Cory Michael Smith, known for his role in “May December,” is set to portray Chevy Chase, who was the inaugural “Weekend Update” anchor on “Saturday Night Live.” During his time on the show, Chase became famous for the catchphrase, “I’m Chevy Chase, and you’re not.” Following his tenure on “SNL,” Chase gained fame as one of Hollywood’s favorite comedians, featuring in iconic films such as “Caddyshack,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “The Three Amigos,” and “Fletch.”
In preparation for his role, Smith revealed to Variety that he dedicated a couple of months to watching films starring Chevy Chase. However, he faced challenges in looking beyond Chase’s well-known on-screen personality. It wasn’t until he watched Chase’s first interview with Johnny Carson that Smith began to understand the full scope of the comedian’s character.
Smith described a particular moment from the interview where Chase appeared visibly nervous. When Carson posed a question, Chase responded with just “I do,” which was unrelated to the inquiry. This led to a moment of awkwardness that resulted in laughter from the audience. “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,’” Smith recounted. Chase’s response was simply “Yeah,” prompting Smith to realize that this moment illustrated Chase’s vulnerability. He concluded that these insights into Chase’s experiences of humiliation would be valuable for his portrayal.