Chevy Chase, veteran actor and one of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast members, shredded the sketch comedy show where he got his start in 1975, saying it’s turned into the “worst f—-ing humor” marketed to a “generation of s—theads.”
Mr. Chase, who appeared on the show for its 40th anniversary special in 2015, before he got sober, told The Washington Post in an interview published Wednesday that he was “amazed” the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, had “gone so low.”
“First of all, between you and me and a lamppost, jeez, I don’t want to put down Lorne or the cast, but I’ll just say, maybe off the record, I’m amazed that Lorne has gone so low. I had to watch a little of it, and I just couldn’t f——— believe it,” he said as Post reporter Geoff Edgers’s digital recorder rolled on.
“That means a whole generation of s—theads laughs at the worst f—king humor in the world,” the comedian said. “You know what I mean? How could you dare give that generation worse s—t than they already have in their lives? It just drives me nuts.”
Mr. Chase, 74, said the show stopped being funny about two years after it debuted.
“I’d have to say, that after the first two years, it went downhill,” he said. “Why am I saying that? Because I was in it? I guess. That’s a horrible thing to say. But certainly I never had more fun. I really loved it and enjoyed it. I didn’t see the same fun thing happening to the cast the next year.”
Mr. Chase became the first original cast member to leave the show in late 1976, halfway through the second season. He was replaced by Bill Murray and went on to host “SNL” eight times through 1997.
Mr. Chase didn’t have anything good to say about “SNL’s” current cast, but praised the comedy of Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Eddie Murphy, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Dana Carvey.
“What about Will Ferrell doing George W. Bush?” The Post’s Mr. Edgers asked.
“Just not funny,” Mr. Chase responded. “Makes $25 million a picture.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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