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Filmmaker Marina Zenovich interviews Chevy Chase in the new CNN documentary I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not.
In an exclusive trailer for the project. Chase says that "it was a mistake to leave SNL" after just one year on the show.
The doc also features interviews with Lorne Michaels, Beverly D'Angelo, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Goldie Hawn, and more.
Chevy Chaseregrets one of his defining career decisions.
The legendary comedian reflects on his TV and film career in the new CNN Films documentaryI'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, and the trailer for the project, whichEntertainment Weeklycan exclusively debut below, shows theCommunitystar expressing remorse for one particular misstep.
"It was a mistake to leaveSNL," Chase says in the preview.
After becomingSaturday Night Live's breakout star in its inaugural season in 1975, Chase left the sketch series less than midway through its second season in 1976. He won two Emmys for his performance and writing during his brief tenure on the show.
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Notfeatures interviews with many of Chase's most prominent collaborators from film and TV. Dan Aykroyd, who starred with the comedian onSNLand later reteamed with him for the 1985 movieSpies Like Usand the 1991 filmNothing But Trouble, describes his former costar as "exciting and talented" in the trailer for the doc.
Courtesy Everett Collection
Goldie Hawn, who acted opposite Chase in 1978'sFoul Playand 1980'sSeems Like Old Times, calls the actor "very, very funny" in the preview. She later opines, "Chevy has a deep heart, and that's the other part of the wild man."
Martin Short, who costarred with the comedian in 1986'sThree Amigos, says that Chase was always "ready to say something sarcastic or edgy," and notes that his former collaborator enjoyed "massive movie star hits" at the peak of his career.
SNLboss Lorne Michaels, who later worked with Chase again when he co-wrote and producedThree Amigos, explains that the actor was susceptible to the temptations that come with movie stardom. "The forces pulling him were money, power, and all of that," he says. "And when Hollywood wants you, they're pretty good at it."
And Beverly D'Angelo, who played Chase's on-screen wife in all fiveVacationfilms, expresses similar ideas about Hollywood notoriety. "The thing about fame is that everything around you changes," she explains.
The trailer shows various clips from Chase's family home videos, and also addresses his prickly reputation, with text describing him as "a complicated comedy legend."
Chase concludes, "I don't think a lot of people have the happiness I have. I am who I am, and I like who I am."
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
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The doc is directed by Marina Zenovich, who previously helmed projects about Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Roman Polanski, and Lance Armstrong.
"I've always loved a challenge, and Chevy certainly offered one. I wanted to understand the real person behind the guarded, conflicted man we've often seen on camera," the filmmaker said in a press release. "Beneath the bravado, I found someone deeply self-aware, with layers of humor and emotion that make him far more complex than his public persona may suggest."
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Notwill premiere on CNN on Jan. 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary will be available to stream on Jan. 2 on CNN's streaming offering
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