Chevy Chase lays into Saturday Night Live

Chevy Chase has launched a no-holds-barred broadside against Saturday Night Live, calling it ‘the worst fucking humour in the world’.

And he blasted many of the recent break-out stars from the show such as Will Ferrell and Tina Fey.

Chase, who has something of a reputation for being difficult to work with, said the American comedy institution went downhill after he quit in 1976.

At the time the split was acrimonious and let to his well-documented fight with Bill Murray – and cemented his reputation of being something of an asshole. That image was cemented with a racially-charged row with his Community co-star Donald Glover.

In a major new profile in the Washington Post, 74-year-old Chase complains about how the work has stopped coming in… which may be because his reputation precedes him.

He was even turned down for a slot at guest hosting SNL – the programme he helped launch in 1975 – by creator Lorne Michaels. Which may explain his outburst against the American comedy institution.

He told the newspaper: ‘I don’t want to put down Lorne or the cast, but I’ll just say  I’m amazed that Lorne has gone so low. I had to watch a little of it, and I just couldn’t fucking believe it.

‘That means a whole generation of shitheads laughs at the worst fucking humour in the world. You know what I mean? How could you dare give that generation worse shit than they already have in their lives? It just drives me nuts.’

He said the show went downhill ‘after the first two years’, and admitted:  Why am I saying that? Because I was in it? I guess. That’s a horrible thing to say. But certainly I never had more fun. I really loved it and enjoyed it. I didn’t see the same fun thing happening to the cast the next year.’

Of Ferrell’s famed George W. Bush impression, Charse said: ‘Just not funny’.

Of Fey, he was backhanded in his compliment saying: ‘I liked Tina. I didn’t see what all the folderol was about. She was good.’

Of Kirsten Wiig, he said: ‘She had two things going for her. She had clear-cut chops, and she was pretty, too. But what happened to her? Where did she go?’

And of Eddie Murphy, Chase showed his famous racial sensitivity when he said he impersonated Stevie Wonder well but added: ‘It’s not that hard, for Christ’s sake. Your skin’s the same colour. You just put on some sunglasses and do this.’

The Post interview attempts to give some context to Chase’s abrasive personality, explaining he was brought up by a single mum who abused him, waking him up in the middle of the night to slap him repeatedly in the face without explanation. Once as a punishment she locked him in the basement for several days, with only a pitcher to use as a toilet.

Chase does have some work coming up, starring in the forthcoming Netflix film  The Last Laugh. He plays an ageing showbusiness manager who pushes a long-retired comedian played by Richard Dreyfuss, back on the road.

And earlier this year, fans demanded refunds after a disastrous  'audience with...' show featuring DJ Mike Read in London.

Published: 20 Sep 2018