Chevy Chase Told Jason Reitman He "Should Be Embarrassed" About His SNL Film SATURDAY NIGHT
Director Jason Reitman set out to tell the madcap true story of the creation of the comedy institution that is Saturday Night Live in his recent film Saturday Night.
It captured the 90 minutes that led up to what we saw when the cameras began rolling on the show’s first episode, fifty years ago.
Reitman was meticulous in casting the actors who would portray the iconic season one cast, and it paid off as the movie was a pretty big success with fans and critics. But not everyone was happy with the result.
Reitman explained to David Spade and Dana Carvey on their Fly on the Wall podcast:
“So, Chevy comes in to watch the movie, and he is there with [wife] Jayni and they watch the film, and he’s in the group, and he comes up to me after and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed.'”
David Spade said this remark was “an exact Chevy thing” to say, and added, “You couldn’t even write it better.” Carvey added that Chase “knows that’s funny, like that’s the roughest thing you could say to a director in the moment, or right up there.”
Reitman recounted of the conversation: “I’m trying to balance it, because, in my head, I know, ‘Alright, I’m getting my own Chevy Chase moment that’s 1,000 percent only for me right now.’
“And from a comedy point-of-view that’s really pure, and that’s kind of cool. 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.”
Explaining his decision to cast Cory Michael Smith as Chase, Reitman said he “tried to identify one thing” about each character, which for Chase was “an ego that needs to be humbled.”
Although Smith previously admitted he “didn’t have the privilege of talking to Chevy” before crafting his portrayal, he’d gotten word the 2x Golden Globe nominee had seen the film.
“I do hope that he saw a younger version of himself, which maybe that’s a joyful experience or not,” Smith told People. “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.”
I’m sure if Smith did get to have a conversation with Chevy Chase, the old guy would have told him to quit acting or something equally cutting. Any story you hear about Chevy Chase these days is a horror story about what an asshole he is, so it sounds like Smith dodged a bullet.
Saturday Night is available to rent or buy on several platforms, but has not yet hit streaming. It has been reported that it will hit Netflix in the coming months.
via: Deadline