Born Cornelius Crane Chase, he changed his name to Chevy Chase, joined the Saturday Night Live crew, and embarked on a highly successful movie career. Chase scored in the eighties with hits such as _Caddyshack ‎(1980)‎_ , the National Lampoon movies and the Fletch movies. All his films show his talent for deadpan comedy. Sadly, his career has generally worsened throughout the nineties, starring in flops such as the wholly mediocre Memoirs of an Invisible Man ‎(1992)‎, and Cops and Robbersons ‎(1994)‎.

Biography for
Chevy Chase More at IMDbPro »
Date of Birth
8 October 1943, Woodstock, New York, USA

Birth Name
Cornelius Crane Chase

Height
6' 4" ‎(1.93 m)‎

Mini Biography

Born Cornelius Crane Chase, his grandmother gave him the name Chevy when he was two years old and has gone by that name ever since. Chevy Chase, who was a part of the Saturday Night Live crew, embarked on a highly successful movie career. Chase scored in the eighties with hits such as Caddyshack ‎(1980)‎, the National Lampoon movies and the Fletch movies. All his films show his talent for deadpan comedy. Sadly, his career has generally worsened throughout the nineties, starring in flops such as the wholly mediocre Memoirs of an Invisible Man ‎(1992)‎, and Cops and Robbersons ‎(1994)‎.
IMDb Mini Biography By: David Wilcock <david.wilcock@btinternet.com>

Spouse
Jayni Chase ‎(19 June 1982 - present)‎ 3 children
Jacqueline Carlin ‎(4 December 1976 - 14 November 1980)‎ ‎(divorced)‎
Susan Hewitt ‎(23 February 1973 - 1 February 1976)‎ ‎(divorced)‎

Trade Mark

Pratfall during the opening skit of "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎

"Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎ Weekend Update newscast skit with the opening line, "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not".

Deadpan delivery

Deep baritone voice

Towering height

Often plays fathers and family men

Trivia

Prefers to do family-oriented movies and has turned down roles in several films including the lead in American Beauty ‎(1999)‎.

His now-famous "Good evening, I'm Chevy Chase and you're not" opening line on the "Weekend Update" segments of "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎ was a takeoff of New York news anchor Roger Grimsby's "Here now the news" opening line.

Sat in as drummer with the college band The Leather Canary a couple of times. He refers to it as "a bad jazz band." The band also included Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, later of Steely Dan fame.

Winner of Harvard Lampoon Lifetime Achievement Award 1996.

He appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song "Voices That Care."

Convicted of drunk driving. ‎[1995]‎

His short-lived TV talk show was billed as a Cornelius Production, Cornelius being Chevy's real first name.

Was nearly killed ‎(electrocuted)‎ during the filming of Modern Problems ‎(1981)‎ when, during the sequence in which he is wearing "landing lights" as he dreams that he is an airplane, the current in the lights short-circuited through his arm, back, and neck muscles. The near-death experience caused him to experience a period of deep depression.

Attended Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

Was valedictorian of his high school class.

Has perfect pitch: a rare ability to identify the pitch of musical notes without a point of reference.

His parents divorced when he was four. His father remarried into the Folger coffee family. His mother's third marriage was to Juilliard School professor/composer Lawrence Widdoes.

Daughters: Cydney Cathalene Chase ‎(born 1982)‎, Caley Leigh Chase ‎(born 1984)‎ and Emily Evelyn Chase ‎(born 1988)‎, with wife Jayni Chase.

Chevy was actually a childhood nickname -- possibly based on the Washington, DC suburb -- bestowed by his grandmother. The Chase family was affluent and distinguished, and Chevy was listed in Social Register at early age. His paternal grandfather was painter/teacher Frank Swift Chase; his father, Ned Chase, was a prominent Manhattan book editor and magazine writer. His mother was descended from the Crane plumbing-fixture family.

Paul Simon is one of his best friends. He appeared alongside Simon in the music video "You Can Call Me Al," in which he lip-syncs all of Simon's lines. Due to that video's remarkable success, Chase was asked to return when Simon released his follow-up album. In the music video for "Proof", Chase was accompanied by another of his best friends, Steve Martin.

Was a long-time class clown expelled from private schools like NYC's Dalton but did well at Stockbridge School in Massachusetts. Expelled from Haverford College after bringing a cow into the third floor of a campus building. Transferred to Bard College, where he dated actress Blythe Danner and graduated in 1967.

His middle name, Crane, is from his mother's family. He spent childhood vacations at Crane Castle, his mother's family's vacation home in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Roasted into the New York Friar's Club on September 28, 2002.

Suffers from a fear of snakes.

Chevy Chase is the name of a 16th century ballad about the battle between Earl Douglas and Earl Percy, as well as the name of a city in Maryland.

He was the first member of the original "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎ cast to leave the show - after only one season, a decision he later said he regretted. He was replaced by Bill Murray.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 102-103. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.

At the height of his career he earned around $7 million per film.

Is a huge jazz fan.

Used to run five miles a day to stay fit and healthy.

Admitted in an interview that making ¡Three Amigos! ‎(1986)‎ was the most fun he has had on a film.

Helped campaign for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Election.

Attended Riverdale Country School in New York City.

His big break was performing on "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎. Ironically, he was never signed as a cast member. He signed a one year writer contract and became a cast member during rehearsals.

Chase is a member of the exclusive Hollywood Gourmet Poker Club. Members included fellow card players Martin Short, Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, Barry Diller, Neil Simon and the late Johnny Carson.

In a 1975 New York magazine cover story, NBC executives referred to Chase as "The first real potential successor to Johnny Carson" and claimed he would begin guest-hosting "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" ‎(1962)‎ within 6 months of the article. It never happened.

At 6' 4", he was the tallest original "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎ cast member and was the first "tall guy" on the show. Cast members over 6 feet usually dwarfed the rest of the cast. Among the other tall guys to follow were Dan Aykroyd, Dean Edwards, Will Ferrell, Bill Hader, Anthony Michael Hall, David Koechner, Norm MacDonald, Finesse Mitchell, Bill Murray, Kevin Nealon, Randy Quaid, Rob Riggle, Jason Sudeikis, Charles Rocket, Damon Wayans, and Fred Wolf. Only Nealon, Quaid and Rocket equaled Chase in height.

The role of Eric 'Otter' Stratton in National Lampoon's Animal House ‎(1978)‎ was originally written with him in mind, but due to a scheduling conflict, he had to turn the role down. The role went to Tim Matheson instead.

His brother roomed across the hall from Ted Kaczynski "The Unabomber" at Harvard.

Has streets named after him in Cochranton, Pennsylvania; Brea, California; Port Charlotte, Florida; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

In 2003, he appeared in two television commercials for Cola Turka, a soft drink developed to be in direct competition with both Coca-Cola and Pepsi, while keeping the money in the Turkish economy. The commercials, which were both comic and nationalistic in theme, feature Chase playing a confused American who notices his friend and family using Turkish idioms and exhibiting Turkish customs after consuming the drink. The commercials, exclusively shown in Turkey, were filmed in New York in English, but have Turkish subtitles.

Wanted to be a doctor when he was younger.

Fans often imitate his famous, straight-faced, "I like it!" ‎(from Modern Problems (1981)‎).

After joking about Cary Grant being gay in a 1980 television interview, the Hollywood legend sued him for slander, but they later settled out of court.

Before his breakthrough as a comedian, he worked as a cab driver, truck driver, motorcycle messenger, waiter, busboy, construction worker, audio engineer, produce manager in a supermarket, salesman in a wine store and theater usher.

Graduated from Bard College with a bachelor of arts degree in English ‎(1967)‎.

Born to Edward Tinsley Chase, a Manhattan book editor and magazine writer, and his wife Cathalene Parker Browning, who both died in 2005.

Won an amateur orchestral conducting contest in Los Angeles, where he and other celebrities ‎(such as Alan Rachins)‎ competed to inspire appreciation for classical music.

Is portrayed by John Viener in Gilda Radner: It's Always Something ‎(2002)‎ ‎(TV)‎.

Was a favorite comedian of the students in "Head of the Class" ‎(1986)‎.

His mother Cathalene Parker Browning was the only daughter of Capt. Miles R. Browning, Admiral Halsey's Chief of Staff for much of WW2.

Turned down the role of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story ‎(1995)‎ because his agent greatly advised him against doing the project. He didn't want to turn it down, as he was interested in the project.

Turned down the role of "Peter Venkman" in Ghostbusters ‎(1984)‎, which went to Bill Murray. According to Chase, the finished film is nothing like the script that he read, adding that the script was much scarier than the film. He did visit the set at least once, as a picture of him on the temple steps can be seen in Don Shay's book "Making Ghostbusters".

Plays piano, drums and saxophone.

Had back surgery shortly after his time with "SNL" as a result of all the comedic falls he had taken on-stage.

Was the first person to say "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" on "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎.

Would say "toy boat" after every time he stumbled over his words during Weekend Update.

Moe's Southwest Grill, a fast-food chain, has menu items named after characters from three of his films: ¡Three Amigos! ‎(1986)‎ ‎(the in-famous El Guapo sauce)‎, Caddyshack ‎(1980)‎ ‎(Billy Barou nachos with chicken)‎, and Fletch ‎(1985)‎ ‎(John Coctostan quesadilla with steak)‎.

Daughter Caley Chase is also an actor.

Personal Quotes

On his reaction upon hearing of the death of "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎ co-star John Belushi): I was so angry I didn't cry for five years.

On the outcome of impersonating former U.S. President Gerald Ford on "Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎: "I did hear ultimately from one of Ford's sons that some of the things had hurt his feelings, and that was a shocker to me. But I figured, 'Oh well, he's the President, he can take it. I mean, he has to, he's a public figure.' Of course, now my feelings have been hurt so much, I know exactly what he means."

Once I got married and had kids, I moved away from romantic roles, because it seemed wrong to have my three-year-old wondering why Daddy was kissing someone else.

I guess I look so straight and normal nobody expects me to pick my nose and fall.

‎[on John Landis]‎ He's a bit of a bully, to say the least, with the wrong people, the easy shots. He's got a crassness about him. Anybody who can pick on a set decorator or an extra in front of everybody else in a very mean way is lacking something. I would think that an experience like Twilight Zone: The Movie ‎(1983)‎ would put some humility into your life. But it didn't.

You can't observe as much if you're observed by others.

Salary
Christmas Vacation ‎(1989)‎ $6,000,000
Memoirs of an Invisible Man ‎(1992)‎ $6,000,000
Cops and Robbersons ‎(1994)‎ $4,000,000
Man of the House ‎(1995)‎ $2,000,000
Vegas Vacation ‎(1997)‎ $4,000,000
"Saturday Night Live" ‎(1975)‎ $750/week ‎(1975 season)‎

Where Are They Now

‎(2007)‎ Release of the book, "I'm Chevy Chase - And You're Not" by 'Rena Fruchter'.