Chevy Chase’s Brutally Honest ‘Saturday Night’ Reaction

Chevy Chase jokingly told director Jason Reitman he should be “embarrassed” about his Saturday Night film.

The comic, 81, became the breakout cast member in the first season of Saturday Night Live from 1975–1976, where his recurring Weekend Update segment became a staple of the show and as a performer and a writer on the series he earned two Primetime Emmy Awards out of four nominations

Reitman’s Saturday Night, released on September 27, chronicles the chaos filled lead-up to the 1975 premiere of the late-night sketch show and stars Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Matt Wood, Nicholas Braun and Emily Fairn.

Jason has now told the Fly on the Wall podcast, hosted by former SNL cast members David Spade and Dana Carvey, Chase had a hilarious reaction to seeing his movie about the skit show.

He said: “So, Chevy comes in to watch the movie. And he is there with (his wife) Jayni and they watch the film, and he’s in the group, and he comes up to me after and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed.’”

Spade said Chase’s reaction wasn’t rude – but “an exact Chevy thing” to say.

He added: “You couldn’t even write (the moment) better.”

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Carvey added he thought Chase tried to embarrass Jason as he “knows that’s funny” – adding: “Like that’s the roughest thing you could say to a director in the moment, or right up there.”

Reitman said: “I’m trying to balance it, because, in my head, I know, ‘Alright, I’m getting my own Chevy Chase moment that’s 1,000 per cent only for me right now.’

“And from a comedy point of view that’s really pure, and that’s kind of cool. But also, I just spent like two years of my life recreating this moment and trying to capture Chevy perfectly, and also even in the ego, find the humanity and give him a moment to be loved ... No, none of that s— played. He’s not talking about that stuff.”