Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase Bio

Cornelius Crane “Chevy” Chase (born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer whose career has spanned more than five decades across television and film. He first rose to national prominence as a breakout performer on the first season of Saturday Night Live, where his physical comedy and deadpan Weekend Update anchor desk helped define the show’s early voice. Chase went on to become one of the most recognizable comedic leading men of the 1980s, headlining a string of hit films including Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and Fletch. He has also earned recognition off-screen, including multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Background

Chase was born in Lower Manhattan on October 8, 1943, and grew up in Woodstock, New York. His father, Edward Tinsley “Ned” Chase, was a Princeton-educated Manhattan book editor and magazine writer, while his mother, Cathalene Parker (née Browning), was a concert pianist and librettist. Chase’s maternal grandfather, Rear Admiral Miles Browning, had served as Admiral Raymond A. Spruance’s Chief of Staff on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise at the Battle of Midway in World War II. His mother had been adopted as a child by Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, heir to The Crane Company, and it was this adoptive grandfather for whom the future comedian was named.

The nickname “Chevy” was bestowed by his grandmother, who took it from the English ballad “The Ballad of Chevy Chase” and thought it fitting for a descendant of the Scottish Clan Douglas. As a child, Chase vacationed at Castle Hill, the Cranes’ summer estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts. His parents divorced when he was four years old; his father later remarried into the Folgers coffee family. In a 2007 biography, Chase stated that he was physically and psychologically abused as a child by his mother and his stepfather, Dr. John Cederquist, a psychoanalyst.

Chase was educated at the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx before being expelled. He ultimately graduated as valedictorian in 1962 from the Stockbridge School, an independent boarding school near the Interlaken section of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he was already known as a practical joker. He briefly attended Haverford College during the 1962–1963 term, where his slapstick humor and signature pratfalls became legendary on campus. He transferred to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he studied a pre-med curriculum and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. At Bard, he played drums in a band called The Leather Canary, whose other two members, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, went on to found Steely Dan.

Path to Celebrity

Chase was a member of an early underground comedy ensemble called Channel One, which he co-founded in 1967. He also wrote a one-page spoof of Mission: Impossible for Mad magazine in 1970 and contributed to a short-lived Smothers Brothers TV show comeback in the spring of 1975. By 1973, Chase had committed to comedy full-time when he became a writer and cast member of The National Lampoon Radio Hour, a syndicated satirical radio series. The National Lampoon Radio Hour also featured John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Brian Doyle-Murray, all of whom would later join Chase on Saturday Night Live.

Chase and Belushi appeared together in National Lampoon’s off-Broadway revue Lemmings, a sketch and musical send-up of popular youth culture, in which Chase also played the drums and piano during the musical numbers. He appeared in the movie The Groove Tube (1974), directed by fellow Channel One co-founder Ken Shapiro. These early collaborations helped establish Chase’s reputation within the New York comedy scene and put him on the path to joining the cast of a brand-new late-night comedy series on NBC.

Chevy Chase Career

Early Career (1967–1974)

Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chase built his craft through underground comedy, magazine writing, and stage work. As a co-founder of Channel One in 1967, he developed the sketch style that would later define his television work. His 1970 Mad magazine parody of Mission: Impossible demonstrated his gift for sharp, written satire, while his 1973 role on The National Lampoon Radio Hour gave him a steady platform to perform alongside future Saturday Night Live stars.

In 1974, Chase appeared in the film The Groove Tube, directed by Channel One co-founder Ken Shapiro, and featured several sketches from their ensemble work. The following year, he joined the writing staff of a brief Smothers Brothers TV show comeback. In 1976, he was nominated at the Writers Guild of America Awards for “Writing for a Variety Series” as part of the Smothers Brothers writing team, and he also received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for writing on Saturday Night Live, which he won.

Breakthrough (1975–1989)

Chase was one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live when it premiered in October 1975. During the show’s first season, he introduced nearly every episode with the now-famous line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” His recurring pratfall, known as “The Fall of the Week,” and his portrayal of President Gerald Ford as a bumbling klutz helped define the show’s comedic voice. He was also the original anchor of the Weekend Update segment, where his catchphrase “I’m Chevy Chase…and you’re not” became iconic. He earned two Primetime Emmy Awards during his time on the show, one for writing and one for performing.

After leaving Saturday Night Live in late 1976, Chase transitioned to film stardom. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his leading role in the romantic comedy Foul Play (1978), which grossed more than $44 million. In 1980, he portrayed Ty Webb in Caddyshack, a Harold Ramis comedy that pulled in $39 million on a $6 million budget and has since become a classic. That same year, he reunited with Foul Play co-star Goldie Hawn in Neil Simon’s Seems Like Old Times, which earned more than $43 million.

Chase began his most enduring film role in 1983, when he played Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Vacation, directed by Ramis and written by John Hughes. The film grossed $61 million and launched a long-running franchise. In 1985, Chase played Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher in Fletch, which grossed more than $50 million, and co-starred with Dan Aykroyd in Spies Like Us, which made $60 million. In 1986, he joined SNL veterans Steve Martin and Martin Short in the Lorne Michaels-produced comedy ¡Three Amigos!, which made nearly $40 million. He closed the decade with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation in 1989, which pulled in $71 million and remains one of his most beloved films. At the height of his career in the late 1980s, Chase earned around $7 million per film.

Notable Works and Milestones

Chase’s signature roles include Ty Webb in Caddyshack (1980) and Clark Griswold in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, which spans five films from 1983 to 2015. He is also widely recognized for his portrayal of Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher in Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989). His hosting of the Academy Awards in 1987 and 1988 cemented his place in the broader Hollywood mainstream.

Chevy Chase Award Nominations

Chase has received recognition from the Golden Globe Awards, among other major industry organizations. He earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1978 for his leading role in the romantic comedy Foul Play. He has also been nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards for his work in comedy-variety and music series, with multiple nominations across his career in television writing and performance.

Chevy Chase Awards Won

Chase has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on Saturday Night Live during the show’s first season, including a 1976 win for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series. On September 23, 1993, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard, in recognition of his contributions to the entertainment industry. He was also named Hasty Pudding’s 1993 Man of the Year and received The Harvard Lampoon’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.

Chevy Chase Family

Chase has an older brother, Ned Jr. His father, Edward Tinsley “Ned” Chase (1919–2005), was a Princeton-educated Manhattan book editor and magazine writer, while his mother, Cathalene Parker (1923–2005), was a concert pianist and librettist. Both of his parents died in 2005. He was named for his adoptive maternal grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, heir to The Crane Company.

Personal Life

Chase married Susan Hewitt in New York City on February 23, 1973, and they divorced on February 1, 1976. His second marriage, to Jacqueline Carlin, was formalized on December 4, 1976, and ended in divorce on November 14, 1980; the couple had no children. He married his third wife, Jayni Luke, in Pacific Palisades on June 19, 1982, and the couple have three daughters: Cydney, Caley, and Emily. They reside in Bedford, New York.