Saturday Night Live: 30 scandals and secrets you didn’t know
By Jeremy Dick
5. Chevy Chase is absolutely miserable to work with
Legendary comedian Chevy Chase was one of the original members of Saturday Night Live. He was the first host of Weekend Update, popularizing the phrase, “I’m Chevy Chase, and you’re not.” He had many memorable sketches, including Land Shark, a parody of the shark horror film Jaws. Chase was also the first actor to leave the series.
As it turns out, he wasn’t missed. Most of the original cast, including John Belushi and Gilda Radner, did not enjoy working with him. He’s said to be the kind of guy who will find a physical flaw you are very sensitive about, then ridicule you for it nonstop. There are also many stories of him berating interns, and even putting down the writers in creative meetings.
This petty attitude never went away, even after Chase left SNL. When he returned in the late 90s as a guest host, he was apparently still awful to be around. Tim Meadows and Will Ferrell personally complained about Chase’s behavior to Lorne Michaels. He was evidently treating the new cast like garbage and being an all-around diva backstage.
Chase has made minor appearances on the show since then, but never again as the actual guest host.