerie Harper (Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family)

Amid the second season of Valerie, lead actress Valerie Harper became engaged in a salary dispute with both NBC and production company Lorimar. It was after that season that the Emmy winner was fired, and she ultimately sued both of the aforementioned companies for breach of contract. The series aired for four more seasons – and had two more names. But, ultimately, Harper won her case and was awarded $1.4 million and future show profits.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Robert Downey Jr. had experienced a number of personal issues by the time he was cast for Season 4 of Ally McBeal, and they continued throughout his tenure. During that season, he was arrested in November 2000 for drug possession and was taken into custody again under suspicion of being under the influence in Culver City in 2001. With that, Downey was fired from McBeal.

Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

In 2017, amid the MeToo Movement, Jeffrey Tambor was accused of inappropriate behavior by his former assistant. Shortly after, one of Tambor’s Transparent co-stars accused him of misconduct as well. Amazon, which had renewed the Emmy-winning dramedy for a fifth and final season, officially fired Tambor in early 2018. His character, who was the lead, was ultimately killed off in the musical series finale special.

Esther Rolle (Good Times)

Esther Rolle took issue with some of the creative decisions made on Good Times, not unlike her co-star, John Amos – who was fired after Season 3 even though Rolle was more publicly vocal about her disdain. Given her discomfort, Rolle left after the fourth season when her contract expired. She did, however, return as a main cast member for the sixth and final season. 

Suzanne Somers (Three’s Company)

Some TV devotees may not be aware that Suzanne Somers exited Three’s Company after five seasons due to a salary dispute with ABC’s execs. Her attempts to renegotiate a new deal proved to be unsuccessful, and her contract was not renewed. Throughout the remainder of the show's run, Somers' Chrissy Snow would be succeeded by two other characters.

Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill)

Many were likely surprised when Chad Michael Murray was one of two major stars to exit One Tree Hill ahead of its seventh season. At this point, there’s been no clear reason as to why Murray, who played Lucas Scott parted ways with the show. Some contend that he was ready to leave, but Murray was even recorded saying that the network wanted to drop him to save money.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Veteran actress Lori Loughlin was starring on Netflix’s Fuller House when she was indicted as part of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison. Given her legal woes, Loughlin’s Aunt Becky was excluded from the sitcom’s final season.

Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy)

It was in October 2006 that Isaiah Washington made headlines after it was reported that during an on-set conflict with Patrick Dempsey, he insulted their fellow Grey’s Anatomy co-star, T.R. Knight, with a homophobic slur. Washington reportedly issued an apology though, by the summer of 2007, his contract with ABC was eliminated after Season 3. Washington did, however, reprise the role for a Season 10 episode.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds fired Thomas Gibson amid production on Season 12. As has been reported, Gibson, who was directing an episode at the time, had a disagreement with the episode’s writer. The scribe was on set at the time and, during an encounter with Gibson, the actor apparently kicked him. Gibson subsequently expressed regret over his actions.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Few TV deaths were more tragic than that of Shannen Doherty’s Prue Halliwell during Charmed’s third season finale. In the years since she departed the show, Doherty has claimed that her on-set tension with co-star Alyssa Milano caused her to be let go. For her part, Milano said she was “sad” that Doherty blamed her for how everything panned out.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

While starring on Netflix’s The Ranch, Danny Masterson was investigated by police due to allegations of assault by multiple women. Masterson was soon fired from the series amid production on Season 3 and, in 2023, he was sentenced to prison.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

After leading Batwoman for just one season, Ruby Rose exited the Arrowverse show in 2020. The actress initially attributed her decision to the “taxing” nature of heading up a TV show as well as an allergic reaction to the latex in her costume. However, Rose later made claims of an abusive workplace against her ex-co-stars, The CW and more. Warner Bros. TV denied the allegations as did Rose’s former scene partners.

Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)

Laverne & Shirley lost co-lead Cindy Williams early into the show’s eighth and final season. Williams became pregnant early into production and, as she explained to Today, she wouldn’t sign a new contract due to the producers having her work on her due date. So Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio finished out those last episodes without Williams’ Shirley Feeney.

Chevy Chase (Community)

It’s been well documented that Community’s Chevy Chase had creative differences with series creator Dan Harmon over his character, Pierce Hawthorne. While working on Season 4, the veteran funnyman reportedly had an on-set tirade during which he dropped the N-word. Chase departed the show shortly after that.

Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0)

Daniel Dae Kim’s exit from CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot after seven seasons came down to a salary dispute with the network. After the news of his departure was reported, Kim himself (who was one of the procedural’s most recognizable stars) addressed the situation, confirming that he and the network couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal.

Lisa Bonet (A Different World)

Cosby Show spinoff A Different World finished its first season on NBC in early 1988 and, afterward, lead actress Lisa Bonet announced her pregnancy with then-husband Lenny Kravitz. The sitcom’s incoming showrunner, Debbie Allen, wanted to keep Bonet on the show and depict her character, Denise Huxtable, as a single mom. But, as Allen explained years later, series creator Bill Cosby preferred that Bonet be dropped from the show.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

After three seasons on ABC’s Scandal, Columbus Short was removed from the cast of the hit drama series. It was during that time that the actor was dealing with personal issues and was even arrested on a domestic violence charge. Short later explained that he was cut due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano established a polarizing social media presence during her two-season stint on The Mandalorian. Among the controversial posts she shared was a message that seemingly compared being a modern-day conservative to being a Jewish person during the Holocaust. Disney and Lucasfilm fired Carano in 2021 ahead of the highly popular Star Wars show’s third season.

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)

Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan was written out of the show after the show’s fifth season, with her character, Edie Britt, being killed off. Several years later, the actress filed suit against Marc Cherry, the show’s creator and ABC. Sheridan alleged that Cherry assaulted her on the set and that she was fired for reporting it. Cherry provided an account of events and, in time, the harassment claims were thrown and Sheridan was unsuccessful in getting a retrial.

T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)

In 2009, T.R. Knight – who played Dr. George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy – left the show after the fifth season. Knight said his reason for leaving was due to a “breakdown of communication” with series EP Shonda Rhimes, his own decision to come out as gay and more. This also all came a few years after Knight was allegedly insulted with a homophobic slur by ex-co-star Isaiah Washington. 

Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill)

Much has been said about Hilarie Burton’s exit from One Tree Hill after the sixth season. The most common assertion has been that the Peyton Sawyer actress couldn’t agree with the network on a new deal. Interestingly, while Burton recalled filming her final scene for the show, she noted that while shooting another sequence, a producer announced on set that the show was renewed for Season 7. However, both Burton and co-star Chad Michael Muray were surprised as they apparently hadn’t been offered new deals.

Justin Roiland (Rick And Morty)

Rick and Morty actor and co-creator Justin Roiland was fired from the Adult Swim show in 2023 after it was revealed that he was facing a domestic violence charge and other offenses in court. Roiland’s case was eventually thrown out later that year. However, the animator and voice actor was later accused of assault and messaging underage girls.

John Rhys-Davies (Sliders)

The sci-fi cult classic Sliders lost cast member John Rhys-Davies when the actor opted to depart after three seasons amid other cast changes. Sometime later, Rhys-Davies explained that he left due to conflicts with the writers. The veteran actor later explained that by the time he left the show, the scripts had become “incomprehensible gibberish.”

In the years since Community ended, fans have learned some intriguing behind-the-scenes details on the beloved show by way of the cast and crew. A topic that’s become a particular point of interest has seemingly been cast member Chevy Chase’s feelings about the program. The veteran actor and comedian shared some sentiments in 2023, explaining that he didn’t enjoy the four years during which he appeared as a series regular. Since then, some of his co-stars have weighed in and, now, Alison Brie has a take on the matter that’s honestly quite refreshing. 

What Did Alison Brie Say About Chevy Chase’s Community Comments?

The actress, who played the role of Annie Edison throughout Community’s six seasons, addressed her former colleague’s sentiments during an episode of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live. It was during the fan Q&A segment that she was asked for her feelings on the sentiments. She responded by sharing a lighthearted take on the matter and explaining why she’s glad that she found out about the comments in the manner that she did: 

As mentioned, Chevy Chase shared his feelings while appearing on Marc Maron’s podcast, WTF and, while his thoughts were brief, they were pointed. Chase, who portrayed Pierce Hawthorne told Maron in late 2023 that the show was “not funny enough for me” and that he felt “a little bit constrained.” As for his co-star, he recalled that “everybody had their bits” and that “they were all good.” Yet he apparently “didn’t want to be surrounded” by “those people” regularly. 

These are very honest comments that one can certainly take hard, and anyone who has is certainly entitled to those feelings. However, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t appreciate how Alison Brie is choosing not to sweat it too much. She also makes a fair point in that reading such comments could definitely be tougher than actually hearing them. Many of us who regularly consume news can probably relate to that assessment as well. So kudos to Brie for looking on the bright side here and providing an astute observation.

What Have Other Community Stars Said About Chevy Chase?

Shortly after the podcast episode went live, Shirley Bennett actress Yvette Nicole Brown responded. Brown shared an article about the interview to X, quipping that “he seems nice.” When asked if she had ever spoken about her working experience with the National Lampoon alum, she said, “Never have. Probably never will.” A fan eventually contended that the headline mischaracterized the comments and, when suggesting that Brown should read it, she simply replied, “I’m good.” 

Series lead actor Joel McHale got real about the comments as well. When it comes to his old co-star saying he didn’t enjoy the gig, McHale stated that his first thought was that “feeling’s mutual” in regard to his attitude. He also asserted that the actor “didn’t have to be there” if he didn’t want to. Fellow series alum Donald Glover, famous for his role as Troy Barnes, has also spoken out about his behind-the-scenes issues with Chevy Chase. Among the details that he shared was the mention that Chase apparently used racial slurs, which Glover later joked about shortly after sharing his recollections.

At present, the cast is preparing to work on the long-awaited Community movie, which will feature just about the entire ensemble, which also includes Ken Jeong, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs and Jim Rash. During the summer of 2023, Joel McHale confirmed Donald Glover’s involvement and stated that Chevy Chase would not be involved. Considering his comments, it’s not surprising that Chase won’t be in the fold. It’s unclear as to whether his former scene partners will field questions about him as production on the film gets underway. Right now, though, we all may just want to take a moment to appreciate Alison Brie’s perspective on the matter. 

All six seasons of Community are currently streamable for Hulu subscribers and anyone with a Peacock subscription.

Here’s some simple TV math: the longer a series airs, the less likely its original cast will remain intact, regardless of how beloved the show or actor is. The majority of popular series over the years have gone through at least one major exit, and it’s bad enough when changes are revealed early, and characters’ last episodes are planned out and logical. It's far worse, however, when actors suddenly exit projects without any on-screen closure.

Surprise departures can curb audiences' enjoyment of a show, whether from disrupted cast dynamics or shoddy storytelling. And depending on how controversial the exits are, a key departure can completely derail a show's success. So let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable instances when stars parted ways with projects without closing their characters' stories.

Anna Faris (Mom)

During Mom's hiatus following Season 7, co-star Anna Faris suddenly revealed she was leaving the show, which reportedly shocked the creative team as much as fans. Allison Janney & Co. went forward with the eighth season, occasionally referencing Faris’ character Christy, but it was canceled without any kind of conclusion for the character, though the creators made it clear they didn’t want to kill her off.

Chevy Chase (Community)

Community already suffered the exodus of creator Dan Harmon and more creatives in Season 4, and then Chevy Chase allegedly used a racial slur on the set, leading him to drop out of the NBC comedy through mutual agreement with network execs. His character Pierce appeared multiple times after his official exit, due to episodes airing out of order, as well as that hologram cameo in the Season 5 premiere, but the SNL vet never returned as a regular, and was unceremoniously killed off via dialogue two episodes after the cameo.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

That ‘70s Show vet Danny Masterson reteamed with Ashton Kutcher on Netflix’s sitcom The Ranch, but was fired in December 2017 after multiple assault allegations against him were publicized. Masterson later faced trial, was convicted and sentenced to prison in September 2023, and did not return as Rooster Bennett, who was written as missing and presumed dead via motorcycle accident.

Suzanne Somers (Three's Company)

Three’s Company's early seasons were bolstered by the popularity of Suzanne Somers’ Chrissy Snow, but network execs reportedly refused the actress’ salary increase requests, leading to a unique stalemate agreement. Somers made only contractually obligated appearances in Season 4 episodes' closing tag scenes, which she filmed separately from her co-stars. Somers was fired by the season’s end, with Chrissy said to be caring for her sick mom in Fresno.

Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead)

Corey Hawkins joined The Walking Dead Season 6 as comic book fan-favorite Heath, but Straight Outta Compton's release that same year shot him to Hollywood’s stratosphere. In one of TWD’s most baffling moments, Heath disappeared in Season 7, and was never seen from again. Reportedly, Heath would have returned for the movies, but those plans have been shut down.

Emmy Rossum (Shameless)

The final two years of Shameless' 11-season run were without Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher. The actress announced her shocking exit in 2018, and Fiona’s final appearance came in the emotional Season 9 finale. Despite fans’ hopes, Rossum opted not to return for cameos in the remaining seasons, and the series finale wrapped without any major Fiona updates.

Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds began its lengthy run with Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon running the BAU, but that changed ahead of the third season when Patinkin left the show entirely over his disgust with the violent storylines. (He called joining the crime drama his “biggest public mistake” in 2012.) Gideon was replaced and killed off-screen seven seasons later, with Ben Savage guest-starring as young Gideon in flashbacks.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

Ahead of Scandal's Season 3 finale, co-star Columbus Short was arrested over a physical altercation at an L.A. restaurant, and eventually confessed he’d developed drinking and drug habits while dealing with a divorce and custody disputes. Short was fired from Scandal in April 2014, and his character Harrison Wright was revealed in Season 4 to have been killed off.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

Former MMA badass Gina Carano landed the role of Star Wars merc Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, but lost the gig in February 2021. Following a series of controversial social media moves, Lucasfilm announced she would no longer be involved in the show. Cara Dune was not recast, and has not returned to the franchise since the Season 2 finale.

Valerie Harper (Valerie)

The Hogan Family began its existence as Valerie, starring the Emmy-winning Valerie Harper as its lead matriarch for two seasons. She was later fired after salary disputes and sued NBC and production company Lorimar. While her initial claims were dismissed, a judge ruled Harper was indeed wrongfully terminated, netting her a financial win. Her character suffered an offscreen death, leading to the series' name changes.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Following a string of 1990s scandals, Robert Downey Jr. landed the role of love interest Larry Paul in Season 4 of Fox’s hit dramedy Ally McBeal, which earned him a Golden Globe. But additional arrests in late 2000 and 2001 led creator David E. Kelley to cut ties with RDJ completely. The fifth season, which would have chronicled Ally and Larry’s post-wedding bliss, had to be completely rewritten.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Though Charmed’s eldest sister Prue Halliwell was the trio's most powerful, the third season finale left Shannen Doherty’s character facing possible death. Though presumptions held that she’d return for Season 4, tensions and more issues surrounding Doherty and Alyssa Milano led to Doherty’s firing via phone call. As such, Prue’s wounds turned out to be fatal, but Doherty did not return for the funeral episode.

Clayne Crawford (Lethal Weapon)

Fox’s iteration of Lethal Weapon paired Rectify vet Clayne Crawford with Damon Wayans. But instead of buddy cop love, reports indicated strife and hostility building between the co-stars, along with complaints about Crawford's directorial work. His exit was reported on the day of the Season 2 finale, which ended on a cliffhanger for his character Riggs, who was unsurprisingly revealed to have succumbed to his wounds. Seann William Scott joined Season 3 as a replacement.

Grace Park (Hawaii Five-0)

After seven seasons portraying Kono Kalakaua for CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot, Grace Park opted to vacate her role alongside Daniel Dae Kim after their attempts to secure pay equality with co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan were turned down by CBS Television Studios. Kono was revealed to have relocated to Carson City, Nevada, as part of a trafficking task force, with Danny sharing their break-up update in Season 9.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Various Criminal Minds stars exited the drama for different reasons, but Thomas Gibson’s case. stands out. Despite the show still being early into filming Season 12, ABC Studios and CBS Studios revealed the actor’s termination via a joint statement in August 2016, less than a week after Gibson was suspended over an on-set altercation with a writer-producer. A later episode revealed his character Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner entered Witness Protection after discovering serial killer Peter Lewis stalking his son Jack.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

One of the '90s' biggest sitcoms returned to ABC in 2018, with Roseanne bringing comedian Roseanne Barr back as its matriarch. But that return only lasted for a single season, as Barr tweeted a message about former White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett that was considered racist, and two months after its Season 11 renewal, Roseanne was effectively canceled. The network relaunched without Barr as The Conners, which kicked off its run by killing off Roseanne Conner via drug overdose.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

Two and a Half Men thrived on the chemistry between Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, but the show went into hiatus in 2011 due to Sheen’s then-latest rehab stint, at which point the actor began slamming CBS and Chuck Lorre in a variety of high-profile interviews. Season 8 was then shut down mid-production, with Sheen’s firing later capping things off. His public meltdowns continued capturing headlines as Ashton Kutcher helped fill the Charlie void, and unfortunately didn't make good on rumors of his series finale return.

Lisa Edelstein (House)

Across her years as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, House star Lisa Edelstein went from playing contentious boss to adoring lover. Upon Season 7’s end, she and two co-stars were asked to take salary cuts during contract negotiations, with Edelstein being the lone holdout. She announced her exit ahead of Season 8, and Cuddy was later revealed to have quit as Dean of Medicine, with Omar Epps’ Eric Foreman taking on the duties for the final season.

James Garner (Maverick)

For three seasons, James Garner portrayed Maverick's title character Bret Maverick, but the 1960 writers' strike helped bring that run to a sudden close. When Warner Bros. attempted to lay Garner off due to a lack of scripts, he fought back and successfully sued the studio for breach of contract. According to the actor, he personally turned down an offer to return with a raise, saying, “I want out,” and though Bret appeared in an airing-delayed Season 4 ep which was filmed far earlier, Garner did not return, with fill-in stars Roger Moore and Robert Colbert added later.

Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)

Katherine Heigl took a temporary leave from Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 to shoot a movie and spend time with her adopted daughter, which sparked her to request to be released from her contract 18 months early. Disputes have raged on over how her sudden exit was handled, considering Izzy never experienced an official “farewell” scene. Alex Karev’s final ep specifically noted that he and Izzy were back together and raising twins in Kansas. While Heigl notably reunited with former co-stars at the Emmys, giving fans hope that Izzy could return, she has yet to justify those hopes.

Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs)

Nine months after The Goldbergs co-star George Segal died at 87, lead actor Jeff Garlin vacated the show following multiple HR investigations into allegations of misconduct. The departure was said to be a mutual agreement between the actor and the producers and network, and because it happened in the middle of filming Season 9, the producers used CGI, physical stand-ins, and archival audio to make it appear as if Murray was still around. The writers ditched that idea going into Season 10, though, and revealed Murray's off-camera death.

Freema Agyeman (New Amsterdam)

Freema Agyeman portrayed New Amsterdam's oncology chief Dr. Helen Sharpe for four seasons, and while many expected her back for the fifth and final season, the actress shockingly announced her exit amid the summer hiatus, cheekily pleading for fans to continue Sharpe’s story via fan-fiction. She went on to co-star in the series Dreamland, cementing Sharpe and Dr. Goodwin’s break-up, and though the character did appear on TV in a later Season 5 episode, it was without any overarching updates.

Hartley Sawyer (The Flash)

In 2017, actor Hartley Sawyer landed his stretchiest role yet as The Flash’s Ralph Dibny, a.k.a. Elongated Man. Three years later, in response to his comments about Black Lives Matter, social media users pulled up multiple derogatory and offensive tweets the actor posted between the years of 2009-2014. He publicly apologized for the posts, but a week after waves were made, Warner Bros. TV and The CW fired Sawyer from The Flash, which used an uncredited body double for Season 7’s “Mother” to write Ralph out alongside Sue Dearbon.

Jill Marie Jones (Girlfriends)

Jill Marie Jones crushed it as Girlfriends’ ego-driven Toni Childs for six seasons but was the only main cast holdout who exited the dramedy ahead of Season 7 over her contract expiring. Jones' exit was explained through Toni moving to New York City at the end of Season 6, but Jones spoke openly in 2007 about feeling that Toni’s story wasn’t over and that she'd be willing to return if the writers put something together. Alas, the show was canceled in 2008 before that could happen.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Lori Loughlin returned to her Full House role of Rebecca for the Netflix continuation series Fuller House, but her appearances ceased in Season 4 after she was fired by Netflix over her and her husband Mossimo Giannulli’s actions regarding the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. Though the actress was later able to reprise her When Calls the Heart character, Aunt Becky didn't return at all for Season 5.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

Alongside Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey made streaming TV normal with Netflix’s House of Cards. In the weeks ahead of Season 6's production, Spacey faced widely publicized accusations from actor Anthony Rapp, was subsequently fired by Netflix and was removed from executive producer duties. His character Frank Underwood was revealed to have been poisoned and died ahead of the Season 6 premiere.

Leanna Creel (Saved By The Bell)

Leanna Creel’s Tori Scott remains one of pop culture's biggest curiosities, having slid into NBC’s Saved by the Bell for its final season during a run of episodes lacking Tiffani Thiessen’s Kelly and Elizabeth Berkley’s Jessie. The leather-clad character shook things up for Zack & Co. for just ten episodes, and was never heard from again.

Wayne Rogers (MASH)

Three years after joining CBS' MASH, actor Wayne Rogers grew discouraged by his character Trapper John not reaching his expectations, and unexpectedly opted to quit the hit series ahead of its fourth season. But while fellow exiting co-star McLean Stevenson was able to be written out of the Season 3 finale, Trapper John's absence had to be explained away in the Season 4 premiere without Rogers around.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

Batwoman’s first foray into live-action saw Ruby Rose wearing Kate Kane's cape and cowl, but she left the Arrowverse series shortly after the first season ended. Reports noted she was fired over on-set behavior, with Rose claiming the show’s taxing nature led her to suffer back surgery following an alleged on-set accident. Replaced as a lead by Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder, Kate later returned in a different physical form without Rose’s involvement.

Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)

O.G. Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson won viewers’ hearts for three years as Sabrina Duncan, which is when she followed former co-star Farrah Fawcett out the door. Jackson spoke warily of the writers’ scripts, and after being denied the opportunity to join Kramer vs. Kramer due to scheduling, she intentionally caused an on-set mess that led to her dismissal ahead of Season 4. Replaced by Shelley Hack’s Tiffany Wells, Sabrina was revealed to have left the agency to become a mother.

Jon Seda (Chicago P.D.)

Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson jumped from Chicago Fire to P.D. to Justice and back again for seven years. Surprisingly, NBC and Wolf Entertainment chose not to renew Seda’s contract ahead of Chicago P.D.'s seventh season, and he was let go. Later episodes revealed the character fell back into pill addiction following the prior finale's cliffhanger, and he was checked into rehab, eventually moving to Puerto Rico after resigning from the force.

Selma Blair (Anger Management)

Charlie Sheen followed Two and a Half Men with the comedy Anger Management, co-starring Selma Blair for part of its run as his colleague and fling interest Dr. Kate Wales. Conflict between Blair and Sheen bled into the tabloids, and a reported ultimatum from Sheen led producers to fire Blair, with her character suddenly being explained away as having moved to India.

There was a time when music videos were as important as the radio in promoting the hottest artists and songs of the day. Back in the '80s and '90s, MTV was one of the most powerful cultural forces in the country, and that was reflected in how many stars you can spot in videos from the day. 

Sometimes, they were already huge stars, like Robin Williams and Chevy Chase, other times, they were actors looking to get their break and now, years later, we can marvel at their humble beginnings. This is a list of famous people in videos from the zenith of MTV highlights both.

Alicia Silverstone - "Cryin'"

Alicia Silverstone first got famous for starring in videos, specifically Aerosmith videos. The Clueless star appeared in three videos for the Boston rockers, the first for the song "Cryin'", then later showing up in the videos for "Amazing," alongside Dazed & Confused cast member Jason London. Silverstone's final appearance, and maybe the most famous video, was for the song "Crazy," alongside Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. 

Courteney Cox - "Dancing In The Dark"

One of the most famous examples of a star getting her first break in a music video is, of course, Friends star Courteney Cox in the video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The video, which came out in 1984, was directed by Brian De Palma and, according to Cox, she was one of several women Springsteen could have picked out of the audience, and it was random that he chose her. What kismit! 

Cindy Crawford - "Freedom '90"

Director David Fincher, who has had quite an amazing career in film, started in music videos. One of those videos, George Michaels' "Freedom '90," was challenging because Michaels told Fincher he wasn't going to appear in the video. Fincher decided to cast a bevy of famous supermodels to lip-sync the song, including Cindy Crawford in a bathtub. 

Eva Mendes - "Miami"

In 1998, a young actress from Miami was cast in a video for the Will Smith song, "Miami." Eva Mendes had starred in one direct-to-video movie at that point and was that actress. It would be another three years before her breakout role in Training Day. It's a brief moment in the video, as she drove her convertible next to Smith's on the causeway to Miami Beach.

In 1993, Janet Jackson was on top of the world. Her fifth album, janet. was another huge hit, selling millions of copies, partly on the strength of the single, "That's the Way Love Goes." Little did anyone know at the time that one of the extras in the video would go on to a career that eclipsed even Jackson's, a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez. 

Matt LeBlanc - "Miracle"

Bon Jovi's "Miracle" is, let's be frank, not the New Jersey legends' best work. One thing they did get right was the casting for the video. Matt LeBlanc was a young actor and model just starting out on a career, so while his job is really only to look good in this video, he certainly does. It would be a few more years before America was introduced to his comedic chops too. 

Hugh Laurie - "Walking On Broken Glass"

By the time Hugh Laurie appeared in the video for Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass" in 1992, he was already very famous in the UK. It would be a few more years until the legendary TV show House would debut in the US, making Laurie a household name on both sides of the pond. John Malkovich also stars in the video, reminding fans of his role in Dangerous Liaisons. 

Angelina Jolie - "Wondering"

Angelina Jolie was a model in Hollywood from her teen years on, so it's no wonder she would have a few videos of her resume, including The Rolling Stones' video for "Has Anybody Seen My Baby," but it is surprising to see her in a video for the Athens, GA-based jam band Widespread Panic's song "Wondering" from 1993. Jolie also appears on the cover of the band's album Everyday, which includes "Wondering."

Zooey Deschanel - "She's Got Issues"

Zooey Deschanel is as successful in music, with her duo She & Him as she is on the big screen, so of course she has an early credit in a music video. Deschanel appears with fiery red hair in the video for "She's Got Issues" by The Offspring. 

Naomi Campbell - "Is This Love"

Bob Marley died over four decades ago, but his legacy is as big as ever, with the release of the biopic One Love in 2024. Back in the day, the reggae superstar filmed a video in London for his song "Is This Love" featuring a couple of local kids, including a 7-year-old Naomi Campbell!  

Macaulay Culkin - "Black Or White"

Michael Jackson redefined what a music video could be with "Thriller" and after that, he often released short films that were much more than just a song, and often they had big stars in them. For "Black or White" in 1991, MJ brought in Macaulay Culkin and George Wendt to play father and son, for example. 

Christina Hendricks - "One Hit Wonder"

Long before Christina Hendricks hit the big time with her role in Mad Men, she was a model and struggling actor in the '90s. One of her earliest roles, way back in 1998, was in the video for "One Hit Wonder" by Everclear. Luckily for all of us, that wasn't her only hit. 

Matthew McConaughey - "Walkaway Joe"

Alright, alright, alright, we'll concede that Dazed and Confused is what made Matthew McConaughey famous, but before that, he appeared in Trisha Yearwood's video for her hit "Walkaway Joe," playing the titular character of the song. 

Wesley Snipes - "Bad"

For the second single, "Bad" from his album of the same name, Micheal Jackson teamed up with Martin Scorsese to make an 18-minute short film for the video. In the video, Jackson famously has a dance-off with his rivals in a New York subway station. One of the baddies is none other than Wesley Snipes, who only had a few credits under his belt previously. 

Patrick Swayze - "Rosanna"

Toto's song "Rosanna" is famously about Rosanna Arquette. Less well-known is that if you watch the video closely, you'll notice a familiar face as one of the West Side Story-like dancers. Patrick Swayze, one year before his big break in The Outsiders is one of the dancers. In an even cooler bit of trivia, another one of the uncredited dancers in the video is Cynthia Rhodes, who would co-star as Swayze's first dance partner, Penny, in Dirty Dancing. 

Elijah Wood - "Forever Your Girl"

Elijah Wood has been working in Hollywood forever. He started as a child actor in films like Back to the Future II and The Good Sun, but before those even, he had a part in Paula Abdul's video for "Forever Your Girl" in 1989. 

Chevy Chase - "You Can Call Me Al"

Chevy Chase was one of the biggest stars on the planet in 1986 when he starred in the video for "You Can Call Me Al" with his buddy Paul Simon. It is, no lie, one of Chase's best performances, and it's impossible not to crack up at his facial expressions and physical comedy in the video. 

Johnny Depp - "Into The Great Wide Open"

Johnny Depp has always wanted to be a rock star, so it was a great move by Tom Petty to get him to play the part of one in the video for "Into The Great Wide Open" in 1991. The video also stars the legendary Faye Dunaway and Gabrielle Anwar. 

Jennifer Connelly - "I Drove All Night"

The late, great Roy Orbison found almost as much fame after he died as he found in life. Two albums of all-new songs were released posthumously and one song, "I Drove All Night," released in 1992, featured Jennifer Connelly alongside Jason Priestly, in the video, along with Orbison in grainy images of an old TV appearance. 

Kirsten Dunst - "I Knew I Loved You"

Does anybody remember the band Savage Garden? The Aussie duo had a string of huge hits in the late '90s, including the song "I Knew I Loved You" which features Kirsten Dunst as a woman on a subway with whom the lead singer, Darren Hayes, is in love. 

Robin Williams - "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Bobby McFerrin's 1988 song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" has to be one of the most surprising #1 hits of all time. The song was huge when it came out, and went on to win three Grammys. Someone must have had an inkling though, because superstar Robin Williams co-stars in the video with McFerrin. 

Kim Basinger - "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

Tom Petty made some legendary videos during his career, but the strangest has to be the one for "Last Dance With Mary Jane" which features Kim Basinger playing a corpse, dressed up as a bride. Great song, but a very weird video.

Keanu Reeves - "Rush, Rush"

1991 was a big year for Keanu Reeves. Not only did he star in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Point Break, but he also appeared as a James Dean-like character in the video for "Rush, Rush" by Paula Abdul. 

Eddie Murphy - "Do You Remember The Time"

In case you've forgotten just how huge Michael Jackson was in the early '90s, remember there was a time he could premiere a video on MTV, BET, and Fox all at the same time. The video starred Jackson, of course, along with Eddie Murphy and Iman as ancient Egyptian royalty. Magic Johnson also appeared. 

Katie Holmes - "Tongue Tied"

Katie Holmes' career was just starting to take off in 1999 with her starring turn on Dawson's Creek. She also found some time to appear in the video for the song "Tongue Tied" by pop punk band Eve 6. It's not the last time Holmes has appeared in a video, either. A year later, in 2000, she starred with Micheal Douglas and others in a Bob Dylan video. 

Winona Ryder - "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child"

By far the award for the strangest appearance on this list goes to Winona Ryder in the video for Mojo Nixon's song "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child." Leave it to the late Nixon for coming up with the most ridiculous premise for a song, then landing a star like Ryder to star in the video in 1989, the same year she appeared in Heathers. 

RuPaul - "Love Shack"

If one were to guess which 1980s video to expect a RuPaul appearance, the smart money would be a B-52's video. That's exactly what happened in 1989 when RuPaul popped up very briefly in the video for "Love Shack" as a dancer and partygoer. He wasn't close to famous yet, but he was good friends with the band and he fits right into the campiness of the video. 

Benicio del Toro - "La Isla Bonita"

Benicio del Toro made his big screen debut in 1988 in Pee Wee's Big Top, but a year earlier, he was one of the extras in the video for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita." He is way in the background and can only be clearly seen in one shot, but when you watch the video, it's unmistakenly del Toro. 

Liv Tyler - "Crazy"

According to Liv Tyler, she didn't meet her biological father, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, until she was eight, and didn't know he was her father for another few years. Still, by the time she starred in the video for "Crazy," they had developed a healthy relationship, and the video, in which she co-stars with Alicia Silverstone, launched her career.

Captain Lou Albano - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"

Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest breakout stars of early MTV and for good reason. The low-budget video for her debut single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" featured a quirky cast that included her mother (playing her mother), her lawyer, and wrestling star "Captain" Lou Albano as her father. It's a video as fun as the song and it was played on repeat in those early MTV days. 

John Goodman - "Wild Wild Life"

The song "Wild Wild Life" by The Talking Heads was part of their soundtrack for the David Byrne-directed film True Stories. For the video, he recruited some of the people who appear in the film, including John Goodman, who lip-syncs along with the song in a karaoke bar. 

LeVar Burton - "Word Up"

LeVar Burton first found fame as Kunta Kinte in Roots, one of the most memorable performances by any actor, ever. About a decade later, between Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton popped up in the video for "Word Up" by Cameo, playing a police officer trying to arrest the band. 

One video we left off this list because it's just too big a list on its own is the video for Ghostbusters which, in addition to the stars of the film also includes Chevy Chase, Danny Devito, Peter Falk, Al Franken, John Candy, and more. It's all too much to add to his list of some of the coolest appearances of stars in music videos! 

Since what we know about the Community movie still has us waiting for a release date and other components to fall into place, there’s one thing you can probably count on. Per series star Joel McHale’s previous comments, Chevy Chase almost definitely won’t be a part of the Community movie, and for some pretty good reasons that don't include his character, Pierce Hawthorne, being dead. Among them is the fact that Chase continues to badmouth the experience of making the NBC cult hit series, which McHale dug deeper into during a recent podcast appearance. 

Apparently, the Jeff Winger actor literally has a chapter in his memoir Thanks for the Money, which includes a detailed fold out on how to fist fight Chevy Chase. That revelation led to quite a bit of dishing the dirt during the Animal Control star’s visit to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, as the host was taken aback by stories of Community’s contentious production. That in turn led McHale to share his own reflections on Chase's view on making the series, which included the following: 

The history of Chevy Chase’s feud with creator Dan Harmon probably was enough to keep the SNL vet away from the set of the long-promised Peacock original film. But if anyone was hoping that maybe this would be similar to that time Caddyshack ended Chase’s feud with Bill Murray, you can sadly keep dreaming.

Stories surrounding the later years of producing Community are no match for the one Joel McHale told about his first meeting with the comedy legend. Recalling his first brush with Chevy, Joel had this equally uplifting story to tell: 

With more fuel to the speculative fires coming from Chevy Chase, former co-star Yvette Nicole Brown’s short, but sweet rebuttal of his cantankerous nature is even funnier to behold. While it would be nice to see the entire Community gang to get back together, if Mr. Chase really was having that lousy of a time on set, it’s probably best not to extend his sentence.

Community is currently streaming for those readers with a Hulu subscription to brush up on the funnier side of Greendale Community College. And while you’re at it, don’t forget that everything new on Hulu will include the Season 2 premiere of Animal Control, which is set to air on Fox at 9 PM ET on March 6th. 

What is it that makes a Saturday Night Live character worthy of becoming the star of their own recurring sketch? Is it the way they dress or style their hair, the general ridiculous nature of their given situation, or is it their manner of speaking? We would actually say that much credit goes to that last example of criteria, based on the many great SNL character catchphrases we have compiled below.

“Well, Isn't That Special?” - The Church Lady

The chameleonic Dana Carvey has portrayed many recurring characters, but perhaps his single funniest SNL sketch is “Church Chat,” in which he plays Enid “The Church Lady” Strict. The deeply religious TV host has returned to Studio 8H several times and the secret to her enduring success is her hilariously sarcastic delivery of her signature line with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, That's The Ticket" - Tommy Flanagan

The phrase, “That’s the ticket,” is not exactly unique to Jon Lovitz’s Tommy Flanagan — the president of Pathological Liars Anonymous (or so he claims). However, it became imbedded in the SNL character’s legacy by the way it accompanies his most amusing fibs.

"We Are Two Wild And Crazy Guys!” - The Festrunk Brothers

Legendary Not Ready For Primetime Player Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin — arguably the greatest SNL host of all time — make up the swinging Czechoslovakian duo called the Festrunk Brothers. Of course, most people might know them better as the “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” from their vigorous mantra.

"New York's Hottest Club Is..." - Stefon

“Weekend Update” hosts just want Stefon (Bill Hader as the wild character he and John Mulaney created) to talk about the best family-friendly activities in New York. Instead, he would start his spiel by announcing the city’s new popular after hours joint, and it would only get funnier from there.

"We're Not Worthy!" - Wayne And Garth

Wayne Campbell (“Wayne’s World” creator Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) have come into contact with several celebrities (both on their cable access program and in their classic SNL spin-off movies). But, rarely have they been able to keep their cool around them, resorting to dropping to their knees, bowing, and declaring their undeserving presence.

"... I Live In A Van Down By The River!" - Matt Foley

The definitive performance by, arguably, the definitive ‘90s-era SNL cast member, Chris Farley, is his gut-busting portrayal of Matt Foley. In addition to being one of the most iconic divorced TV characters, the ill-advised motivational speaker’s most recognizable trait is his unfavorable place of residence (“a van down by the river”), which he reminds people of any chance he gets.

"Oooh, It's A Lady!" - Leon "The Ladies Man" Phelps

The most iconic character played by Tim Meadows (one of SNL’s longest-running cast members) is Leon Phelps, who would receive calls from men and women alike during his live romantic advice program. However, he always made it clear that he especially enjoyed attention from the opposite gender, which is exactly why they called him “The Ladies Man.”

"Cheeburger, Cheeburger, Cheeburger" - Pete Dionisopoulos

When Don Novello created the beloved SNL sketch from Season 3, “The Olympia Restaurant,” he might not have realized that simply repeating the word “cheeseburger” would create such an impact. Yet, John Belushi’s distinct pronunciation of it as the cafe’s Greek manager, Pete Dionisopoulos, served up a decadent comedy feast. 

"I’m Good Enough, I’m Strong Enough And Doggone It, People Like Me" - Stuart Smalley

Easily one of the most wholesome SNL characters ever conceived is Stuart Smalley, played by longtime series veteran and former U.S. senator Al Franken. He would begin each episode of his talk show, Daily Affirmations, with this personal affirmation that, perhaps, we should all be starting our days with.

"I'm Verklempt" - Linda Richman (Coffee Talk)

For various reasons — be it her strained relationship with her daughter or Barbra Streisand’s latest Oscar “snub” — Linda Richman often found herself overcome with emotion as host of “Coffee Talk.” By referring to these episodes as her being “verklempt,” the catchphrase became one of Mike Myers’ funniest quotes and never failed to get the audience howling.

"... Makin' Copies!" - Richard Laymer

Office worker Richard Laymer (Rob Schneider) is better known as “the Richmeister,” in reference to his tendency give his colleagues similar-sounding nicknames. This was typically followed by Rich acknowledging they were “makin’ copies” with the machine that just happened to be near his desk, much to their chagrin.

"We Want To Pump You Up!" - Hans And Franz

Austrian fitness “experts” Hans (Dana Carvey) and Franz (Kevin Nealon) had a pretty apt slogan for their program, Pumping Up, stating that they “want to pump [clap] you up!” However, we would discover that they failed to earn the respect of their famous bodybuilder cousin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he appeared in one of the most jaw-dropping SNL cameos as himself.

"Party On..." - Wayne And Garth

It was always a party on Wayne’s World, as co-hosts Wayne and Garth often reminded  audiences with this endearing, celebratory greeting. Of course, this phrase is also associated with another famous duo from the same era: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter’s titular dudes from the Bill and Ted movies.

"I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not" - Chevy Chase (Weekend Update)

We can sum up Chevy Chase’s signature style of charming smugness and dry wit in just six words. It is with this same phrase that the future Community cast member began nearly every “Weekend Update” segment he hosted during his short, but memorable run on SNL in the 1970s.

"... But I Love Him" - Jodi Deitz (Bronx Beat)

The talk show Bronx Beat was, essentially, an excuse for New York housewives Betty Caruso (Amy Poehler) and Jodi Deitz (Maya Rudolph) to voice their boisterous, and sometimes condemning, opinions on various subjects — with Jodi’s husband being a frequent topic. However, her complaint over her spouse’s moronic tendencies was always accompanied with a tearful affirmation that he still made her happy.

"Give Me A Break" - Ed Grimley

It’s hard to believe that a legend like Martin Short was only on SNL for one season, especially with his impressive assortment of characters like Ed Grimley. The pop-culture obsessed, erratic man-child — borrowed from the actor’s SCTV days — had a few different catchphrases, but his delivery of and situational choices for using “Give me a break” made it a classic.

"It Just Goes To Show Ya, It's Always Somethin'. If It's Not One Thing, It's Another" - Roseanne Roseannadanna

One of the most iconic “Weekend Update” guest characters was Roseanne Roseannadanna, who ended each of her nauseating appearances declaring that, “It’s always somethin’.” The phrase would serve as the title for the late, great Gilda Radner’s memoir, in which she reveals she borrowed it from her own late father’s favorite expression. 

"Superstar!" - Mary Katherine Gallagher

While her intentions may have been hard to interpret at face value, Mary Katherine Gallagher’s commitment to becoming a “superstar” was made clear in the way she exclaimed the phrase with an irresistible gusto. As such, Superstar became the name of a 1999 movie that put Molly Shannon’s quirky Catholic school student in the cinematic spotlight.

"Would You Like To Touch My Monkey?” - Dieter (Sprockets)

West German talk show host Dieter (Mike Myers) is another one of those characters who had many iconic catchphrases at his disposal, with the most famous being “Would you like to touch my monkey?” While it initially sounds a bit suggestive, he is genuinely curious if the guests on his show, Sprockets, would be interested in petting his pet, Klaus.

"Oh No!" - Mr. Bill

Few SNL bits are more traumatic than the short films starring Mr. Bill. The meek, indefensible clay figure could never do anything to prevent the painful situations he found himself in, but to exclaim, “Oh no!” right before they occurred.

"Bring It On Down To ...-Ville!" - Dancing Mascot

Nearly every one of Five-Timers Club member Justin Timberlake’s SNL gigs see him dressed in a ridiculous outfit, performing spoofs of hit songs to promote a local business — such as Omeletteville or Wrappingville — and upstage the competition on the same sidewalk. The pop star and actor even referenced the recurring sketch and its signature quote during a “Weekend Update” appearance when he imagines a non-existent Thanksgiving episode in which we would have brought it on down “Turkeyville.”

"Talk Amongst Yourselves. I'll Give You A Topic..." - Linda Richman (Coffee Talk)

When in need of a moment to compose herself after becoming “verklempt,” Linda Richman always avoided leaving her Coffee Talk audience empty-handed by offering them a conversation piece to pass the time. Examples of her given discussion topics include “Rhode Island is neither a road, nor is it an island” and “Ralph Fiennes is spelled neither rafe nor fines” among many others.

"Buh-Bye" - Flight Attendants

One of the funniest David Spade quotes comes courtesy of a flight attendant who wastes no time letting passengers know he does not want to be there. The character and his iconic “Buh-bye” debuted in a Season 19 SNL sketch also starring Helen Hunt as his equally rude colleague.

"Oh. Well, That’s Different. Nevermind!" - Emily Litella

As the elderly Emily Litella, Gilda Radner appeared on “Weekend Update” numerous times to present an opposing viewpoint to an editorialized topic, only to be informed that her supposed hearing problems led her to dish on something entirely different from the intended subject. Some of the most classic examples include “violins on television” instead of “violence on television” or questioning why the Supreme Court made a decision on a “deaf penalty” when, in fact, it was a decision on the “death penalty."

"What're YOUUUU Doin' Herrre?" - Stuart (The Californians)

The key as to why a sketch as simple as “The Californians” has stood the test of time is Fred Armisen’s preposterously over-the-top West Coast accent when portraying Stuart, especially when asking why certain acquaintances are in his house. Apparently, as Bill Hader shared with Seth Meyers on Late Night, he and Kristen Wiig did not know Armisen would pronounced “What’re you doing here?” so cartoonishly, causing the sketch to not go quite as planned with their uncontrollable laughter.

"You Look Marvelous" - Fernando Lamas

The peak highlight of Billy Crystal’s brief SNL stint was his portrayal of Fernando Lamas as a talk show host who often gushed over how “mahvelous” his guests looked. The Argentinian actor’s son, Lorenzo Lamas, even said that his father actually loved the impression.

"It's Reno Time!" - Janet Reno

For as long as Janet Reno served the U.S. Attorney General, Will Ferrell played her for years as the misplaced host of a teen-centered musical program called “Janet Reno’s Dance Party.” On the final edition of the sketch, the real politician herself crashed through a brick wall to shout out her SNL doppelgängers catchphrase.

"... Is That Bad To Do Do Do...?" - Junice Merill

No character portrayed by Academy Award-nominated SNL star Kristen Wiig is really known for having any definitive catchphrases, but Junice Merill does have her own “catch-lyric.” When she and her sisters appear on The Lawrence Welk Show, she takes one moment of their performance to confess something grotesque and possibly illegal before asking if it is “bad” in song.

"Delta Delta Delta! Can I Help Ya, Help Ya, Help Ya?" - Delta Delta Delta Sorority Sisters

One of the youngest SNL cast members (being 23 at the time) is Melanie Hutsell, whose most famous character was a sorority pledge named Di. She and her fellow sisters (played by Siobhan Fallon and Beth Cahill) would answer the sorority house phone in this most hilariously upbeat way.

"I Got A Fever And The Only Prescription Is More Cowbell!" - Bruce Dickinson

One of the most iconic SNL sketches prominently featuring an A-list host is a faux clip of Blue Öyster Cult recording “Don’t Fear the Reaper” under the supervision of Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson. His likening of Gene Frenkle’s (Will Ferrell) cowbell as a cure for his metaphorical illness in this one-off sketch may not exactly count as a catchphrase, but is undeniably one of the most celebrated lines in the series’ history. In fact, Walken claims it “ruined” his life with how often people quote it at him.

"Don't Look At My Bum" - Simon

Mike Myers stars in a recurring sketch as a young British boy named Simon, who likes to show the audience his drawing from a bathtub. In many instances, as he would turn around to reach for another example of his artwork, the child felt compelled to remind his viewers not to stare at his “bum.”

"That's What Your Mother Said Last Night" - Sean Connery (Celebrity Jeopardy!)

For no discernible reason, Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery was more interested in spending the entirety of his appearances in SNL’s best Celebrity Jeopardy! sketches taunting Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek than winning the game. Most of his insults involved the host’s mother, whom he jokingly claimed to have a relationship with.

These SNL catchphrases prove that, sometimes, it is not what you say, but how you say it. These characters said it hilariously.

In its several decades on air, Saturday Night Live has made icons out of many of its cast members. For some — including some of SNL’s one-season wonders — you might argue that the sketch comedy series is the peak of their careers, until you remember the acclaimed and widely beloved movies and TV shows they would go on to star in. Take a look at our picks for the finest work some of our favorite SNL stars have put out beyond their time at Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop made him a movie star, but Coming to America might be the absolute best Eddie Murphy movie, especially as the first to show just how far the comic’s extraordinary talents extend. He gives his most heartfelt performance as an African prince searching for love in New York City, but that is far from his only role in this dazzling romantic-com from 1988.

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Along with her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig joined the club of Oscar-nominated SNL stars for penning this 2011 instant classic comedy. She also transcends what made her a Studio 8H all-star by leading the Bridesmaids cast with her most down-to-earth performance yet as a baker suffering an existential crisis after her best friend (played by Maya Rudolph) gets engaged.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Some argue that an SNL star who should have been nominated for an Oscar is Adam Sandler for his performance in one of the best A24 movies, Uncut Gems. If self-destructive jeweler Howard Rattner had been played by anyone else but the guy behind “The Hanukkah Song” and movies like Happy Gilmore, it might have been tough to root for the protagonist of Josh and Benny Safdie’s anxiety-fueled, 2019 crime drama.

Kate McKinnon (Barbie)

After previously working with Margot Robbie in Bombshell and making the A-lister laugh uncontrollably in an SNL sketch, Kate McKinnon reunited with the Australian actor in the Barbie cast in 2023. The Emmy-winner is perfect as “Weird Barbie” — now a real doll in Mattel’s catalog — in co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s cleverly satirical and surprisingly moving blockbuster based on the legendary toy.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

We love Will Ferrell in funny movies like Elf and Talladega Nights, but never has he given a performance as tender, reserved, and relatable as his Golden Globe-nominated role in Stranger Than Fiction. That is only one reason director Marc Forster’s inventive 2006 dramedy is his best movie in our eyes.

Molly Shannon (Wet Hot American Summer)

The Wet Hot American Summer cast is full of actors who went on to become superstars, but one of the biggest names among that ensemble at the time was SNL great Molly Shannon. She stars in the 2001 cult-favorite summer comedy classic as camp counselor Gail, who seeks consolation for her second divorce from surprisingly mature adolescent campers.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

To this day, many believe that Bill Murray should have won the Academy Award for his performance in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation. Also one of the best movies produced by Focus Features, he stars in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning sophomore effort as a disillusioned actor who strikes up a unique bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) who is also struggling to navigate her life after meeting in Japan. 

Tina Fey (Mean Girls)

From her time on SNL as a cast member and head writer to her development of beloved comedies like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey has had one of the most impressive careers in comedy, let alone show business in general. However, her one credit that has best stood the test of time is her sharply satirical high school movie, Mean Girls, which she adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s book and also stars in as Ms. Norbury.

Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)

Dan Aykroyd may have a Best Picture Oscar winner under his belt (Driving Miss Daisy, for which he also received an acting nomination) and also wrote and starred in one of the beloved Ghostbusters. However, the movie that he will always be best known for is 1980’s The Blues Brothers, which is arguably the all-time best movie based on SNL characters (Ayrkoyd and John Belushi’s brotherly musicians, Jake and Elwood Blues) and one of the most important movies set in Chicago as well.

Gilda Radner (Haunted Honeymoon)

Highlights of Gilda Radner’s post-SNL career included sharing the screen with her husband, Gene Wilder, such as 1986’s Haunted Honeymoon, in which they play a couple staying in a spooky house to cure the groom’s anxieties. Unfortunately, the fun horror-comedy movie would also be her final film before she passed away in 1989.

Chevy Chase (Community)

After making a huge impact in so little time on SNL (not even two full seasons), Chevy Chase had a memorable film career (especially with National Lampoon’s Vacation movies), but it was his return to the small screen in the late 2000s that really had us especially impressed. He starred in the Community cast as Pierce Hawthorne — one of many Greendale Community College students experiencing often strange circumstances and meta pop-culture references in creator Dan Harmon’s inventive sitcom.

Chris Farley (Tommy Boy)

Perhaps the most influential ‘90s SNL actor was the late Chris Farley, whose one-in-a-million, energetic comedic talent made him a legend. He also made an impeccable team with fellow SNL actor David Spade in the hilarious road trip comedy, and one of the funniest and most iconic movies of the ‘90s, Tommy Boy.

Jimmy Fallon (Almost Famous)

Jimmy Fallon has had a stellar career, from his memorable SNL stint to hosting The Tonight Show, but most of his movies did not quite have the same impact — save his Oscar-winning feature-length debut in 2000. Fallon starred in writer and director Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous cast as the touring manager for Stillwater, Dennis Hope.

Amy Poehler (Inside Out)

Amy Poehler is the kind of performer who brings a sense of joy to everything she does, from her SNL days to the Parks and Recreation cast as Leslie Knope. Thus, it only makes sense that she would star as the personification of “Joy” in one of Pixar’s best movies: 2015’s Inside Out.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

We all know and love the masterfully goofy Will Forte from the “MacGruber” sketches and as the star and creator of a show canceled too soon called The Last Man on Earth, but 2013’s Nebraska showed a rare side of the actor we cherished seeing. He gives a somber, yet beautifully endearing, performance in director Alexander Payne’s Oscar-nominated drama as a man accompanying his estranged father (played by Bruce Dern) on a trip to collect a supposed million-dollar prize.

Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back)

Maya Rudolph’s career outside SNL has been nothing short of impressive, but we were most impressed by her work in 2013’s The Way Way Back. From the Oscar-winning writing duo behind The Descendants (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash), this winning dramedy features Rudolph as Caitlin, a manager at a water park where teen protagonist Duncan (Liam James) works to escape a miserable summer at his mother’s boyfriend’s house.

Bill Hader (Barry)

Bill Hader never failed to surprise audiences with his impeccable impersonations and excellent commitment to character on SNL, but he surprised us in other ways with his first major small-screen follow-up. He played the title role of HBO’s Barry cast (in addition to co-creating the very dark comedy series), who is a hitman trying to reinvent himself as an actor.

Cecily Strong (Schmigadoon!)

One of the greatest surprises of John Mulaney’s SNL musical sketches was Cecily Strong’s smashing singing voice. It would also come in handy when she and Keegan-Michael Key led AppleTV+’s Schmigadoon! cast as a couple trapped in a world that looks and sounds like a lavish musical production.

Chris Rock (Nurse Betty)

In 2000, Chris Rock teamed up with Morgan Freeman as hitmen searching for a delusional widow (played by Renée Zellweger) convinced she is engaged to a soap opera character in director Neil LaBute’s sharp, quirky dramedy, Nurse Betty. We will, however, give an honorable mention for one of the best sitcoms starring an SNL vet, Everybody Hates Chris, which the comedian created and narrated.

Jane Curtin (3rd Rock From The Sun)

Years after playing an alien in, arguably, her single funniest SNL sketch (“The Coneheads”), Jane Curtin played one of the few human series regulars on a series also about otherworldly visitors trying to blend in. The former “Weekend Update” anchor starred on NBC’s hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun as Dr. Mary Albright, a colleague, and later fiancée, of Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) at Pendleton State University.

Andy Samberg (Palm Springs)

There is only so much that we are actually willing to reveal about our pick for Andy Samberg’s best effort outside of SNL, Palm Springs, for anyone who has not seen it yet. What we will say is that the 2020 rom-com — and one of the best movies on Hulu — stars the Lonely Island member and Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests who become embroiled in a very strange predicament.

Mike Myers (Shrek)

We love almost all of the characters Mike Myers has created or portrayed, from Wayne Campbell to Austin Powers, but picking his true all-time best work outside of Studio 8H is easy. Myers put on his best Scottish accent to voice the title role of 2001’s Shrek — the first movie to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, for its sharp send-up of fairytale tropes and heartwarming unlikely romance.

Pete Davidson (The King Of Staten Island)

There have been some great Pete Davidson movies and TV shows over the years, but the former SNL star’s best work might also be one of his most personal. The Bupkis cast member based The King of Staten Island (which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow) on his own life as the son of a firefighter who tragically passed on 9/11. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ time on SNL often goes forgotten, but you cannot say the same about the career she had after the show, which includes Emmy wins for shows like Veep and joining the MCU. However, she really blew up when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes, who was the focus of many classic and hilarious moments on the legendary sitcom.

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Jason Sudeikis is the kind of SNL performer who could make the Devil himself seem likable, which is why he was the perfect choice for the charming lead of the Ted Lasso cast for Apple TV+. Indeed, his Emmy-winning performance as the titular American football coach hired to manage an English football (a.k.a. soccer) team is key to its jubilant success.

Norm Macdonald (Dirty Work)

In 1998, the same year that the late Norm Macdonald was infamously fired from SNL, the actor came out with one of his best movies, Dirty Work. Also written by Macdonald and directed by Bob Saget, the comedy about a man who literally becomes a specialist in the business of revenge has gained a cult following despite getting bad reviews in the 90s.

Kenan Thompson (D2: The Mighty Ducks)

Before he became one of the longest-running SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson was part of Nickelodeon’s more kid-friendly sketch comedy, All That. However, before then, the Emmy winner made his acting debut in one of the greatest hockey movies, D2: the Mighty Ducks as the inventor of the Knuckle Puck, Russ.

Ana Gasteyer (Happiest Season)

As the creator of beloved sketches like “NPR’s Delicious Dish” and the astonishing ability to hide when sketches don’t go as planned, Ana Gasteyer’s SNL days do not get talked about enough. In 2020, she appeared alongside the Happiest Season cast in a brief, but memorable, role in the acclaimed LGBTQ+ romance dramedy.

Fred Armisen (Portlandia)

While he was still on SNL, Fred Armisen was the driving force of a whole different kind of sketch comedy series called Portlandia. In partnership with non-SNL sketch comedy actor Carrie Brownstein, the pair poked fun at life in Portland in a Monty Python-esque style of quirky and bizarre bits.

Tim Meadows (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping)

Despite his impressively long tenure, Tim Meadows is one of the most criminally underrated SNL actors and his big-screen presence is no different. Case in point: even one of his most prominent movie roles is from a vastly underrated, mockumentary-style comedy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, from 2106 as Harry, manager to conner4real (Andy Samberg).

Tracy Morgan (30 Rock)

How fitting that one of Tracy Morgan’s greatest successes after being a sketch comedy show performer was playing a sketch comedy show performer. The comic stole every scene in creator and star Tina Fey’s brilliantly surreal broadcasting satire, 30 Rock, as over-the-top actor, Tracy Jordan.

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)

Even before she left SNL (a bit later than she anticipated as a result of Covid-19), Aidy Bryant had already ventured on with a series of her own called Shrill. The actor received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the Hulu original comedy (which she also co-created) as an overweight journalist aspiring to change who she is inside without changing who she is outside.

Even if Saturday Night Live is what these actors are remembered best for, that does not mean it will always be the best thing they are remembered for.

Some of the best talk show hosts have been celebrities, and vice versa, throughout the history of this celebrated medium. However, that doesn’t mean just anyone can hold the desk equally. Keep that in mind as you take in this list of famous celebs who tried to make a talk show happen, but just couldn’t hold their own.

Regis Philbin - The Regis Philbin Show - 1981 - 1982

Throughout the history of Regis Philbin's best movie appearances, as well as his career as a legendary talk show host, the man made a name for himself as someone who knew how to talk to people. But even with his resume of success bookending The Regis Philbin Show's 1981-1982 run, there was still room to learn as this short-lived endeavor proved.

Alan Thicke - Thicke Of The Night - 1983 - 1984

Could Alan Thicke have made Thicke of the Night last under more ideal circumstances? Maybe, but then again, any show that tried to take on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson kind of deserved to be put through the wringer. On the plus side, Thicke wasn’t too far off from starring in Growing Pains, where he’d show us his smile again.

Joan Rivers - The Late Show - 1986 - 1988

Joan Rivers’ “permanent guest host” status on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show was exactly why the comedy icon landed her own series, The Late Show. Directly competing with that NBC landmark in a live program for the Fox network, this albatross supposedly ended the long friendship between Rivers and Carson.

Pat Sajak - The Pat Sajak Show - 1989 - 1990

Being a game show host isn’t the same as being a talk show host. Just ask game show icon Pat Sajak, whose own attempts at crossover success with The Pat Sajak Show never landed. Low ratings took this show out of commission, with Sajak not even hosting the final episode of his own show. After which point the only gaffes Pat would witness were those made on Wheel of Fortune.

Dennis Miller - The Dennis Miller Show - 1992

Sometimes talk shows fail because of not playing to the right audience. In the case of SNL vet Dennis Miller, we would see him flourish through HBO’s Dennis Miller Live program between 1994 and 2002. However, the syndication market didn’t exactly pick up on the man’s unique vibe, which is more than likely why The Dennis Miller Show never made it out of 1992.

Chevy Chase - The Chevy Chase Show - 1993

One of the most infamous late-night flameouts of all time, The Chevy Chase Show saw the SNL comedy legend trying to compete in the late-night wars on behalf of the fledgling Fox network. Not only did Chase’s show fail, but it was the continuation of a long-standing curse that TV titan still encounters to this day.

Jon Stewart - The Jon Stewart Show - 1993 - 1995

"Cancellation should not be confused with failure." David Letterman imparted those words to Jon Stewart as The Jon Stewart Show was literally canceled the day of that very interview. An unsuccessful jump from MTV to syndication could be the major factor that was to blame, though Letterman’s words eventually rang true when Stewart went on to become The Daily Show’s longtime host in 1999. 

Charles Grodin - The Charles Grodin Show - 1995-1998

Charles Grodin’s expertise in playing a curmudgeon made him a popular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. So one could think placing that energy behind the desk would be a recipe for success, and that’s what CNBC had hoped when debuting The Charles Grodin Show. Twenty-six episodes later, that assumption was tested, and proven false.

Keenen Ivory Wayans - The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show - 1997 - 1998

With the magnetism that propelled him to success in movies and with TV’s In Living Color, surely Keenen Ivory Wayans had the juice to turn late night on its head, right? Nope. Lasting only a few short months, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show was out like a flash. Judging by Keenen’s claims that he wasn’t really given the free reign he’d expected with the series, it’s no surprise why.

Magic Johnson - The Magic Hour - 1998

Eight weeks was all it took for NBA legend Magic Johnson to flame out on the talk show circuit. The Magic Hour was anything but, with critics clearly not digging the man’s style when it came to holding court on TV. Save for an infamous episode with one of his staunchest critics, Howard Stern, there wasn’t much enchantment to be found here.

Martin Short - The Martin Short Show - 1999 - 2000

The bad news is that certified comedy legend Martin Short didn’t last very long as the host of The Martin Short Show. However, the silver lining to be had is the fact that this short engagement in the land of talk shows did give us one of his most memorable characters, as this was the launching pad for one Jiminy Glick. 

Queen Latifah - The Queen Latifah Show - 1999 - 2001/2013 - 2015

Sometimes it all comes down to timing and ratings, both of which seemed to be the death knell for The Queen Latifah Show in its two separate incarnations. The 1999-2001 run could be seen as ahead of its time, while the 2013-2015 run saw a promising start leading to declining ratings. 

Wayne Brady - The Wayne Brady Show - 2001 - 2004

It’s still hard to believe that the charming and quick-witted Wayne Brady couldn’t make it in daytime talk. Though the Let’s Make A Deal host is doing quite well for himself now, The Wayne Brady Show was a bit of a stumbling block on his career path. Luckily, right before the show went off the air, Wayne’s infamous Chappelle's Show sketch went to air, and it gave him a win that overshadowed the whole business.

Zach Galifianakis - Late World with Zach - 2002

Zach Galifianakis’ Late World with Zach on MTV is a particularly notable example of what happens when a talent like this Hangover star lands at the wrong time. All of the ingredients were there, as MTV let Zach be Zach; but people weren’t clued into the gag just yet, because many of Galifianakis' best movies weren't out yet. By the time Between Two Ferns kicked off though, the world was ready, and a confrontational legend was born.

Caroline Rhea - The Caroline Rhea Show - 2002 - 2003

When a notable talk show host leaves, there’s always the question of who carries on their legacy of schtick. As The Rosie O’Donnell Show came to a close, Caroline Rhea’s talk show, The Caroline Rhea Show, attempted to pass that torch to the Sabrina the Teenage Witch legend. The networks, and audiences, were not exactly supportive, and after 195 episodes, it was no more.

Sharon Osbourne - The Sharon Osbourne Show - 2003 - 2004

Before Sharon Osbourne's "embarrassing" departure from The Talk, she struck it out on her own to try and parlay some of her reality TV fame into a chat show. And yet, The Sharon Osbourne Show didn't last, as the show failed to land a following, leaving Sharon to let it die a quiet, un-renewed death. 

John McEnroe - McEnroe - 2004

Tennis is a grueling sport, but talk shows can be even more of a battlefield if you’re not careful. John McEnroe learned that the hard way during a handful of months in 2004, when his series McEnroe went from a critically panned debut to a critically panned finale. Even his most dedicated fans have probably overlooked it, with a mere mention of the series prompting many exclamations of, “You can’t be serious!”

Megan Mullally - The Megan Mullally Show - 2006 - 2007

Sometimes our preconceptions get the better of us, and shows like The Megan Mullally Show suffer as a result. As audiences were taken aback by Mullally failing to be her Will & Grace character in real life, there was nowhere to go but down for this daytime talk show.

George Lopez - Lopez Tonight - 2009 - 2011

If it wasn’t for Conan O’Brien, Lopez Tonight may have had a healthy run on TBS. Though it seemed his hiring could have boosted George Lopez’s show, the only shake-up it got was being moved into a later time slot, with weakened ratings. However, this all happened with O’Brien trying to avoid any sort of bad blood along the way, with the host even paying tribute to this slain series on its final night of air.

Wanda Sykes - The Wanda Sykes Show - 2009 - 2010

Following in the footsteps of Joan Rivers’ The Late Show and Chevy Chase’s The Chevy Chase Show, Fox really wanted to make late-night happen with comedian Wanda Sykes. Unfortunately for the network, The Wanda Sykes Show was such a disappointment that it hasn’t even tried to mount another original program in that later evening block since. 

Katie Couric - Katie - 2012 - 2014

A staple of NBC’s Today, seeing Katie Couric go to daytime talk felt like a lateral move. Moving to ABC to do so was certainly the most shocking turn of it all, at least until Katie was mutually canceled by its star and overseers. What started as a good run soon fell into a slump, leaving this enterprise grounded by 2014.

Bethenny Frankel - Bethenny - 2012 - 2014

How’s this for a story? The Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel tried to kickstart her talk show Bethenny, only for it to initially get shelved. Fate seemed to smile on the entrepreneur as the show was revived for a run between 2012 and 2014. Only 170 episodes would be produced before the hammer came down, freeing Frankel up for appearances on shows like Shark Tank. 

Kris Jenner - Kris - 2013

It wasn’t cancellation that ended Kris’ brief 2013 run, as the talk show fronted by Kris Jenner was only being tested when it aired. Coincidentally the most notable episode was its finale, which saw Kanye West showing off the first photos of her granddaughter North. Ratings spiked, but it couldn’t save this ship from sinking. 

Khloé Kardashian - Kocktails With Khloé - 2016

A TV show where the host drinks with their guests? Not a bad move, especially when someone with clout like Khloé Kardashian could get the concept greenlit for cable. Unfortunately for Kocktails with Khloé, the show struck out after 14 episodes; more than likely due to the perfect storm of airing on cable and audience feedback sounding rather disappointed with the overall product.

Harry Connick Jr. - Harry - 2016 - 2018

For someone as adept at conversation and shenanigans as Harry Connick Jr., to fail in the talk show landscape always feels like a waste. Harry capitalized on the former American Idol judge’s star power and charisma, but even then audiences weren’t buying as heavily as when he was a part of Fox’s former reality show fixture.

Sarah Silverman - I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman - 2017 - 2018

There still isn’t a clear answer as to why Hulu canceled I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman. A mashup of talk show and sketch show, Silverman took on the tough issues of our modern times with her trademark sense of humor. Twenty-one episodes still don’t seem like a long enough run, but that’s sadly where things ended.

Lilly Singh - A Little Late With Lilly Singh - 2019 - 2021

With Carson Daly giving up the throne of Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC made what seemed like a smart move. By tapping famous YouTuber Lilly Singh for her show A Little Late with Lilly Singh, the network was clearly trying to get the younger generation to tune into this tested timeslot. It didn’t work, even with some changes to the format in the second season, and with this show’s demise also came that of the 1:35 A.M. slot at NBC.

Kathy Griffin - Kathy - 2012 - 2013

Giving Kathy Griffin her own talk show, after years of being banned from shows like Ellen and The View, was probably a bit of a surprise. In fact, the only thing that would have been more surprising is if Kathy had actually lasted past its short spell of 24 episodes on Bravo.

ALF - Alf’s Hit Talk Show - 2004

ALF’s Hit Talk Show tried pretty hard in its extremely brief run to make TV Land viewers stay up a bit later. Not even guests like Merv Griffin and Doris Roberts, not to mention professional sidekick/Tonight Show legend Ed McMahon could push this affair past seven episodes. 

Russell Brand - Brand X With Russell Brand - 2012 - 2013

You’d think a talk show with Russell Brand at the helm would be something so controversial you’d have at least heard of it. That appears to not be the case, as FX failed to crack the same molds it had broken with shows like The Shield with its two-season run of Brand X with Russell Brand. 

Bonnie Hunt - The Bonnie Hunt Show - 2008 - 2010

Bonnie Hunt not only had the comedic chops and kindness to host something like The Bonnie Hunt Show, but she infused it with a creative spin. Thanks to guests being able to enter the set through various methods of excitement, like a firepole, there seemed to be some magic in giving the Cheaper by the Dozen star a daytime talk slot. Two seasons, and even a couple of award nominations later, it was lights out.

Fran Drescher - The Fran Drescher Tawk Show - 2010

For six seasons and 146 episodes, Fran Drescher charmed the world as Fran Fine on CBS’ The Nanny. Sadly, that sort of effortless affability didn’t help The Fran Drescher Tawk Show make it past 16 episodes in 2010. And yes, that did include a humorous reunion with her co-star Charles Shaughnessy. 

Even with the most pleasing personality, the best time slot, and a pedigree in the business, talk shows are a concept that can still present a gamble. Many celebrities have tried, and many more probably will in the future; because when you can make it as a talk show host, you can pretty much write your own ticket from that point on.

It is no secret to anyone who has ever watched the hit sketch comedy series that the Saturday Night Live cast changes every year. In fact, there are some SNL actors who do not last any longer than one season. While some one-season-wonders have since fallen into obscurity, there are plenty of others who may have already been well-known to begin with or went on to become bigger than anyone could have imagined, as you can see from this list below. 

Nancy Carell 

The 1995-1996 season of SNL saw the debut of a Second City improv grad then named Nancy Walls, who — according to Vulture — was best known for impersonating the likes of Diane Sawyer, Sharon Stone, and Martha Stewart. Years after her sole season on SNL, Nancy would return to Studio 8H to appear in the opening monologue for a Season 38 episode hosted by her now husband, Steve Carell.

Chevy Chase

As one of SNL’s most famous former cast members, it’s easily forgotten that Chevy Chase was on for just one year (the series’ first) due to his then-girlfriend’s reluctance to move closer to set, according to the book, Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. After Bill Murray replaced him, Chase had a successful movie career, became a Five-Timer’s Club member, and starred in the Community cast for several seasons.

Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal was an established name when he joined SNL in 1984 and was even supposed to be the very first show’s final act before his managers pulled him out, feeling the time slot was disrespectful, according to Live From New York. The comedian’s brief run — before going on to star in hit movies like rom-com classic When Harry Met Sally… — was a memorable one, especially for his recurring portrayal of Fernando Lamas.

Joan Cusack

John Cusack is an actor who has never hosted SNL, but his sister, Joan Cusack, was actually a cast member during the disastrous 11th season from 1985-1986, which — as she revealed on Terry Gross’ Fresh Air podcast — was a miserable experience. Luckily, her subsequent career after she and the rest of that year’s cast got fired has gone very well, including two Academy Award nominations (for Working Girl and In & Out), sharing the screen with her siblings on occasion, etc. 

Robert Downey Jr.

Yeah, that’s right: Iron Man was an SNL regular from 1985-1986, during which he realized the “rapid-fire sketch comedy” format was not for him — as he revealed to Sam Jones on Off Camera — and was later ranked dead last on Rolling Stone’s list of the show's best cast members in 2015. Even with the evidence recorded for the world to see, the two-time Academy Award nominee’s current career makes that mostly forgotten part of his career hard to believe.

Chris Elliott

Late 2000s cast member Abby Elliott is actually a second generation SNL star, following her father, Chris Elliott’s, short tenure in the mid-1990s, despite previously having the chance to join in the mid-1980s, as he told The Daily Beast. He was already on his way to being a comedy icon by then thanks to appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and surely is now, thanks to his role as one of the funniest Schitt’s Creek characters, Roland Schitt, to name one example.

Janeane Garofalo

After making her acting debut on short-lived sketch comedy series, The Ben Stiller Show, Janeane Garofalo joined SNL from 1994 to 1995. Today, the stand-up comedian is well known for numerous movie and TV roles, including for her twice Emmy-nominated role on The Larry Sanders Show and from one of Pixar’s best movies, Ratatouille, as Colette.

Gilbert Gottfried

In 2022, we lost comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who is well known for playing Iago in Disney’s Aladdin, but not so much from SNL. Gottfried told Joe Rogan that his one year as a regular was “terrible” because he came on in 1980, right after the original cast had all left, which had viewers especially critical. 

Christopher Guest 

These days, writer, director, producer, and actor Christopher Guest is known as one of the leading “mockumentarians” for hits like Best in Show and This is Spinal Tap. He and the rest of the faux rock band actually appeared on SNL when he was cast member from 1984-1985, during which he was the anchor for “Weekend Update,” when it was being called “Saturday Night News.”

Anthony Michael Hall

Anthony Michael Hall became the youngest SNL cast member in history at just 17, according to The Independent, when he joined in 1985. Of course, by then, he was already one of Hollywood’s top teen stars, having played Chevy Chase’s son in National Lampoon’s Vacation and stole the show in hit coming-of-age ‘80s movie classics like Sixteen Candles and Weird Science (alongside Robert Downey Jr.).

David Koechner

Years before he starred alongside SNL all-star Will Ferrell in the Anchorman movies, David Koechner actually met him when they were on the show together, as he told Larry King Now guest host, Tom Green. The actor and comedian also debuted his character, Gerald “T-Bones” Tibbons, in a few sketches during his 1995-1996 stint.

Laurie Metcalf 

She is best known for her role on Roseanne (and The Conners), her Oscar nomination for Lady Bird, and playing Sheldon’s mom on The Big Bang Theory, but one of Laurie Metcalf’s earliest gigs was SNL. On Late Night with Seth Myers, she reflected on her two contributions to the show: a “Weekend Update” reporter bit and a short film opposite Catherine O’Hara.

John Milhiser

A highlight of John Milhiser’s SNL tenure was his only slightly exaggerated Jon Cryer impersonation in a few segments from Season 39. After Deadline reported that his contract was not being renewed, the comedian later appeared opposite alumni Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in 2016’s Ghostbusters.

Randy Quaid

In addition to stealing the show from Chevy Chase in the National Lampoon’s Vacation, Randy Quaid had also earned an Oscar nomination for 1974’s The Last Detail before joining SNL. His followed the infamous 1985-1986 season by broadening Cousin Eddie’s iconography in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast and starring in classics like Independence Day and Brokeback Mountain.

Rob Riggle

Rob Riggle’s 2004-2005 SNL stint was his first major showbiz gig following 15 years as an active marine, as he recalled to The Daily Beast. He also revealed his time as his season’s only “new guy” caused some dysfunction, but at least it led to a successful career as a Daily Show correspondent, appearing in hit comedies like The Hangover, and hosting Holey Moley.

Tim Robinson

As Primetimer recalls, Tim Robinson joined SNL in 2012 alongside Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong, but was the only one out of that new trio to not make it past one season. He would eventually make up for lost time pretty significantly by co-creating and starring on Netflix’s hit sketch comedy series, I Think You Should Leave.

Paul Shaffer

Paul Shaffer has an interesting SNL history, having started off as a member of the house band before becoming a cast member in 1979, at which point he became the first to drop the F-bomb during a show, according to EW. Today, we know him best as the band leader for David Letterman’s storied late night career.

Martin Short

A comedy legend of Martin Short’s stature and talent — despite not pleasing everyone, apparently — is someone you’d assume had been on there longer than one season, but, as he discussed with Howard Stern, that turned out to be the case. From 1984-1985, the Only Murders in the Building cast member played many memorable characters, including Ed Grimley, most notably.

Sarah Silverman

Getting fired from SNL in 1994 was a bit disappointing to Sarah Silverman, but — as she told Perri Nemiroff on Collider Ladies Night — that one season was a great experience that made navigating show business a little easier. The two-time Emmy winner is now one of the best-known comedians there is, having even gained an audience too young for her stand-up after voicing Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate clarified to InStyle that her firing from SNL in 2010 had nothing to do with her accidental F-bomb in that season’s premiere episode, but claims she “just didn’t belong there.” Her career since — including playing Mona-Lisa Saperstein on Parks and Rec, creating and voicing the title role of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and appearing in Best Picture Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once — has surely been a great consolation anyway.

Ben Stiller

Not quite a “one-season-wonder,” Ben Stiller explained to Howard Stern that he was on SNL for five weeks before quitting in 1989 because he preferred creating short films over performing in live sketches — much like he did with The Ben Stiller Show. After launching a phenomenal career (that included occasionally sharing the screen with his parents), he has since come back to host twice, make some cameos, and recur as Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Terry Sweeney

SNL’s first openly gay cast member (and first on “network, commercial-based television,” according to Out) was Terry Sweeney, who was a writer before being recruited for the 1985-1986 season. He went on to write for MADtv and co-created a short-lived sketch comedy called Hype and more recently appeared on American Crime Story Season 2 and Netflix’s The Politician.

Danitra Vance

While not out at the time, Danitra Vance is tied with Terry Sweeney as SNL’s first LGBTQ+ cast member, having starred alongside him during Season 11. According to Advocate, she actually resigned from the show herself and continued to write and perform sharply satirical comedy before she passed away from breast cancer in 1994.

Michaela Watkins

Michaela Watkins — best known as blogger Angie Tempura — told EW that Lorne Michaels fired her from SNL in 2009, believing she should have her own show, which eventually happened when she was cast on Hulu’s Casual and, later, The Unicorn on CBS. You may also recognize her from movies like Good Boys or from Hulu’s true crime miniseries, The Dropout, more recently.

Damon Wayans 

In the world of sketch comedy, Damon Wayans is best known for his spot among the In Living Color cast and his iconic characters like Homey D. Clown. However, prior to that, he was a featured SNL performer for 11 episodes before he was fired for — as he discussed in a Weekender interview — going off script. 

Noël Wells

College Humor and Upright Citizens Brigade vet Noël Wells was not brought back for a second season on SNL in 2014, but bounced back pretty quickly. She had a pivotal role on Netflix’s Master of None; wrote, directed, and starred in 2017’s Mr. Roosevelt, and more recently lending her voice to Star Trek: Lower Decks. 

Brooks Wheelan

In a 2014 “Celebrity Family Feud” sketch, Brooks Wheelan (as himself) assures Steve Harvey (Kenan Thompson) that he is on SNL, to which the host responds, “I doubt it." -- a playful dig at his lack of screen time during his freshman season. In July 2014, the comedian announced he would not be returning with a tweet reading, “Had a blast and loved every second of it. I'm totally honored to be able to make this next joke... FIRED FROM NEW YORK IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!

”

Mike O'Brien 

Mike O’Brien was an SNL writer from 2009 to 2015, but also pulled double duty as a cast member from 2013-2014, during which he played Jay-Z and Oprah in a couple of short, faux biopics. Some of his more recent highlights include a Booksmart cameo and creating the short-lived NBC sitcom, AP Bio.

Aristotle Athari

One of SNL’s more recent one-season-wonders is Aristotle Athari, who was actually the show’s first Middle-Eastern male cast member and second Iranian-American cast member, according to The Dallas Morning News. Despite minimal screen time before his Season 47 exit, he did have a recurring character: indecipherable, improvisational lounge singer, Angelo.

Peter Aykroyd

A year after his brother, Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd, left the show, Peter Aykroyd joined as a cast member in 1980 and went on to earn an Emmy Award as a staff writer. The former Second City member, sadly, passed away at 66 in November 2021, USA Today reported. 

Jim Downey

While Jim Downey was only an SNL cast member for one year in 1980, he has been a writer for the show longer than anybody, with more than 30 seasons under his belt. He would show up on camera every so often in the later years, such as for a pair of faux ads for a bank that only gives people change, which he also wrote.

Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole’s distinct professionalism can be summed up in a story she shared to Broadway World from her 1981-1982 SNL stint in which she managed to sing a parodic Christmas carol on live TV with a piece of fake snow stuck in her throat. The actor is better known today for Oscar darlings like Tootsie and The Wolf of Wall Street, starring alongside fellow SNL alums Chris Farley and David Spade in Black Sheep, and starring on CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola since 2019.

Not everybody needs to reach Kenan Thompson’s record to really make it in comedy, as many of these one-season SNL actors can support.

Community’s first four seasons saw Chevy Chase starring as Pierce Hawthorne, the Greendale Community College central study group’s out-of-touch, often antagonistic senior member. However, Chase left the show as a main cast member following Season 4 due to behind-the-scenes drama, and after cameoing in the Season 5 premiere as a hologram, Pierce died offscreen. Nearly a decade later, Chase opened up about his exit from the comedy series, which included saying he didn’t want to be surrounded by “those people.” That prompted a response from co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who played Shirley Bennett.

Chase discussed on his Community experience while appearing on WTF with Marc Maron, saying that he felt the show “wasn’t funny enough” and was “a little constrained” playing Pierce, as the material wasn’t “hard-hitting enough” for him. Eventually the SNL alum reached a point where he realized he “felt happier being alone,” then added that he “just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much.” Brown reacted to a headline summarizing Chase’s Community thoughts by saying the following on X (formerly known as Twitter):

If you haven’t done a deep dive on behind-the-scenes Community events, it’s worth looking into the conflict that arose between Chevy Chase and creator Dan Harmon as Season 3’s production was winding down. However, even ignoring that spat, there’d been reports of tension between Chase and other members of the cast and crew beforehand, including one incident where he reportedly dropped an n-bomb on set. Even though Harmon was fired ahead of Season 4 (though he’d reprise his showrunning duties the following season) and Chase stuck around for the majority of Season 4, eventually it was decided that he and the show should go their separate ways, and the Caddyshack actor said around that time that him being part of the sitcom has been a “huge mistake.”

Cutting back to this recent interview, it’s clear that Chase doesn’t care for some, if not all of his Community castmates, and judging by her comment, Yvette Nicole Brown isn’t surprised in the slightest that he said something like this. However, Brown made it clear soon after that she has no intention of sharing what her experience working with Chase was like, because when a fan asked if she’d ever spoken on the subject, she answered:

So it’s unlikely we’ll ever hear Brown’s side of the story of what happened with Chase on the Community set, but it seems pretty clear there’s no love lost between the two actors, which is ironically fitting considering how often Shirley and Pierce butted heads. When another person said to Brown that the headline was “extremely misleading” and recommended she read the article itself, she responded:

Community ran for another two seasons following Chevy Chase’s departure, with Season 6 airing on the now-defunct Yahoo Screen after NBC cancelled the series. After years of fans championing for “six seasons and a movie,” it was announced in September 2022 that a Community movie is moving forward that will be released exclusively to Peacock subscribers. Most of the main cast members are confirmed to be reprising their roles, but this past July, Jeff Winger actor Joel McHale responded with an “I don’t think so” when asked if Chase would also participate. Between Pierce Hawthorne’s death and everything that went down behind-the-scenes all those years ago, this is hardly surprising, although I am curious to see if Pierce is at least mentioned in the movie.

Community can be streamed with either a Netflix subscription or Hulu subscription, and CinemaBlend will pass along updates regarding what’s in store for the movie once they come in. Keep track of the rest of this year’s small screen programming with our 2023 TV schedule.

How do you pick just one of the ‘80s movies for the biggest movie stars of the decade? It’s a challenging task, but we figure we’re up for the job. So if you find yourself only able to watch a single '80s film starring each of these icons, here’s the only list you’ll need. 

Tom Cruise - Top Gun

This one is obvious, right? Top Gun is the movie that made Tom Cruise a superstar and his career has never wavered since. It was such a cultural phenomenon at the time that not only did it make an astounding $357 million at the box office (against a $15 million budget), it became the best-selling VHS tape of all time, based on pre-orders alone! Everyone saw it that summer, and again when it was released on home video. He revived the franchise 36 years later and dominated at the box office again with Top Gun: Maverick. 

Steve Martin - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Steve Martin had a string of hits in the 1980s, but his best of the bunch was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It’s a perfect example of how varied Martin’s comedy could be. At times refined, at others completely physical and off the wall. Martin puts everything into this performance and it shows in the results. It’s just a brilliantly hilarious film. 

Whoopi Goldberg - Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Whoopi Goldberg burst onto the big screen in The Color Purple (more on that film in a minute). Her performance was lauded by critics, with Roger Ebert calling it “one of the most amazing debut performances in movie history.” It’s certainly a film worth watching for her Oscar-nominated performance, but if you really want to get a great idea of what Goldberg was all about in the ‘80s, check out  Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Goldberg is, after all, a comedian at heart, and she brings all her comedic skill to bare in this early tech/spy thriller. It’s another A+ performance from the star of The View.

Goldie Hawn - Overboard

Goldie Hawn was already a veteran in show business by the time the ‘80s started, but she saved some of her best performances for the decade. In her final movie of the decade, she teamed up with Kurt Russell for Overboard, and the chemistry between the two is right there on the screen for all to see. Both actors are amazing, and Hawn truly is one of America’s sweethearts. 

Morgan Freeman - Lean On Me

By 1989, Morgan Freeman had been steadily working in Hollywood for more than two decades, but it was that year that his career jumped to superstar levels. He starred in 4 films in the final year of the decade, including Driving Miss Daisy and Glory. Those two films garnered 14 Oscar nominations between them, including a Best Actor nod for Freeman. It was a third film though, Lean On Me that really lit the screen on fire. Based on the true story of a principal named Joe Clark who is charged with cleaning up a Paterson, NJ school. Freeman’s performance is powerful and set the stage for all that came after it in his career. 

Demi Moore - About Last Night

One of the actors to emerge out of the 1980s “Brat Pack,” Demi Moore forged a career that lasted well into the ‘90s and beyond, with some of her finest work coming in her first few films. One of those, About Last Night, holds up incredibly well. It’s a unique take on the rom-com and is at times much more serious than so many others from this era, due in large part to the grittier story it was adapted from (David Mamet’s play, Sexual Perversity in Chicago) and Moore’s excellent performance alongside Rob Lowe.  

Harrison Ford - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Sure, there are a few movies that would fit here for Harrison Ford, like that one about the space wars or whatever it’s called. But for pure, distilled Ford, nothing beats Indiana Jones and nothing beats the OG Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s Ford at his very best: snarky, charming, witty, and tough. No Nazi is safe with Indy after them. 

Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey’s rise to all-powerful media queen began in the ‘80s and a very big piece of that was her acting performance in 1985’s The Color Purple. She was nominated for an Oscar in her film debut and almost four decades later, the film’s powerful message of overcoming abuse still resonates with audiences. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, though it shockingly didn’t win any, which is a shame. 

Chevy Chase - Fletch

Like Harrison Ford, you could go in a lot of directions with Chevy Chase, but, like Raiders, you need to go with the purest form of Chase and for that, there is nothing better than the original Fletch. He's at his sarcastic best as Irwin Fletcher. No one can quite be as charmingly condescending as peak Chase and no one is spared here. Order up a couple of steak sandwiches and some caviar; Fletch just hit a water buffalo.

Meryl Streep - Out Of Africa

In the 10 Academy Awards shows of the ‘80s, Meryl Streep was nominated seven times. She won her first (and only of the decade) for 1982’s Sophie’s Choice, but let’s get real, as amazing as she is in it, no one really wants to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and watch that one. Instead, consider a performance just as good, but slightly more upbeat (only slightly, though). Out of Africa is beautiful, as are Streep and Robert Redford in the lead roles, and the tragic story comes to life like magic with her performance. 

Geena Davis - Beetlejuice

Geena Davis made steady progress in her career in the early ‘80s but really found a new level in Beetlejuice. Her on-screen partnership with Alec Baldwin as two ghosts frustrated with the people living in their house is excellent, as they more or less play the “straight man” to Micheal Keaton’s titular character. It’s not an easy gig, but Davis is amazing. 

Jackie Chan - Police Story

Jackie Chan didn’t break big in the United States until the ‘90s and by then he was the biggest action star in Hong Kong. It was 1985’s Police Story that solidified his spot at the top and if you’ve never seen it, you definitely need to. While Chan has always been an amazing stuntman, it’s Police Story that brings all his skills to the forefront, from amazing fight scenes to the epic opening car chase with Chan hanging onto a bus with an umbrella as he pursues the baddies. It’s one of the most insane stunts in Chan’s history of insane stunts. 

Kathleen Turner - Romancing The Stone

Romancing the Stone is one of the great comedies of the 1980s and features some amazing performances from Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, but Kathleen Turner’s Joan Wilder takes the cake. Or the bail of pot, as the case may be here. Walking that line between an intrepid explorer looking for her kidnapped sister and a damsel in distress, Turner shines. Her chemistry with Douglas and DeVito is so good, they made two more films together, the sequel Jewel of the Nile and the unrelated The War of the Roses, but it’s Stone that remains the best. 

Michael Douglas - Wall Street

Michael Douglas is great as Jack in Romancing The Stone, but it’s his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street that makes for one of the greatest movie villains in cinema history. Of course, he won an Oscar for the performance, but it’s how quotable the movie and his character are that makes it one of the best of all time, even if those quoting don’t always understand the heavy-handed irony in each line. 

Edward James Olmos - Stand And Deliver

With Stand And Deliver, director Ramón Menéndez told the true story of math teacher Jaime Escalante who sought to raise the level of education single-handily in an East LA high school by daring to teach underprivileged Hispanic kids calculus. Edward James Olmos plays Escalante brilliantly, earning himself an Oscar nomination in the process. 

Tom Hanks - Big

Tom Hanks grew up with Big, literally and figuratively. It marks the point in his career when he jumped from a wild and wacky comedian to an actor who can take on any role, no matter how serious, and make it his own. There are the wilder moments, but there is also a real vulnerability to the man-child Josh Baskin that Hanks makes so authentic for the audience. It’s no wonder it earned him his first Oscar nomination. 

Daryl Hannah - Splash

Another Hanks movie also happens to be the great Daryl Hannah’s finest performance. Before Ariel, there was Madison, the mermaid who longed to walk on the land with humans and falls in love with an average Joe. Hannah’s performance magically convinces audiences that it’s exactly what a fish out of water would be like. 

Mel Gibson - Lethal Weapon

Back before Mel Gibson was a lightening rod for controversy, he played some pretty amazing roles and none more so that Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. From the very first scene, audiences see that classic “Mel Gibson Crazy Eyes” face and it sets the tone for the movie and the franchise, one that had remarkable life to it. That first scene is also why Lethal Weapon should be in the conversation for the best Christmas movie, alongside Die Hard. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Terminator

The decade wouldn't be as big and as over the top as it was without Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Austrian bodybuilder took the movie world by storm and there are any number of enjoyable performances, but if you're looking at 1980s movies, you have to choose The Terminator. It launched him to superstardom, and it kicked off a franchise of Terminator movies that's lasted for decades. Sure, he only has a handful of lines, but no one could top his performance as a relentless killing machine that we all somehow fell in love with… later. 

Sylvester Stallone - First Blood

Not only did First Blood launch one of the most enduring franchises of the era, but it’s also just a really good film. It could be argued that it’s Sylvester Stallone’s best. His performance as a down-and-out Vietnam vet highlighted the plight of returning soldiers from that war. Brian Dennehy plays the antagonist perfectly as the angry sheriff that doesn’t take kindly to strangers in his town. A+. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Scarface

Scarface really hasn’t aged all that well. Sure, the memes are fantastic, but as a film, it feels as dated as neon green headbands and electric typewriters. The lone exception is Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance. It’s still great, and made her one of the biggest stars of the 1980s. 

Molly Ringwald - Sixteen Candles

Molly Ringwald was once called John Hughes’ muse and it’s easy to see why she became such a mainstay in many of his hit movies from the era. Sixteen Candles is truly one of the funniest movies of the ‘80s, in part because of the side characters, but mostly it’s due to Ringwald’s fantastic performance as the girl the family forgot. 

Denzel Washington - Glory

Denzel Washington was nominated for his first Oscar for 1987’s Cry Freedom, but he won his first for 1989’s Glory. The cool thing about Glory is that it’s actually one of his most powerful performances, as audiences didn’t know him as DENZEL yet. The movie follows one of the few Black companies fighting for the Union during the Civil War and tells a story that had sort of been forgotten in the public consciousness at the time. The success of Glory and of Washington’s performance, especially in the scene where he is whipped, is one of the reasons that story will never be forgotten again. 

Jodie Foster - The Accused

The Accused is not an easy movie to watch. It begins with one of the most brutal rape scenes in cinema history and follows Jodie Foster’s character, Sarah Tobias, on the quest to get justice. The subject matter was so intense, the role was reportedly turned down by a number of A-listers at the time. It was fortuitous for Foster, who had struggled to re-ignite her career after attending Yale. Her performance won her an Oscar and the rest is history. 

Sally Field - Steel Magnolias

There are great Sally Field movies in every decade since she jumped from TV to the big screen in the mid-70s. For the ‘80s, you can’t go wrong with Steel Magnolias. It may be a tad melodramatic at times, but it stays grounded with the acting by Field and other stars like Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine. 

Bill Murray - Ghostbusters

Bill Murray had so many great movies in the 1980s, it’s difficult to pick just one, but in the end, you have to go with Ghostbusters. His turn as Peter Venkman is so funny, so quotable, and so lovable, that without him, it would be a completely different movie. John Belushi in the role was the original plan, but after his death, Murray ended up in the role, and now we can’t imagine it any other way. 

Robin Williams - Good Morning Vietnam

Good Morning Vietnam was an important movie in Robin Williams' stellar career. It was the movie that truly showed audiences just how great his acting chops were. He was no longer just the frenetic comedian running around the stage inspiring laughs. Williams showed his dramatic side, especially after the bomb went off in his favorite cafe. Of course, there is plenty of off-the-wall zaniness from him that we all love, which makes it one of his most well-rounded performances. 

Glenn Close - Fatal Attraction

There are few more quintessential scenes from the 1980s than the boiling bunny in Fatal Attraction. Glenn Close’s performance as the unpredictable, jilted lover is just as iconic. Like the bunny in the pot, her character comes to a slow boil, getting more and more intense as the movie moves along. It’s a masterclass in acting from the legend. 

Micheal J. Fox - Back To The Future

No way we were going to leave Michael J. Fox off this list. Between Family Ties, and Teen Wolf, there is no actor that defines the decade quite like him. Of course, it’s no surprise that the essential movie for any Fox fan is the great Back to the Future. It’s a movie that has been introduced to, and loved by, countless people from Generation X and the following generations. It’s beloved by all. 

Jane Fonda - 9 To 5

Jane Fonda, like Sally Field, has decades of outstanding movies and performances, but when she teamed up with Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin to make 9 to 5, she became an icon to a whole new generation. It’s been more than forty years since its release, but the chemistry between Fonda and Tomlin remains, as they proved last year with Moving On.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

Last, but certainly not least, we have one of the biggest breakout stars of the 1980s, Eddie Murphy. Like others, it’s hard to decide on just one, but in the end, it simply has to be Coming To America. It’s the quintessential Murphy film filled with memorable quotes and amazing performances from the entire cast, especially Murphy. 

This list could go on and on. The 1980s were a magical decade in theaters and crafting exhaustive list would prove to be impossible. Luckily, you can find the best ‘80s movies, and even '80s movies that don't get enough love if you need more. 

When the Community movie was officially announced last September, fans were quick to notice that a couple names were missing from the list of actors who were confirmed to be a part of the feature. The press release included Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong as part of the cast, but there was no mention of either Donald Glover or Yvette Nicole Brown. Fortunately, fans were satiated by optimism from show creator Dan Harmon a couple weeks after the announcement, and now Jeff Winger himself has confirmed that Glover will definitely be back for the film as Troy Barnes.

Joel McHale recently discussed the status of the Community movie as a guest on the podcast Let's Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa, and he acknowledged that the project having Donald Glover involved is a big deal. Glover didn't star in the full run of the show (Troy Barnes sailing off into the sunset with LeVar Burton early in Season 5), but audiences will see his story continue in the long-promised film... either with the rest of the Greendale Community College study group or without them. Making reference to Glover's acclaimed FX series that he made after leaving the NBC sitcom, McHale said,

As a die-hard Community fan, obviously getting to see the movie get made is a priority, but, for what it's worth, I certainly wouldn't say no to more of Atlanta beyond the Season 4 finale as a backup plan.

For those who don't recall the details, Troy Barnes left Greendale Community College following the death of Chevy Chase's Pierce Hawthorne. In Pierce's will, Troy was offered the chance to claim a massive inheritance, but the single condition was that he had to complete a sailing voyage around the world. Dan Harmon suggested at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014 that a movie could feature the Community characters rescuing Troy from pirates, but that idea is probably off the table at this point.

In addition to being asked about Donald Glover being in the movie, Joel McHale also addressed whether or not Chevy Chase would be a part of the project – unleashing a tidal wave of sarcasm in the process, referencing behind-the-scenes Community controversy:

Chevy Chase's run on Community officially ended after Season 4 (the season that was made following Dan Harmon being fired by NBC), though there was a proverbial hatchet-burying featured in the Season 5 premiere (the season when Harmon came back to the show). Chase did a cameo as Pierce, appearing as a hologram set up as an installation on the Greendale Community College campus. A couple episodes later, in the David Fincher-esque "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics," it was revealed that Pierce had died.

The Community movie, fulfilling the Six Seasons And A Movie "prophecy" from Season 2's "Paradigms of Human Memory," is being developed as an original feature for Peacock – though you presently need either a Netflix subscription or a Hulu subscription if you want to watch all six seasons of the original series. Stay tuned for more updates about the project, which is presently on pause due to the on-going WGA strike.

With a career that has spanned six decades now, Chevy Chase has a lot of stories to tell. From his early days as a musician to the height of his fame in the 1980s, Chase has been one of the most irreverent and beloved comedians ever. You don’t have a career that long without there being some fantastic facts about your life, so here are some of our favorites. 

His Father Was A Notable Book Editor In NYC Who Was Friends With Truman Capote

Chevy Chase was born into a well-known New York family (more on that later), and he was very close with his father. Edward Tinsley “Ned” Chase was a book and magazine editor with a storied career, working with writers like President Harry S. Truman, Norman Mailer, and Truman Capote. Chase told CBS Sunday Morning about a time Ned was meeting with Capote and Mailer, when his father was more interested in making a young Chevy laugh by making faces at him. Definitely a peak into his comedic instincts. 

He Wrote An Article For MAD Magazine In 1970

One of Chase’s earliest forays into comedy writing happened at the venerable MAD Magazine in 1970. In issue #134, Chase wrote a comic strip send-up of the classic Mission: Impossible TV show. 

Chase Was Stabbed Three Times In The Back When He Was A Kid On The Streets Of NYC

The Funny Farm star grew up in New York City’s Upper East Side, but the toney surroundings of New York’s poshest neighborhoods didn’t always protect him. In a story for New York magazine, Chase recalled the time he was harassed on the streets while running an errand for his mother. He was essentially mugged by some other kids, and as he ran away, he was stabbed three times by one of his assailants.

He Learned How To Fall As A Young Soccer Player

On Saturday Night Live, Chase was famous for his bumbling, uncoordinated impression of President Gerald Ford. Seemingly every episode of that first season started with him falling over a podium, or down some stairs, or into a Christmas tree. He credits his ability to take the falls with his athleticism and his history of playing soccer, where he says he “learned to fall.” 

Chase Became Friends With Gerald And Mrs. Ford And Credits Her With Him Getting Sober At The Betty Ford Clinic

Speaking of President Ford, despite Chase’s near-weekly mocking of him, the two became good friends later. In touching tribute to the president upon his death, Chase wrote a story for the New York Times recalling some warm moments between them. He also credits Betty Ford’s “courage” in admitting she was an alcoholic with his decision to enter The Betty Ford Clinic for painkiller addiction in the 1980s. 

He’s Actually Played Clark Griswold 7 Times Over The Years

Sure, everyone knows the three classic Vacation movies (and the less classic Vegas version), but those aren’t the only times Chevy Chase has played Clark Griswold. He also reprised the role for a cameo with Beverly D’Angelo in the 2015 reboot of the franchise, and also joined her for a promotional short for the now-defunct vacation rental website HomeAway, called Hotel Hell Vacation. He also lent his voice to the character for the Season 6 premiere of The Family Guy.  

He Doesn't Care About The Critics

Chase has often been panned by critics and taken to task for some of his alleged on-set behavior, but the ever-irreverent star doesn’t care. When asked about his reputation, he told The Washington Post: 

Chevy Chase Has Perfect Pitch

Perfect pitch (or absolute pitch) is a very rare thing, and experts disagree on whether it is innate in some people or if it can be learned. It means that a person can hear or sing a single note and know exactly what note it is, without any reference at all. Chase has this ability and there’s no question it probably meant a great deal to his musical side. He explained to it Time Out NY:

He Was The Drummer For An Early Version Of Steely Dan

Not only does he have perfect pitch, but he must have pretty good rhythm as well. While in school at Bard College, Chase was classmates with Walter Becker and Donald Fagan. The three of them often picked up gigs together and formed a short-lived band called The Leather Canary. Fagan and Becker would go on to form the legendary Steely Dan, albeit without Chase. They did have very nice things to say about him, though, calling him a “very good drummer” and “one of the funniest drummers” they’d worked with in an interview with the BBC.

Chase Also Played Keys And Drums In Another Band

Around the same time, in the late sixties, Chase was in another band in Boston called Chameleon Church. He played keyboards and drums for the psychedelic band, which recorded one album before breaking up shortly thereafter. 

He Once Recorded A Hip-Hop Parody

He never gave up on his musical dreams, though it wasn’t always for the best. In the early ‘80s, Chase recorded a parody of the early rap hit “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang. Titled “Rapper’s Plight” it’s basically just a rework using a similar sample. While the song isn’t exactly a banger, his rapping isn’t half bad. 

Fletch Is The Character He Most Identifies With

You don’t need us to tell you that Fletch is one of Chase’s most beloved films. It also happens to be the character he most identifies with, telling Time Out: 

The Role Of Otter In Animal House Was Written For Chase

In another universe, Animal House is a very different movie. In the early days of casting there were a number of SNL alumni up for roles, roles that were written with them in mind. Of course, John Belushi would take his fame to a higher level as Bluto in the classic comedy, but the role of D-Day was originally meant for Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray was penciled in for Boone, and Chase was who everyone (except John Landis) wanted for Otter. Landis famously talked Chase out of the role with a classic Jedi Mind Trick, telling him another role he was up for would make him a bigger star. 

In College, He Dated Blythe Danner

In addition to his budding music career at Bard, Chase also dated Blythe Danner. The relationship lasted a few years before amicably breaking up. Danner would go on to marry Bruce Paltrow, with whom she has a daughter named Gwyneth, whom you might have heard of. 

Chase Took Carly Simon To A School Dance In High School

When he was at Riverdale Country School, he was there at the same time as another star who got her start in the '70s. Singer Carly Simon also attended the school, which was very near her childhood home in the early '60s, while Chase was there. According to her biography, he even took her to a sock hop. Has anyone ever asked her if “You’re So Vain” was actually about Chevy Chase?

Lorne Micheals Reworked The “You Can Call Me Al” Video To Star Chase

It’s hard to believe that one of the most famous music videos in the early days of MTV almost didn’t happen. An early version of the '86 Paul Simon classic was shot on the soundstage at SNL and after it was filmed, Simon was unhappy with it. SNL producer Lorne Micheals came up with the idea to have Chevy Chase lipsync the lyrics while a disinterested Simon looked on. The new version became legendary and is one of the most fondly remember videos of its era. It’s so iconic, in fact, that a few years later, when Simon played his monster concert in Central Park, the ever musical Chase joined him on stage to play sax for the tune. 

Johnny Galecki Credits Chase With Teaching Him Comedic Timing

Johnny Galecki is famous for comedic work on two classic sitcoms, Rosanne and The Big Bang Theory. Before both, however, he played Rusty in Christmas Vacation. Barely a teenager, Galecki only had a small handful of credits to his name, and was admittedly very green on the set of the Christmas favorite. He learned a lot working with Chase and has very fond memories of the time on set, telling Rolling Stone:

He Struggled In High School, But Eventually Graduated Valedictorian From Stockbridge School In Massachusetts

Chase has a checkered academic career, by his own account. He was kicked out of at least one prestigious private school in New York City, Riverdale Country School. On the bright side, he seems to have found his way by the time he graduated as valedictorian of his class at The Stockbridge School. 

He Didn't Actually Get Kicked Out Of College For Sneaking A Cow Into His Dorm Room

While his high school career did include some expulsions, college didn’t. Chase famously once told a story on TV that he’d been kicked out of Haverford for sneaking a cow (and some women) into his dorm room. This was later disputed by other students at the school at the time, with some good evidence that it never happened. Still, we kinda wish it did.  

He Was Not Originally Hired As A Cast Member For SNL, But As A Writer

One of the reasons Chase was able to leave SNL after just about a year on the show was because, unlike the other cast members, he signed a one-year writing contract for the show, not a performance contract. He has said he just kept writing himself into episodes but really found his calling on the show with Weekend Update, which he originated, teaming up with Lorne Micheals for the idea.  

Chase Hosted The Oscars Not Once, But Twice

In the '80s, Chase was at peak popularity and had often been mentioned as a future talk show host, which didn't end well when he eventually did land an infamous talk show that bombed. He did, however, get two Oscar-hosting gigs out of the talk that were fairly well received. He was his usual snarky best as host, though it all seems pretty tame by today's standards. 

He Once Said Three Amigos! Was The Most Fun He Had Making A Movie

While Fletch might be the character closest to him, it was Three Amigos! that Chase told EW was the most fun he ever had making a movie. It stands to reason, since two of his close friends, Martin Short and Steven Martin, co-starred alongside him. 

Almost Died Of Electrocution While Filming Modern Problems

Luckily for all of us, an early mishap in his film career didn’t stop Chase in his tracks. While filming one of his earliest movies, Modern Problems, he rigged up a series of lights around his body for a scene involving him dreaming about being an airplane coming in to land. The lights malfunctioned and Chase was electrocuted, knocking him out cold. Thankfully, he woke up.

Chevy Chase Is A 14th-Generation New Yorker

For most Americans, tracing your family in this country back three or four generations can be tricky. Chase can trace his back an incredible 14 generations, and that’s in New York City alone, as well. His mother’s ancestors arrived on the shores of New York in 1642, that’s 23 years before it was even called “New York,” as it was still under Dutch control and known as New Amsterdam. 

The First Native-Born Mayor Of NY Is An Ancestor

After the English took control, one of the city’s first mayors, the first to be born in the colony, was Stephanus Van Cortlandt. Van Cortlandt is also an ancestor of Chase’s, and is the namesake for Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, very near the school Chase once attended, Riverdale Country School. 

Chase Also Had Ancestors On The Mayflower

It’s not just New Yorkers, either. Chase’s family in American goes as far back as the Mayflower. John Howland and William Brewster are both ancestors of his and both arrived at Plymouth Rock with the rest of the Mayflower passengers in 1620. It likely means he is a distant cousin of Fast & Furious star Jordana Brewster, who is a direct descendant of William's. 

Chase Started On The National Lampoon Radio Hour

Like many of those original SNL stars, Chase cut his comedic teeth on the National Lampoon Radio Hour, according to NPR. The show, which ran for 13 months in 1974 and 1975, was created by future SNL head writer Michael O'Donoghue and future cast members John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, and Chase. Christopher Guest, who joined a later cast of SNL, also started on the show. 

As you can see, Chevy Chase has led an intriguing life, which likely helped him make us all laugh.

Update: The story below was adjusted to clarify Donald Glover was joking about Lena Dunham, and includes her official statement.

Despite being among the more celebrated and acclaimed creative minds in the world of entertainment, Donald Glover seemingly spends as much time avoiding the spotlight as performing in it. Ahead of the release of his next genre-morphing drama, Prime Video’s Swarm, the Atlanta creator stepped out of the metaphorical shadows and took the stage at this year’s WGA Awards to pay tribute to a fellow TV comedy mastermind, and just couldn’t stop himself from bringing up former Community co-star Chevy Chase’s use of racial slurs in the process.

Glover and Chase’s professional history together is as noteworthy as comedy-related feuds get, and it’s clear that the former hasn’t let offensive bygones be bygones in the years since they worked together. The part-time rapper presented the Writers Guild Awards’ honorary Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence to Atlanta EP and What We Do in the Shadows showrunner Paul Simms, and used the award’s namesake as a way to target Chase anew. (Sargent was the SNL writer credited for crafting “Weekend Update” for the Fletch star.) In Glover’s words:

No stranger to the SNL stage himself — we’d love to see Glover back hosting as often as possible — the actor was making an only vaguely veiled reference to reports of Chevy Chase using racial slurs on the set of Community. Said behavior was widely reported on in 2012, with the elder actor apologizing for using said language directly in front of Glover and co-star Yvette Nicole Brown while complaining about his character Pierce. But according to Glover and Community creator Dan Harmon, the Christmas Vacation vet used racially charged language to get a rise out of his younger colleague and throw him off while filming scenes.

Community dealt with a slew of behind-the-scenes issues during its six-season stretch, from cancellations to showrunner changes to cast swaps, but Chevy Chase’s feuds with Donald Glover and Dan Harmon arguably remain the most memorable, in the worst of ways. And the Mystery Team star wasn’t keen on dropping just ONE Chase roast, as he followed that up while talking about working with Paul Simms during his guest stint on HBO’s Girls, saying: 

Following the event, representatives for Lena Dunham released the statement below making it clear that Glover's comments did not reflect reality, and that the Girls creator did not say anything of the sort to her temporary co-star. 

A representative for Donald Glover also confirmed with the L.A. Times that the actor was 100% joking in bringing up Dunham's name in that scenario, and it never actually happened.

Generally speaking, it was also a bit odd for the Childish Gambino maestro to pivot away from honoring Paul Simms in full just to go after the SNL vet. And on the WGA stage, no less, as opposed to an event more known for off-the-cuff moments. I'd imagine if Glover was being presented with a similar honor, he'd be ticked off if the person setting it up referenced some personal ire. But then again, Simms may have given Glover the go ahead to bury Chase however he saw fit. However it went, known Chevy Chase shit-talker Pete Davidson likely chuckled if he heard about it. 

Check the video out below of Donald Glover's full presentation for Paul Simms. 

Community fans are currently in the still-feels-weird spot of anticipating the upcoming reunion movie for Netflix, which is 100% happening, though it's unclear whether or not Donald Glover, as co-created by Glover and Janine Nabershis own Spider-verse spinoff film tied to the Hypno-Hustler (which still seems like an April Fool's Day joke gone awry). I'd be any amount of money that he won't be sharing the screen with Chevy Chase in either of the above.

Fans should definitely be watching Paul Simms & Co.'s FX comedy What We Do in the Shadows with a Hulu subscription, and then get ready to binge Prime Video's new fame-focused dramedy Swarm, as co-created by Glover and Janine Nabors, when it debuts on Friday, March 17.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation remains one of the greatest holiday comedy classics. Many remember the iconic performance by Chevy Chase, who slowly loses his mind as Clarke Griswold trying to prepare for Christmas. His wife, played by Beverly D’Angelo tries to remain calm as her husband fixates on his lights display, and his underwhelming Christmas bonus. This movie plays in the homes of many families this holiday season, and now D’Angelo and Chase are reuniting to give fans of their beloved characters yet another holiday treat. 

In a recent TikTok video posted by Chevy Chase himself, the Vacation star is joined by the beautiful D’Angelo, reprising their iconic duo status.  In a surprise appearance, Christie Brinkley also joins the two in the sweet holiday reunion. You can check out the video below:

Chase also shared an adorable group picture from their reunion at the Monroeville Convention Center. The three look as happy as can be, which is a departure from the less-than-happy Griswalds at their disaster Christmas. You can see the cute Instagram below:

For those who may have forgotten, Brinkley does not make an appearance in Christmas Vacation, however she does play a role in the film's predecessor National Lampoon’s Vacation. The film is notable in its own right, and sparked other spin-off films like European Vacation and Vegas Vacation. While Christmas Vacation remains the audience favorite, that doesn’t stop us from having fond memories of Brinkley from the original film. Based on this video, it looks like she has fond memories of Vacation as well. 

The behind the scenes moments from the Christmas classic have become just as infamous as the film itself. Chase injured his pinky while putting up the Christmas decorations from the lights scene, and D’Angelo feared that the artificial snow was flammable. While there were clearly some detours faced when filming the movie, it is sweet that the cast seems to remember the film fondly enough to reunite for fans. 

This isn’t the first time an iconic Christmas Vacation reunion has occurred in the years following the film’s 1989 release. The stars of the film came together in 2012 for a Vacation-inspired holiday Old Navy ad. Members of the cast also paid tribute to their characters for a socially-distant homage to John Hughes, who wrote the film, along with many other beloved family and holiday movies including Home Alone.

Audiences can revisit National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation this holiday season with an HBO Max subscription. There are also many other ways to watch the holiday favorite this season, as it typically airs on television throughout the month. In addition, there’s several other Christmas films available to stream this year, so make sure you check out our feature on where to watch some holiday favorites.

The 1980s gave birth to some of the most iconic movies of all time and turned dozens of actors into international superstars and box office heavyweights. Names like Michael J. Fox, Holly Hunter, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Whoopi Goldberg are just a handful of great ‘80s actors who made an impact on movies, and pop culture in general, in one way or another. 

But with time, some of use have forgotten what the heroes and villains of those beloved ‘80s movies and TV shows have been up to in the decades since they made their mark on the world. Well, not any longer, as we have put together a rather comprehensive list of those familiar faces and what they’ve been up to all these years. 

Whoopi Goldberg

Throughout the 1980s, Whoopi Goldberg proved time and time again that she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood, receiving multiple accolades and awards for movies like The Color Purple and Jumping Jack Flash. Even though she is not in as many high-profile movies as she was in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Goldberg has remained a major player in show business as one of the hosts of the long-running daytime talk show The View, with a major role in the 2021 adaptation of The Stand, and in the Amazon original series Harlem. 

Elisabeth Shue

The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting, and Back to the Future Part II, are just a few iconic ‘80s movies Elisabeth Shue appeared in throughout the early stages of her career. The Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee (1995’s Leaving Las Vegas) is still doing what she does best all these years later, with a collection of movies and TV shows including Greyhound, The Boys, and most recently, Cobra Kai, in which she reprised her beloved character, Ali Mills. 

Judd Nelson

Judd Nelson, the Brat Pack member who made a name for himself with his portrayal of bad boy with a heart of gold John Bender in The Breakfast Club, has remained just as busy in the decades since he became an undeniable heartthrob. More recently, Nelson has provided voice work for animated series like Transformers: Power of the Primes and Ben 10: Omniverse, and appeared in movies like Dead Water and Girl in the Basement. He is set to appear in the upcoming remake of The Most Dangerous Game, per Deadline.

Michael J. Fox

There are few actors who can match the talent, charm, and likability of Michael J. Fox, and with movies like Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, and The Secret of My Success, it’s hard to deny that. Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998, Fox remained busy in film and television throughout the first two decades of the 21st Century with appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Scrubs, and his own sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show. However, Fox stepped away from acting in November 2020 due to ongoing health issues, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Molly Ringwald

Between 1984 and 1986, Molly Ringwald appeared in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, all of which are arguably some of the best ‘80s movies. Ringwald’s success continued through the ’90s, into the 2000s, and even today with roles in romantic comedies like The Kissing Booth franchise, Creepshow, and Riverdale, on which she portrays Mary Andrews. 

Chevy Chase

In the 1980s, Chevy Chase went from Saturday Night Live stand-out to one of the biggest box office draws with Caddy Shack, Fletch, and the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise, to name only a few. All these years later, Chase remains a major star in the world of comedy with shows like Community and a list of movies that includes The Last Laugh, The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee, and Panda vs. Aliens.

Anthony Michael Hall

Michael Anthony Hall appeared in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s, including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science, those final two coming out just months apart. Hall is just as busy these days with appearances in movies like the 2021 horror flick Halloween Kills and a list of TV shows that includes Riverdale, The Blacklist, and The Goldbergs.

Holly Hunter

Throughout the 1980s, Holly Hunter found success with a variety of roles, including standout performances in Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, and End of the Line, all of which came out in 1987. Over the years, Hunter has continued to bring characters to life in movies like The Big Sick, The Incredibles franchise, and multiple TV shows like The Comey Rule, Mr. Mayor, and Succession, to name only a few. 

Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez had only appeared in two of his father’s movies — Badlands and Apocalypse Now — by the time the 1980s kicked off, but he would be a major Hollywood force by the time the decade wrapped up, thanks to roles in The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Young Guns. Estevez has spent much of the past decade-and-a-half writing and directing various film and television projects, but he did return to the small screen in 2021 to reprise his role of Gordon Bombay in the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe became one of the biggest heartthrobs of the 1980s thanks to appearances in The Outsiders, St. Elmo’s Fire, and several other iconic movies. In the years since then, Lowe has found tremendous success on television, including shows like The West Wing, Parks and Recreation, and most recently, 9-1-1: Lone Star, a series he has led since its inception in 2020.

Val Kilmer

In the 1980s, Val Kilmer played an assortment of roles in movies like Top Secret!, Real Genius, Top Gun, and Willow, carving a place out for himself in the annals of Hollywood greats. That success would follow Kilmer throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, but the talented actor would face a major challenge later on when he was diagnosed with throat cancer, a battle that would end with him losing the ability to speak. Despite that, he released the heartfelt and enlightening documentary, Val, in 2021.

Ralph Macchio

Whether he was making us cry in The Outsiders or leaving us on the edges of our seats in The Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio gave it his all in the 1980s, turning out a number of box office hits. Since 2018, Macchio has once again been playing Daniel LaRusso, though instead of on the big screen, Cobra Kai is leg sweeping the competition on Netflix.

Winona Ryder

In the final two years of the 1980s, Winona Ryder made a name for herself with stellar performances in Beetlejuice, Heathers, and Great Balls of Fire!, and she has really not stopped since. Since 2016, Ryder has been one of the biggest stars of the Netflix series Stranger Things, which is slated to return for a fourth season at some point in 2022.

Ally Sheedy

The fifth and final member of The Breakfast Club cast to be featured on this list, Ally Sheedy was a massive star in the 1980s with movies like WarGames, St. Elmo’s Fire, Short Circuit, and several others. Sheedy’s most recent film appearance came in 2016 with a cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Matt Dillon

In the 1980s, Matt Dillon starred in movies like The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, Drugstore Cowboy, and nearly a dozen others, cementing his place as one of the most prolific actors of the decade. Dillon hasn’t really slowed down all that much since then, with his most recent projects including titles like Land of Dreams, Capone, and Wes Anderson's mysterious upcoming movie, Asteroid City.

Jennifer Grey

Jennifer Grey will always be remembered as Frances “Baby” Houseman in Dirty Dancing, a role that capped off an impressive run that also included Red Dawn and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. More recently, though, Grey has been in movies like Untogether and Bittersweet Symphony as well as several TV shows including Dancing with the Stars (which she won), The Conners, and a three-episode arc on Grey’s Anatomy.

Jennifer Beals

Jennifer Beals became an international sensation upon the release of Flashdance in 1983, and she hasn’t really slowed down since then. Over the course of the past few decades, Beals has made appearances in successful movies and TV shows, including Swamp Thing, The L Word: Generation Q, and the Star Wars upcoming series The Book of Boba Fett for Disney+.

Lea Thompson

All the Right Moves, Red Dawn, Back to the Future, Howard the Duck, and Back to the Future Part II are just some of the movies that featured Lea Thompson in the 1980s, a decade that would kick off one hell of a career. Thompson has remained busy over the years and has even directed her fair share of projects. This list includes everything from The Goldbergs to Stargirl, and Mom to Young Sheldon, with multiple others in-between.

Eric Stoltz

Even though he was recast in Back to the Future, Eric Stoltz had and impressive run in the 1980s with Mask, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Say Anything…, to name only a few. That run of successes continued as the years went by and eventually turned into work for Stoltz behind the scenes, including directing credits on shows like Law and Order, Glee, and Madame Secretary, and movies like Class Rank and Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk.

Lou Diamond Phillips

Lou Diamond Phillips will probably always be remembered for his performances in La Bamba and Stand and Deliver, and rightfully so, but the talented actor has made several other contributions over the years. Recently, Phillips has landed roles on Longmire, Blue Bloods, Fear the Walking Dead, Prodigal Son, and multiple other projects in film and television.

Mary Stuart Masterson

Mary Stuart Masterson, who would go on to lead movies like Fried Green Tomatoes and Benny and Joon in the 1990s, found success in the 1980s in Some Kind of Wonderful, Chances Are, and Immediate Family, to name only a few. Following a 13-year absence from the big screen, Masterson returned in 2017 with As You Were, which she followed up with Skin and Daniel Isn’t Real. More recently, Masterson had a main role on the ABC legal drama, For Life.

Kevin Kline

The 1980s were good to Kevin Kline, who appeared in The Big Chill, Silverado, Cry Freedom, and A Fish Called Wanda (a role that earned him an Academy Award), though the good times never really stopped for the versatile actor. In 2021 alone, Kline appeared in Here Today, The Starling, The Good House, and continued to provide the voice of Mr. Calvin Fischoeder on the hit animated series Bob’s Burgers. Still no word on a Dave sequel, though.

Sean Astin

Sean Astin made his film debut in The Goonies in 1985, and his career has been one of the most consistent in Hollywood ever since. The past 35-plus years have seen him show up in Rudy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and countless other successful movies. His television career is just as impressive, with everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Stranger Things, and Supergirl to Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

Adrienne Barbeau

Adrienne Barbeau kicked off the 1980s with appearances in three of the best John Carpenter movies — The Fog, Escape from New York, and The Thing (she was the voice of the computer and only woman in the cast) — as well as other classics like Creepshow and The Cannonball Run. In recent years, Barbeau has appeared in TV adaptations of Swamp Thing and Creepshow, as well as American Horror Stories and Cowboy Bebop.

Jerry O'Connell

Jerry O’Connell gave an unforgettable performance as Vernon “Vern” Tessio in Rob Reiner’s Stephen King adaptation Stand By Me in 1986, one that people still talk about 35 years after the fact. O’Connell has remained quite busy over the years, with multiple animated films that have seen him voice Superman. On top of that, he has been featured on The Big Bang Theory, Carter, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and even his own daytime talk show, Jerry O’.

Corey Feldman

In the 1980s, Corey Feldman became one of the most dependable young actors, with movies like Gremlins, The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, and The ‘Burbs. Over the years, Feldman has appeared in countless movies, TV shows, and documentaries, with his most recent appearance being in the 2021 slasher 13 Fanboy, in which he plays a version of himself. He has also written a series of albums, including the 2021 release, Love Returns.

Patrick Dempsey

The 1987 release of Can’t Buy Me Love instantly made Patrick Dempsey a household name, and he hasn’t let go of his place in pop culture since. Whether it’s with Grey’s Anatomy or Enchanted (which has a sequel, Disenchanted, on the way), Dempsey has remained a dreamy leading man on the big screen and small screen alike, and it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Steve Guttenberg

Between the Police Academy movies, Cocoon, and Short Circuit, it’s safe to say that Steve Guttenberg had a nice run in the 1980s, and lucky for him (and us), the hits never really stopped coming. In recent years, “The Gut” has balanced between comedy series like The Goldbergs and legal dramas like Roe v. Wade, with all kinds of other work to boot, including a 2020 appearance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Zach Gilligan

Zach Gilligan’s run in Hollywood started with a little 1984 movie called Gremlins, which he followed up with Nothing Lasts Forever and Waxwork to close out the decade. Since then, Gilligan has appeared in countless film and TV roles, and even appeared as his Gremlins character (alongside Gizmo) in the Mountain Dew Super Bowl commercial.

Michael Winslow

Michael Winslow, also known as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects, had an insane record in the 1980s, appearing in Spaceballs, Police Academy, Gremlins, and multiple other timeless classics. Winslow has continued to share his talents with the world in the decades since breaking out as one of the most talented beat-boxers around. In 2021, he even appeared on America’s Got Talent.

This may appear to be an exhaustive list of iconic '80s actors, but this is barely scratching the surface. Who knows, maybe we'll make another list of all the stars we forgot, or perhaps touch on those big names of the 1990s.

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I recently pulled out my trusty old copy of Live From New York by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, who fed my fan appreciation for Saturday Night Live. The pages are dog-eared and yellow from use and age at this point -- as is often the SNL criticism “not what it used to be” -- but this time I brought it out following the death of Norm Macdonald after a private battle with cancer at age 61.

His fellow SNL co-stars and other people whose lives he touched already weighed in after the actor and comedian's passing, but just in case you haven’t been able to read Live From New York yet, I did want to share some stories from Norm himself.

Norm Macdonald On Why SNL And ‘Weekend Update’ Was A Good Job For Him

The thing about Norm is that he was always coming at jokes or even everyday concepts from his own perspective. An old-fashioned way of describing that trait might be something like a “true original” though that makes me think of art or sassy older ladies. When Norm got the job at Saturday Night Live, it was actually Adam Sandler who “liked” Macdonald and was a key person in helping him land the role. But was he nervous? No.

Norm Macdonald on Dropping An F-Bomb Live From New York On Saturday Night

Over the years a variety of celebrities and cast members have accidentally said things they shouldn’t have on the air on SNL. I remember one memorable episode Live From New York in which paired "Weekend Update" chairs Michael Che and Colin Jost managed to drop both an f-bomb and the word "shithole" in one broadcast. So, it happens. Norm was no exception, and recalled in Live From New York that he did once drop an f-bomb on the air.

On Getting Fired From SNL Right After Chris Farley Died

Norm Macdonald famously was replaced with Colin Quinn on ‘Weekend Update.’ There was an awkward transitional period that happened on the show after he broke the news during a Letterman appearance, and Macdonald stills seems bummed to recount what happened with his ultimate exit from the NBC late night show. He recalled to Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller that he found out he was being fired three hours after finding out his co-worker and pal on the show Chris Farley had died. He later said he actually had to call Ohlmeyer to ask if he was being replaced, since no one would tell him.

David Letterman would later call Norm Macdonald one of the three funniest comedians he'd ever encountered.

So, Did Norm Macdonald Regret His Time On SNL?

Norm Macdonald’s the guy who can get away with moth jokes and get away with monologues about being fired from SNL after you get fired. He also had no regrets about his time on the show, noting he “was never bitter” about how things ultimately played out.

Saturday Night Live will return on October 2 for Season 47 with Michael Che and Colin Jost in the ‘Weekend Update’ chairs and a slew of planned guests already in the works. If you haven’t picked up the 2002 behemoth Live From New York: An Uncensored History Of Saturday Night Live yet, you can and should do so.