Trivia

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

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

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

Was valedictorian of his high school class.

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

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. The role went to Tim Allen.

Admitted in an interview that the comments and jokes directed at him during his 2002 roast legitimately hurt him. As soon as the roast was over, he returned to his hotel room and was so depressed about it, he was sobbing most of the night and had to be consoled by roast master Paul Shaffer. Chase's roast was noted by fans and critics alike for being particularly mean-spirited, even by the standards of a roast.

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. Because of 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.

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

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".

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

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.

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.

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.

Has gained a reputation for being exceptionally difficult to work with as well as controversial in general.

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

Met Saturday Night Live (1975) producer Lorne Michaels while in line to see a Monty Python movie.

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.

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 six months of the article. It never happened.

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

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

Is a huge fan of jazz; plays piano, drums and saxophone.

He turned down the lead role in Forrest Gump (1994), which went to Tom Hanks.

Was great friends with Robin Williams.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 23, 1993.

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.

Received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (1967).

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.

He named Irwin Fletcher in Fletch (1985) as his favourite role because it allowed him to play several different characters and work with props.

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.

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 the rock band Steely Dan.

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 (1967).

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.

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.

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

Wanted to be a doctor when he was younger.

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

Is a descendant of William Brewster (c. 1566-1644), a noted Pilgrim, and wife Mary, who came over to Massachusetts, America, as Mayflower passengers.

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).

Has a fear of snakes.

He left Community (2009) due to criticisms of the quality of the show, not getting on with creator Dan Harmon and disliking his character's bigotry.

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

He was unhappy with how National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) turned out.

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

He hated making Caddyshack II (1988) so much that after a take, he said to the director, "Let me know when you're going to install a laugh track" before walking away in disgust.

Winner of Harvard Lampoon Lifetime Achievement Award. (1996)

Chevy was actually a childhood nickname -- possibly based on the Washington, D.C. 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 Edward "Ned" Leigh Chase; his father, Ned Chase, was a prominent Manhattan book editor and magazine writer. His mother was descended from the Crane plumbing-fixture family.

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

In 1986, he was admitted to the Betty Ford Clinic for treatment of an addiction to prescription painkillers. His use of these drugs began after he experienced ongoing back pain related to the pratfalls he took during his Saturday Night Live (1975) appearances. In 2010, he said that his drug abuse had been "low level".

He named Oh Heavenly Dog (1980) as the worst film he appeared in.