Yahoo Lifestyle Chevy Chase Watched ‘Saturday Night’ And Had The ‘Roughest’ Review For Its Director
Chevy Chase watched “Saturday Night” — a biographical comedy-drama on the 1975 series premiere of “Saturday Night Live” — and the OG cast member of the NBC comedy sketch show shared the “roughest” feedback imaginable to the film’s director Jason Reitman.
Appearing on last week’s episode of the “Fly on the Wall” podcast hosted by “SNL” alums Dana Carvey and David Spade, Reitman noted that he grew up with Chase’s children and described him as one of the “funniest Americans ever created” before he spilled on the comedian’s initial review.
“He comes up to me after and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed,’” said Reitman of Chase’s deadpan reaction.
The hosts got a kick out of Chase’s take as Spade described it as an “exact Chevy thing” and declared that “you couldn’t even write” a better response.
“Well, he knows that’s funny like OK that’s the most — that’s the roughest thing you could say to a director in that moment or right up there,” Carvey added.
The film sees Chase being played by Cory Michael Smith, who told People in October that he “did not want to mess” up the role as he played one of his “favorite” comedic actors so he dedicated roughly two months to “only” watching Chase.
Smith revealed at the time that he didn’t have the “privilege” of talking to Chase before filming the movie.
“I do hope that he saw a younger version of himself, which maybe that’s a joyful experience or not,” he said. “But this man played such a huge part in me wanting to be a performer and loving movies, so it was an honor to play him.”
Reitman told the “Fly on the Wall” podcast that he was trying to “balance” the review in his head because he knew he got his “own Chevy Chase moment that’s 1,000% only for me right now.”
“And from a comedy point of view that’s really pure, and that’s kind of cool,” he continued.
“But also, I just spent like two years of my life recreating this moment and trying to capture Chevy perfectly and also, even in the ego, find the humanity and give him a moment to be loved. No, none of that shit played. He’s not talking about that stuff.”
You can listen to more from Reitman on “Saturday Night” in the clip below.
“Saturday Night” actor Gabriel LaBelle, who plays “SNL” creator and producer Lorne Michaels in the film, is nominated in the Best Actor for a Musical or Comedy category at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards.
