A documentary tracing the highs and lows of Chevy Chase’s career will premiere in Australia this month, unpacking the brilliance and the backlash that followed him for decades.
“I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not” is a raw and revealing portrait of fame, fallout and the fine line between brilliance and self-destruction, taking audiences inside the extraordinary life of one of comedy’s most recognisable figures.
Rising to fame as one of the original breakout stars of “Saturday Night Live,” Chase quickly became America’s comedy golden boy. His razor-sharp wit, fearless satire and unfiltered honesty propelled him to Hollywood superstardom in the ’80s, defining an era of big-screen comedy.
Yet the same qualities that fuelled his success would also contribute to professional clashes and personal controversy, turning him into one of the industry’s most talked about cautionary tales.
Directed by the award-winning Marina Zenovich, “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not” delivers an honest and authentic portrait of the man behind the name, unpacking both the triumphs and the turmoil that shaped his career.
“I’d never done an interview where someone was so rude to me,” Zenovich told Variety. “But I was so worried going into that first interview with him about how I was going to say to him, like, ‘Everyone thinks you’re an asshole.’ I thought if I did, he would throw me out of his house. So the minute he said that to me, I had a way in.”
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Narrated by candid interviews from Chase’s friends, family and peers, the documentary features appearances from Dan Aykroyd, Beverly D’Angelo, Goldie Hawn, Lorne Michaels, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Short, and Kevin Smith, among others.
Viewers will also be treated to rare home movies, archival footage and intimate new moments that capture Chase at his most candid and unguarded.
Australian audiences can catch the documentary next Wednesday, February 25th, when it premieres on Channel 9 and streams on 9Now at 9pm.