The following contains spoilers for Saturday Night, now playing in theaters
The new movieSaturday Nightprovides a look at the 90 minutes before the very first episode of SNL back in 1975, and some may be wondering why original cast member Chevy Chase left the show after just one season. As was depicted in the movie, Chase was on the verge of becoming a breakout star on the show and was even considered to be the “heir apparent” to late-night talk show host Johnny Carson. While certain events that happen in the movie didn’t necessarily happen the same way (or even on the same night),Saturday Nighthelps explain why Chevy didn’t have a longer tenure.
InSaturday Nightdirected by Jason Reitman, various documented events and anecdotes are woven together to create a version of what the very first night of SNL was like, as well as how it nearly fell apart before it could even go to air. This includes the arrogant and charismatic Chevy Chase (played by Cory Michael Smith).WhileSaturday Nightdoes foreshadow his future rise to stardom, it also ties into all the problems Chase had with his fellow cast members and why he ultimately left the show in 1976, only a few episodes into the second season.
Chevy Chase Left Saturday Night Live After Multiple BTS Problems
The New Movie Suggests As Much
According to various reports and anecdotes over the years,Chevy Chase’s status as the biggest star ofSaturday Nightand earning two Emmys resulted in rising tensions between himself and his fellow cast members, most notably John Belushi. Chase was reportedly not humble when it came to his rising stardom either, possessing a large ego that was difficult to manage. To that end, the tension that was present throughout Chevy’s time on the show is certainly depicted inSaturday Night, featuring a dressing room fight between Chevy and Belushi less than an hour before airtime at 11:30.
Saturday Night Cast & Character Guide: Who Plays Every SNL Personality
Jason Reitman’s upcoming SNL biopic Saturday Night features a slate of popular stars and up-and-coming actors portraying the original 1975 SNL cast.
Saturday Night’sChevy and Belushi dressing room brawl didn’t happen in real life. Instead, the fight is likely representative of the ongoing resentments that would only growbetween the first Weekend Update host and his fellow cast members. Likewise, it’s been said in interviews with Reitman and Smith that the fight is a homage to Chase’s infamous fight with Bill Murray which occurred in a future episode (which did happen in Belushi’s dressing room). Substance abuse was also present behind the scenes throughout Studio 8H,undoubtedly adding to the tensions that led to Chevy’s eventual exit as a cast member midway through the show’s second season.
Chevy Chase Says He Quit Saturday Night To Be With His Girlfriend
“The Real Reason Was A Girl”
According to Chase himself, his primary reason for leaving was far more innocuous. As seen in the video above (beginning at 6:30), Chase claims that the reason he left SNL and New York was for a girl, Jacqueline Carlin with whom he was engaged during the first episode ofSaturday Nightand married in 1976. Not wanting to move to New York, Chase moved to Los Angeles to be with Carlin. The two were married for four years and divorced in 1980.
Carlin is indeed featured in Reitman’sSaturday Night, played by Kaia Gerber. As shown in the movie, Carlin was indeed part of various sketches as an extra while Chevy was a part of SNL, including the very first episode’s “New Dad” sketch. However, the sequence where J.K. Simmons' Milton Berle hits on Carlin in front of Chase before flashing his genitals did not happen in real life (though it was inspired by Berle’s infamous reputation and reported incidents).Regardless, Chase leavingSaturdayNightfor Carlin is likely only partly true considering the known issues behind the scenes.
Chevy Chase Became A Movie Star Years After Leaving Saturday Night Live
A Breakout Star In Hollywood
Following his exit fromSaturday Night, Chevy took advantage of his rising stardom and became a movie star, primarily during the 1980s with comedy classics such asFletch,Caddyshack,The Three Amigos,and National Lampoon’sVacationmovies. Likewise, it was often said duringSaturday Night’sfirst season that Chase could one day take over forThe Tonight Show’sJohnny Carson. This concept is referenced in Reitman’s movie when NBC VP of Talent Relations David Tebet (played by Willem Dafoe) says as much.As such, Chevy Chase leavingSaturday Nightto move on to what he saw as bigger and better opportunities does track.
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Saturday Night makes some deliberate tweaks to the true story behind the first Saturday Night Live, while remaining faithful to the show’s legacy.
Beyond movies, Chase did have his own talk show on Fox in 1993, though the show was canceled after only six weeks of being on the air. More recently, Chevy Chase was well known for his ongoing role on the popular television seriesCommunitywhere he played aging moist towelette magnate Pierce Hawthorne. However,Chase was fired duringCommunity’sfourth seasonfollowing racist comments and various disagreements with the show’s creator, Dan Harmon. It’s also been reported that physical altercations between Chase and actor Joel McHale occurred as well.
Chevy Chase Returned To Host SNL Multiple Times
Chase Was Hosting The Night Of His Infamous Fight With Bill Murray
Despite leaving the show in 1976, Chevy Chase has returned to SNL on multiple occasions. Chase has had multiple cameos, his most recent one being in 2013. He’s also hosted 8 times in SNL’s 50-year history, the most recent being in 1997. That said, his first time hosting in 1978 is undoubtedly his most infamous.
Having replaced Chase following his departure in 1976, Bill Murray was reportedly not a fan of Chase’s return, nor his ego that came with hosting in February of 1978. Just before airtime and Chase’s opening monologue, it was reported that Murray and Chase had a fight in John Belushi’s dressing room, and Belushi himself had to put himself between the two men just before the episode aired as they traded blows and insults. However, the two comedians eventually reconciled in 1980,as both Chase and Murray starred in the filmCaddyshack.
Saturday Night
Cast
Saturday Night (2024) is a forthcoming film with an undisclosed director. The movie centers on the vibrant nightlife of a bustling city, capturing the intertwining lives and stories of a diverse ensemble cast navigating personal and social challenges over the course of a single evening.
