Cornelius Crane Chase was born October 8th, 1943 in New York, New York and nicknamed “Chevy” by his grandmother after the wealthy Maryland community of the same name.
Chase’s quick wit and flippant stage presence impressed producer Lorne Michaels into hiring him for the first season of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” in 1975. Chevy and the new comedy show became an instant hit. Chase’s spectacular slapstick falls, satirical “Weekend Update” news report, and impression of President Gerald Ford made him a star on the show. He left Saturday Night Live after only one season to pursue a movie career.
In 1980, a Chevy Chase appearance in the comedy classic movie “Caddyshack” launched him into a new stratosphere of fame and was followed by a string of movie hits, including “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Fletch,” “Three Amigos!” and the subsequent “National Lampoon’s Vacation” outings. Another memorable Chevy Chase appearance during the 1980’s includes his role in the Paul Simon music video “You Can Call Me Al.” He also twice hosted the Academy Awards.
Most recently, Chase appeared as part of the ensemble cast of NBC’s comedy “Community”, earning him critical acclaim.
