Cory Michael Smith, known for his role in “May December,” portrays the iconic comedian Chevy Chase. Chase was the original anchor for “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live,” where his famous catchphrase, “I’m Chevy Chase, and you’re not,” became a hallmark of the show. Following his time on “SNL,” he achieved great success in Hollywood, starring in classic films like “Caddyshack,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “The Three Amigos,” and “Fletch.”
In preparation for his role, Smith revealed to Variety that he immersed himself in Chevy Chase’s filmography, watching his movies exclusively for several months. However, he found it challenging to look beyond Chase’s well-known on-screen persona. It wasn’t until he stumbled upon an interview Chase had given to Johnny Carson that he began to understand the man behind the character.
Smith described the moment, recalling how Chase appeared visibly nervous during the interview. When asked a question by Carson, Chase’s response was a disjointed “I do,” which confused everyone. The unexpected pause was followed by laughter, illuminating a moment of humiliation for Chase. Smith noted, “He’s flustered, and Johnny’s like, ‘Let me tell you, this is going to work. I’m going to ask you a question and you’re going to answer in relation to that question.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s it.’ So it was finding these little nuggets where you can actually see like, ‘Oh, that’s Chevy humiliated and I can use that.’”