Chevy Chase is an American comedian and actor, best known as Saturday Night Live’s most popular founding cast member, and for starring in the National Lampoon film series.
Chase was the original host of SNL’s Weekend Update segment, which went on to become a staple of the show. He was also acclaimed for his portrayal of President Gerald Ford as a bumbling klutz, often with slapstick pratfalls. Chase’s writing and performing in SNL helped define the tone of the franchise. His deadpan arrogance earned him the plaudit of “the funniest man in America” from New York magazine, and Weekend Update served as the prototype for later satirical shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
After leaving SNL in 1976, Chevy Chase embarked on a hugely successful movie career, and become one of the most in-demand comic actors in Hollywood. Films like Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation, ¡Three Amigos!, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation established Chase as bona fide movie star and box office draw.
Most recently, Chase is best known for his role in the NBC TV ensemble comedy Community, on which he played mature college student Pierce Hawthorne. The show gained Chevy Chase a whole new generation of fans, as did his supporting role in Vacation, a modern update of the National Lampoon franchise.