Habits and Hustle - Episode 275: Chevy Chase: Why You Need to Stop Giving A Sh*t to Succeed

Episode Date: September 12, 2023

In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I chat with the legendary Chevy Chase about the comedy industry’s best kept secrets. From jazz piano to drumming, we dive into his hidden talents and his first ...big break in comedy - setting the stage for a life filled with laughter and unforgettable moments.  Moving from comedy gold to silver screen gems, we lift the veil on Chevy’s versatile acting journey. Celebrated for his quick comedic timing, Tony shares his favorite characters, his comedy influences, and the strategic choices he made throughout his career. Get ready for some exclusive insights into some truly classic cult films. Chevy Chase is a comedian, actor, and writer. From being a key cast member on the first season of “Saturday Night Live” to having his late-night talk show in 1993, this actor has given people a run for their money. Chase has a career that spans over five decades. He’s been in 101 films and television shows, written 14 productions, and produced a T.V. show and a documentary.  What we discuss: 02:36: Was Chevy always funny? 11:29: How did Chevy come up with the idea of his show? 22:38: Why did Chevy leave Saturday Night Live? 26:41: What movies is Chevy really known for? 31:05: How would the writing work? 33:25: How did Chevy pick his roles? 44:47: Did Chevy ever regret turning down a role? 55:50: What are the coolest things Chevy has got himself involved in? 01:08:20: What is Chevy’s morning routine like? 01:11:24: Does Chevy have any hobbies? 01:12:33: What is Chevy working on now? 01:13:32: Where did Chevy get his nickname? Key takeaways: When you have a natural talent in an artistic field, it’s easy to fall into the mold that executives may want you to morph yourself to fit into. However, the reason why people in the creative field are successful is because of their unique abilities. Thus, it’s important to adopt a “ I don’t give a sh*t” attitude and express yourself in the way that is natural to you and which you are known for. People tend to have a certain affinity towards specific types of arts such as paintings or music, but snub people who watch too much TV. What people with this attitude fail to realize is that watching TV is how you can admire and appreciate the work of the actors, directors, and writers that poured their hearts into bringing this piece of art to life for their spectators. Thus, you shouldn’t feel guilty about sitting down to watch TV if it’s to enjoy a good movie or TV show - it’s simply another form of art to appreciate.  Thank you to our sponsors: Ketone IQ (HVMN): You can save 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at HVMN.com/JEN Therasage: Head over to therasage.com and use code Be Bold for 15% off Learn more from Chevy: Website: https://officialchevychase.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chevychase/ My links: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 At Public Mobile, we do things differently. From our subscription phone plans to throwing a big sale right now when no one else is. Well, maybe they are, but who cares, our sale is better. And it's on right now, no waiting necessary. You have the latest phone. Now take advantage of a great price on a 5G subscription phone plan. It's the perfect deal for anyone who could use some savings right now. Subscribe today at publicmobile.ca. Different is calling. before we even started to roll. And when I met you last time, but this really is a huge treat for me for you to be on this podcast.
Starting point is 00:00:46 Because you really have been my favorite person since I've been like 10. Thank you. I wanna know, number one, have you ever done a podcast before? Come on. I went with one. What do you mean?
Starting point is 00:00:59 Have you done a lot of podcasts? I don't know. By the way, you know what we're talking about. Have you done a podcast? David Spade and the idea of car movie did. Yes, but that was not on video. Oh, okay. So you've done David's, okay, that's okay. Yeah, like with those guys. All right. Any other ones? Just it's the second one for you today. I'm gonna do David alone. No. No. You didn't say a damn thing with the whole
Starting point is 00:01:20 fuck. David Spade was. I think so. I think so. Dana and I were very funny together. And David Spade just sat there? He'd say something once in a while, but, Dana's, you know, overwhelmingly funny to David, I think. He's very funny, actually.
Starting point is 00:01:38 Yeah. And I'm sure he was obviously a huge fan of him. I'm sure David Spade was just star struck by you because Well, do people start I was very funny. What you're always very funny Oh, you did build my so I'm honored. So this is technically the second podcast you've ever done Yeah, I'm excited to hear this. We're just a Patrick. We mean no Okay, well Bill Mars actually did to see the podcast bill Bill Maher, oh, it's a Bill Maher podcast that you did. Bill Maher passed away.
Starting point is 00:02:09 Okay. Did you know that? No. Oh yeah. Bill Maher passed away. When, last 10 minutes? No, it's last night. He did?
Starting point is 00:02:19 Oh no, okay. I'm like, I don't even know if I should laugh or joke or, ha ha, or are you guys friends? Are you? No, I don't like him. I don't like him. Ha ha ha ha. Or are you guys friends? Are you? No, I don't like them. I don't like them. Ha ha ha ha. Yes, we're friends.
Starting point is 00:02:28 You did not pass away. I know. I just want to see how you would react. How you are today. Yeah. How I am today. I'm excited to have you here. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:02:36 OK, so I don't even know where. I mean, I have a bunch of questions. And I don't even know if I should even look at the questions, because with something like you, there's so many things I want to talk to you about or ask you about. So I guess at the beginning of all of this, the origin of like, were you always funny, even as a kid, were you funny? Yes.
Starting point is 00:02:53 Okay, that was a part of it. I have no judgment on that. I mean, I just was, I like to laugh. My father was extremely funny, but also he was a highly respected editor and publisher, but he was the funniest guy I ever knew. And so I get it from him, I think. Oh, so you are kind of always known to be someone that was funny. Well, I don't know about that. Certainly when I started becoming famous, I was known to be funny. What was your first breath? And also very musical. Really? Yeah. You can sing?
Starting point is 00:03:27 Can I sing? Can you play piano? Yes, I do. I play jazz piano. Oh, really? Since when? Since you were like a little... Since I was my 20s. In your 20s?
Starting point is 00:03:37 Yes. Oh, you learned piano when you were in your 20s? I mean, I taught myself over the many, many years. But I played a lot and I'm considered pretty good. Wow, what other instruments do you play? I play the bad boy. The bad boy? Is that like a drum or is that a...
Starting point is 00:03:54 No, I don't want to discuss it. Oh, I don't know, I just made it up. Oh, you made it up, okay. I do play the guitar and the piccolo. And the piccolo? No, I lied about the piccolo. And the piccolo? No, I lied about the piccolo. Okay, so mostly just... This is gonna be a really difficult podcast.
Starting point is 00:04:10 I thought we started already. Yeah, we did, we did. It is. It is gonna be a difficult, you're gonna really put me at task here. It's gonna be, I'm gonna earn, I'm gonna be a dollar. I'll be nicer.
Starting point is 00:04:20 No, no, no, no, no, I want you to be you. I want you to be who you really are. I'm not nice, like a not nice person. I want you to be, I No, no, no, no, no, I want you to be you. I want you to be who you really are. I'm not like a not nice person. I want you to be, I want you to be, I want you to be, I want you to be, I want you to be, I want you to be, I want you to be authentically who you are. All right, well, I am. Good, so then, because Patrick behind you
Starting point is 00:04:36 is saying that you're also a really good drum player, is that true? I mean, I was a drummer with Steely Dan when we started in college and came out of there. And that was rock drumming, but I'm a good jazz drummer. So. You're very talented. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:04:52 No, you're very welcome. What was your first big break or the first big gig that you got within comedy? I started with Ken Shapiro in college. We've made over a period of four or five years, we made television and you couldn't see it home, basically. We went to a theater on East Forest Street, there were three monitors, and we would give them an hour and a half show,
Starting point is 00:05:18 which changed everything. It was called the groove tube. Ken had money and put that into the theater and the thing that and that became quite well known in New York City. And I was really a comedy writer and that's what I wanted to be as opposed to a former rock band. And I wrote for...
Starting point is 00:05:40 Sorry, I didn't lie. Well, that's true. I was a head writer when we started that. But before that, I'd been running for the Smothers Brothers. Do you remember? Yeah, of course. You wrote for them? Yeah. Oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:05:53 So you're wearing all their jokes? You can actually put me in one of their shows. Oh. In the background. Excuse me. What the hell? Sorry. Oh, sorry.
Starting point is 00:06:01 Okay. Oh, my God. Come on, you're okay. Okay, I'm okay. Just a little snout here. That's not true, but okay. Okay, so you wrote for this mother's brothers, what year are we talking? Are we talking? Oh Christ, 60s. 60s, 75 was a personnel. So before that, like 73 or four, somewhere in there, I was with some others, brothers.
Starting point is 00:06:29 How long were you with them for? I don't know, a couple of years. Is that how you got seen for the Saturday and Live gig or how did the Saturday and Live gig even become? Lauren called and I was about to do another show on stage where I would actually perform. And that was with a guy named Paul Lind, a very gay, not particularly funny person, but I wanted to see if I could act. So I turned him down. He said, you know, I'm putting this show together. And I said, no, because he said, I want you to be the head writer, but I, no acting. I don't want you to act. And I was thinking, I'm good at that.
Starting point is 00:07:08 So after one day of rehearsal with Paul Lind, I called Lauren back and said, is that offer still good? And he said, absolutely. So I flew to New York. Again, we started in 1975, I believe, October 11th. That was our first show. So this was somewhere around 1974, somewhere in there. So 97.
Starting point is 00:07:31 So you're excited. Yeah, well, actually, I'm actually, I'm excited. So Lauren Michaels called you to, how did he know that you've been existed? Did he see you on the groove tube? Did he see you with some other... No, that's funny, you're bringing that up. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
Starting point is 00:07:44 Don't you like when people say it's funny you should ask. Yeah. We met in line at a midnight showing in LA here of the Holy Grail. Oh, okay. And the Muddy Python. Oh, okay. And I was sort of cutting up with, oh what was his name? Oh anyway, and just in front of Lauren,
Starting point is 00:08:09 and he saw me that and started to laugh and stuff. And I don't know that we talked to them, but he knew who I was. And it's one of the reasons he called. So he saw some of your stuff before. Like he was, were you kind of like the, or were you about it? Yeah, were you kind of like the... He heard about it, and yeah. But you kind of like already, people were kind of
Starting point is 00:08:28 going to know your stuff. Like it was kind of in the ether already. I don't think... Because back then it's different. They don't have social media back then. They don't have all these things. Right, and for the most part, I was the writer on things. I didn't, he grew to what I was on film or on video.
Starting point is 00:08:46 On video. So I could be seen, but I don't know, it just sort of evolved. So from Sarant Live though, that was like your breakout moment where people really got to see you on in a big way, right? I can't discuss that, I'm sorry.
Starting point is 00:09:00 Can you try to discuss it for a few minutes? All right. Okay, thank you. How was it working with, was it like, Gulda Radner at the time? Like, who else was on the cast at that time? Was Jim Belushi?
Starting point is 00:09:09 Oh, no. No, not Jim Belushi. Sorry. John Belushi. John Belushi. Don De N' Acroix. Don Acroix. Me and Garrett Morris, Lorraine Newman,
Starting point is 00:09:18 Gulda Radner and Jane Curtin. That's like a, Jane Curtin. That was the one I was forgetting. Yeah, what a great cast that was. I mean, we all thought each of us were very funny. We were like, really funny. Still be a somehow the press and whatnot concentrated on me. Partly because I opened the show with live from New York to South America.
Starting point is 00:09:40 Yeah. And because I had come up with a weekend update and did that. Which is why we're still there. It's still like a huge part of the show. And you actually came up with that. That was your original, that was you who originally came up with that. So how did that come to be? How did you even think of that?
Starting point is 00:09:58 Lord got us all together in a room around a table, basically this cast and some others who wanted to be in it, and had us do something or talk or do something funny. And they got to me and I made up a news story on the spot that... Did you write all your own materials? No, sometimes that we had like Al Franken and Tom Davis were writers on the show at that time. They wrote stuff for me, Alan Dwight Bell. There were various writers who contributed. Michael O'Donney, who was huge, very funny. And me.
Starting point is 00:10:34 And so it started off just me writing, and then others chipped in because it was becoming so popular. So popular part of the show. So you were you writing for Guilder Radner then at the time and everybody, dad after right? I wrote for everybody. I wrote the bees, the killer bees, all the bees stuff
Starting point is 00:10:53 because we had bee costs. So we did the minus little right for it. And God knows where we got the bee cost. And I don't remember, but there was a big thing at that time about the killer bees. I can't remember what country or where it was or if it was in America, but they were real. It was a real thing.
Starting point is 00:11:11 So I would write these sketches of the killer bees knocking on my door, John, and that killer bee cost him a few of the others. Yeah. We got your pollen. What? We have one, your pollen, I'm sorry, but we see, I have no use for pollen.
Starting point is 00:11:27 There would be no pollen in my house. We want it, you know, this kind of, this idiotic stuff like that. I also wrote, okay, it's right in my tip of my tongue. Oh, interior demolitionist. So it was like, who is it? Interior demolitionist?
Starting point is 00:11:48 That was the way it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me in. We still know what he was, what that is. Jane Curtin, who's the apartmentist, goes upstairs. I'm in Danny, Danny and I, excuse me, just start breaking furniture, jumping through a glass table,
Starting point is 00:12:04 taking paintings, just demolishing, and just demolishing it. Yeah, demolishing it, yeah. And then once we've done all that, she comes down the stairs and says, oh my god, what is it, man? You forgot that picture. Break that picture and see under the sketch. Sketch. At the time, I know you probably didn't realize that the kind of impact it would have, right?
Starting point is 00:12:26 Did you, like, I knew it was good. I knew that nobody else would come up with something like that. Right, right. It's idiotic, but it had a lot of action. You know, the stuff that I wrote was pretty much physical comedy. Yeah, it was physical comedy. But I feel like to this day, though,
Starting point is 00:12:43 like it has, like, it's an iconic, it's so iconic, and your style is so unique compared to I'm not like you still have a very unique style that no one's ever kind of even come close to even emulating well. Oh that's so nice you decide. No but it's the truth like everything from like you know Darren and I always do like these little things from Darren you know the guy sitting behind you, Darren, your agent. We always do like the grand canyon from vacation. Oh yeah.
Starting point is 00:13:13 You know, like you know. That was me. You know, I can like, I can say. Everybody was like, we were there. I mean, we had moved the whole crew and everything there. And with a shot of grand canyon, I'm doing something in the hotel with some guy, which I wrote about, you know, paying enough whatever. Yeah, very right.
Starting point is 00:13:31 And then I run out and they're looking at the Grand Canyon. Yeah. Yeah, no, I feel like this. Okay, let's go. It's the best guy. That says, it's great. I love it. I've seen, I don't always think of it. But let's go, just that kind of. All of it, like the physical stuff.
Starting point is 00:13:53 The physical, even when you get to Wally world, there's no cars there. Just the way everything is even like, we're the first ones here, we'll be the last here. It was a lie. Like, first one's here. Damn way, why are you parking so far away? First one's here. First one's out or something like that. First one's alive. So I had to run. You've ran with the chair to fire.
Starting point is 00:14:15 That's what you ran to the song chair to fire. Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, tell you that was like my, that movie to me, all I do when I look at you, I can, I just think of the movie, that whole thing like, Christy Brinkley, the eating the sandwich, all of it.
Starting point is 00:14:34 Do you still talk to all those people? Sure. Really? Are your friends with them all still? Yeah. And then how about the people from like, Dan Adler? Can't go wrong, really.
Starting point is 00:14:44 Beverly, don't speak to her? Not much, no. Oh really? Because you guys had... Oh, she passed away. Look at her face. I don't know. Okay.
Starting point is 00:14:53 How? That's true. They'll learn in Beverly. Who are? Has anyone else passed away that I should know about? That I'm not going to be... It's Dr. Shabbat. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:15:02 Anyway, no, no. I talked to them. You talked to them? How about Dan Acquired? Do you talk to him stuff? Yes, Dan and I just did a picture up in Canada. Oh, you did? I'm Canadian.
Starting point is 00:15:13 When is it coming out? I can't tell you that. Oh, OK. I am Canadian. Yes. I don't know. It's called zombie town. Only Danny would come up with a title like that.
Starting point is 00:15:24 Zombie town? Zombie town. God, would come up with a title like that. Zombie town? Zombie town. I can't even believe you're still working and doing. Like, it's been how many years have you been doing this for? Oh, Christy. Eight. Only eight. I feel like it's been like 60 years.
Starting point is 00:15:40 No, it's probably, yeah, 55 years. 65 years? 65 years? Yeah. Yeah, it's, you're still doing, you're still, 65 years? Yeah. Yeah, it's a, so you're still doing, you're still actively doing movies. I know you do a lot of speaking, you do a lot of touring and all this stuff,
Starting point is 00:15:50 but you're still doing all these other things. Yes. Wow, don't you get tired? No. No, are you able to, can you still write comedy? Are you still even like dabbling in that? Of course.
Starting point is 00:16:00 Are you? Sure. It's easy. Because I, I, I do. I know and for a very long time I'm curious because I read something That I have to say yeah, I haven't washed a lot of SNL you haven't no you mean since when since when I left I mean here in here but not a lot okay, and so eat more recently the two guys who do it we can update. Oh Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't watch it regularly anymore.
Starting point is 00:16:26 So, who was the two guys doing this? The thing is, Colin. Colin, yeah. Colin, Joost? Yeah. And Michael. Yeah, Michael, yeah, Michael's Shay. Anyway, I see them, see, look, they're great.
Starting point is 00:16:42 I love it. That's sort of what it should be, but really, in my own mind, and this is self-serving, but I always felt I did it better. So I watched it and hoped for something better to come of it. A little more dirty, you know, a little more raw, and maybe even physical, something. And they do what they do, it's fine. It's just that I want more.
Starting point is 00:17:08 God, I don't mean to be, in any way, critical of these two or the writers. It's a different time. Different time for sure. But they do say, though, it's funny that, well, you're not the only one who thinks this way, right? Because Serent life has been known that it's like, it's kind of lost a lot of its mojo, so to speak. And it wasn't how it was when it first came out, right? Because Serient Life has been known that it's like, it's kind of lost a lot of its mojo, so to speak. And it wasn't how it was when it first came out, right? Like
Starting point is 00:17:29 it's not the same. But you know what, you can say that about anything. So you can say that about anything. But you weren't even on Serient Life for very long, right? You were during for one year. Yeah. So what, like, where did you go right after? What was the, I went back to the Smothers? No, I did not because now Did you leave because they were really old? Yeah, yeah, I think yeah exactly But you were like such a breakout star. Did you leave because you had such attention on you? I left Quite frankly because of a girl that lived in LA and wouldn't moved in New York I was infatuated with.
Starting point is 00:18:05 And... Would we know who she is or no? Her name was Jacqueline Carlin. Oh, okay. But I was in fact, I was in a living with them for about a year. She didn't want to move. I pictured somewhere that was, look how beautiful she is. People like Lauren and Doug Kenny,
Starting point is 00:18:27 who became my best friend, he was great. He founded the lampoon with Henry Berry, National lampoon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they would say, you don't love her. What do you mean, look at her? No, you don't love her. And still, we got married.
Starting point is 00:18:40 Oh, isn't it getting married to her? Okay, so you got married in the and about eight months. Something like that. Really? She was violent. I mean, I say it now, but she was a slapper. She slapped me in the face at the rehearsal there. Of the wedding rehearsal? I have parents for there, my friends.
Starting point is 00:19:01 Yeah. Get out of here. So you moved you quit Saturday at live to move to LA for a girl. Yes, and it's the wrong decision. And I've always regretted it. I would love to go back and been a part of it, but she wouldn't move, and you know, just not. Wow, so when you guys, and when you guys got a divorce,
Starting point is 00:19:20 did you try to go back to Saturday at Live or what happened? Well, I've hosted. Yeah, you get stopped all the time by people saying, like tag lines from your movies all the time. No, only Patrick. Only Patrick, isn't the only one? Not me or anybody else, because I think. No, I do.
Starting point is 00:19:36 But what do you get recognized for the most of all the things that you've done? Well, there are five movies that I made about 50 or more than that, but they're really five of the top ones. There's a couple of them. And there's a better one called. I never could fall with a daughter. Why was that? I can't hear you at all.
Starting point is 00:19:58 Okay, cut in the face. So. I don't know. Can you repeat that? So, I don't know. Can you be that? A vacation, yeah? A Christmas vacation, caddy shack, seems like old times.
Starting point is 00:20:14 What would you and Danny, spies like us, Fletch, these are the top of my movies. Yeah, and that's each, by the way, I don't see this. They were funny movies. Yeah, and that's each, by the way, I don't say that. They were funny movies. Not funny, they're funny. Like, they, by the way, they're classic
Starting point is 00:20:30 and they're evergreen. They never go old. Like, there's nothing, that they're funny today, just how they were like 25 years ago. They don't get old. I mean, even funny farm, totally underrated.
Starting point is 00:20:42 Yeah, funny farm. Funny farm was great, but I mean, vacation, all of them, the European, when, look, farm, totally underrated. Yeah, funny farm. Funny farm was great, but I mean vacation, all of them, the European, when, look kids, the big band. Do you know of like that, that line? But that made that up at the time. That's so much of what I did was improv. I was, that was what I wanted to talk about.
Starting point is 00:20:55 I can't get left. Basically, we were in that car shooting, and there were so many other cars. I really couldn't, so I can't get left. I can't get left, oh know. I can't get left. Oh my God, that line. Look, look, it's Big Ben, Pearl, but the time we had seen it four times
Starting point is 00:21:10 or whatever, I'm the Big Ben, Pearl. That line. So many of these things, like, so you actually did improv a lot of the stuff that we see. In all of them, or just vacation, or all the movies. Oh, my movies, we're a lot of improv. Fletcher was totally improv. Hey, no. Can you talk about that? How did you improv the whole movie? Well, I mean, we knew that you've got to have the plot and premise. But Michael Richie,
Starting point is 00:21:37 who directed Fletcher, I believe it was Michael, maybe it wasn't. I thought it was. Anyway, he had directed me before, and he knew me. Just trying to think of how it came about. But certainly, I think it was universal, wanted a picture from me, and it's hot at the time. Just like you, her. Oh, thank you. Oh, you're welcome. I'm so flattered.
Starting point is 00:22:03 I'm not finished. Oh, so go. Oh, you're welcome. I'm so flattered. I'm not good. Oh, so go ahead. Go ahead. And you want to flatter me more. I'm more than willing to listen, actually. No, just go ahead. No, please, go ahead. You could tell me.
Starting point is 00:22:15 No, no, no, no, no, no, you. You were saying that improvisation, you said that is a premise, there's a plot, and how much of it then is, how is it work? Give me a rundown of what would happen. When? For to improv these movies, what would you do? What would be the, they're very David, they say on curb your enthusiasm,
Starting point is 00:22:35 most of it's improv as well. And that they give them, there's a plot, and people who come on, they don't have a script. Yeah. So does every line, he's lying? He's lying? Oh, okay. So is that true everything. He's lying. He's lying? No.
Starting point is 00:22:46 Okay. So is that true? I'm not lying. He is. Really? So they don't have a script? Absolutely. I thought they all are given like an idea.
Starting point is 00:22:54 What do you mean for what? For curbing enthusiasm? Oh, that. Yeah. Oh, I've never seen that. Probably he's right. Oh, it's probably right. Okay.
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Starting point is 00:25:42 That's why ritual is offering my listeners 30% off during your first month. So go visit ritual.com slash habits to start ritual or add symbiotic plus to your subscription today I think it's great. Yeah, he's good, but you're funny. So then, basically, then, how would it work? Like, how would a movie like that be improvised? Like, what would happen? They would give you, who would write them, who would give the plot?
Starting point is 00:26:10 Like, what would be the, how would it work? I can't remember who wrote it. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember.
Starting point is 00:26:22 I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. I can't remember. How would a movie like that be improv? Like, what would happen? They would give you, who would write them, who would give the plot? Like, what would be the, how would it work? I can't remember who wrote it, a couple of people. But there's only right to plot. But here's what would happen when I get a script.
Starting point is 00:26:35 I'd rewrite the whole thing. I mean, I'd read it and put in dialogue that I thought was better, et cetera, et cetera. So that I felt a part of the production. And that was perfectly acceptable to them, to people. I was considered a good writer, and I write funniest for myself. So because I know what I can do, or I can't do.
Starting point is 00:26:57 So there's an attitude of flesh instead of, like, I don't give a sh** kind of attitude, basically. Otherwise, why am I in the fire escape? That's the A.A.A. You know, with my lawyer. And then why am I hitting him? Oh, he fowls him. You know, all that stuff just improvise at the time.
Starting point is 00:27:18 I just put a basketball hoop in there, and I'll use it somehow, even though it's only five feet away. Very, very, right. Yeah. Anyway, so the idea of physicality and improv, and in my opinion, and I've said this before, but I'll say it again, all humor is physical, ultimately. It's what you imagine it to be if somebody's telling you a story, that's a physical, three dimensional thing in your mind. And all
Starting point is 00:27:45 humor is basically attitude and physicality. So I'm good at it. And I love it when my attitude is I don't give a sh**. That's a funny. Of course I do. I have incredible family and my wife and really the best thing in my life is my home life. And it's been that way for years, many years. So it's not that hurtful to me that nobody's putting me on the air. I'm happy. But it's also probably just time
Starting point is 00:28:13 and you're maybe older now. I am older, yeah, of course. But. Well, thorough. Yeah. But I guess my thing was gonna say to you is that you picked roles very well. I mean, Fletcher was an amazing, real caddy shot. I mean, these are all the characters in them, Clark, Rizwald.
Starting point is 00:28:32 Was there like a method behind the madness, or was it luck? Was it your agent? Was it you? Like, how did all those roles come to be? Did you create them? Let's say vacation was Harold Ramos. Okay. I think it was the first director of that.
Starting point is 00:28:46 And he directed me a couple of times and Harold was very funny himself. Harold sounded like this. Action. And cut. He once did. He didn't, he was not a director a long time. He actually did this once.
Starting point is 00:29:01 And cut. I mean in action. It's hilarious. It is funny. So, but Harold had a great eye for what's funny. And you know he was an actor. He was in Ghostbusters and films of that. Oh, right, okay.
Starting point is 00:29:19 Right, that's the old remiss. I'm sorry. So what was the question? Well, my question was your roles, like every, the characters, like the Clark Rizwold, the Fletch, the Caddysh, all those were perfect for you. Did you pick them? How did they, like, did, did, like, you can't vary well?
Starting point is 00:29:35 Sometimes they can vary well. I may have had 10 scripts and out of those two, I liked or something, you know, that's the way it is. And, because it's a lot of them. I realize what I can do with it, that kind of thing. Like this Clark Rizwold character, I could tell right away what he had to be like, you know, naive and optimistic, just a fool, basically.
Starting point is 00:29:56 Right, right, right. Really, you know, and so... Did you change it a lot? That came to me easily. Like, so when they first presented Clark Rizwalt to you, did it look like how it looked there or did you change the role to fit your personality, to make it what it was?
Starting point is 00:30:14 Well, the first time I started once, with a different ending. What was the ending? The ending was that what was his name? John Candy? Oh, no, no. Oh, no. Oh, the guy who owned the park.
Starting point is 00:30:24 Any, any bracket. Yeah, the guy who played Walt Disney. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we had the ending that you've seen is different because we all went around and got on the rides. We didn't do that in the first one. The first ending was just us on his porch, trying to perform. Really? Yeah, so it really wasn't the right ending and I realized that they changed. We got to use those rides, I mean we paid for it, what is that place? A fortune for the amusement park, for Disneyland or whatever, a Wally World or whatever. Yeah, Wally World, but it was here in LA. Six Flags?
Starting point is 00:31:06 Was it at six Flags? It might have been, yeah. Did you do that at six Flags? Well, yeah. So, have there been any roles that you did in LA? By the way. Yeah? I have a great story.
Starting point is 00:31:18 OK. That Eddie Bracken was famous in the 30s and 40s. He was a very funny great actor and the perfect for that role. And I said, you know, Eddie, we've shot us on a roller coaster for the ending or for part of the ending. And really, we want to do it with you and me and I just don't want you to be nervous or frightened or anything it's perfectly nice and fun. Oh no, I'm sure I don't. We get on the fucking
Starting point is 00:31:50 for my expression but we get on the roller coaster and in the shot you can see it as we're coming down. It's a wide shot of me and Eddie in the front seat and if you could read his lips, it would work. He says, this is what he says after we get to the top, and then we start down, and he goes, oh, fuck! And you can see, it's just, he's so frightened, and I got in my arm, wonderful. That was funny, but we didn't see that.
Starting point is 00:32:24 Well, you couldn't see that anyway. No, it was a wide shot. Yeah, it was a wide shot. Is there any other stories like that that you remember that you can share with us? Things that we would not, like, behind the scenes stuff that we wouldn't know? Not about Eddie, about anything like that's funny.
Starting point is 00:32:38 Pull on the pawn was obvious. The pool on the pawn. Oh, me and Marley. Oh, Christie Rickley. Oh, oh, Caddy Shack is working. Oh, oh, oh, Caddyshock. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was sort of an improv. The first time we shot it, Billy had
Starting point is 00:32:53 centerful, de-pustler magazine all over the wall. Of, you know, just the worst stuff. It was great for the character, but nobody at home would see that in the movie. I mean, it would be just hideous. So Harold made him just one, please. He just packed him all up, Kelly, and put him on the wall with nails through it. And I can't remember what it was, but it wasn't particularly revealing.
Starting point is 00:33:18 But so that was a great character choice. So he said, you have a pooled under you. You know that? I remember. Yeah, we have a pool. I have a pooled under you know that. Yeah I remember. Yeah we have a pool. I have a pooled in a pond. Pond will be good for you. And that's where he starts, that's where he cracks. And you can see him crack. Yeah. I love it. You can see that like. So we tried to make each other crack, but I never did. You never cracked ever? No. I don't know why. I was so used to really funny stuff for a long time, and Ken Shapiro, you know,
Starting point is 00:33:48 and cracking was a no-no. Oh my god. Who's your favorite character? Of all the characters you played, what was your favorite? That's tough. I mean, I loved Clark Griswold character. Flesh was easy for me. I loved that, because that was just sort of me.
Starting point is 00:34:05 Really. Yeah. But, and in between those, I think the Christmas vacation film was very good. It's the same character. Yeah, it's Clark. It's Clark. It's Clark, yeah.
Starting point is 00:34:19 It's Clark as well. And, uh, funny farm. What was my name in that? Andy Farmer. Andy Farmer. And Funny Farmer. That was directed by George Roy Hill, who had directed The Sting.
Starting point is 00:34:33 He was a great director. And a great man. He's long since passed, but in this time I meet it. Yeah, I know. This time I can tell you meet it. But, uh, let's like Michael Richie, sort of, he sort of said, that, Tevgy, here's the script,
Starting point is 00:34:48 and this is that we could go to, by the script, do what you want to do, basically. So that we'd have things like, I insisted that the phone in this new house, it was just on the floor, because I'd then have to get down to the floor and try to make calls,
Starting point is 00:35:04 and, you know, it's funny. It was, all the, all the night. And this night we had a snake that scared, and we just shot the snake, and then the next shot of him was he was going in the door, which was open because I was outside. Did you improv that one too? Oh, improv.
Starting point is 00:35:24 Like, did you improv in funny farm as well? Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I saw it all really. Wow, yeah, but the sake... No, no, I know that was real. I know, but I'm saying like in general. But the joke was, I mean, the greatness of George Ray Hill was, you see the tale of the snake going,
Starting point is 00:35:39 count to three, you know, the speed. Yeah, I remember. You never had to be inside seeing that. All you knew was what was happening. What was happening? To put it into your head, this physical's physicality of it. It's amazing.
Starting point is 00:35:53 So all the characters you would say Clark would be your... If you had to name one though, you would say Clark Rizwald. What? Well, you said that... If all the characters that... I said Flection, Clark Rizwald. But Flet But flex was very much you said like your personality over it. Yeah Caddy Shack was too the whole thing and Caddy Shack of being by what's her name Cindy Morgan and I have in my room in my apartment
Starting point is 00:36:18 What do you call surfboard and then and then killer, you know Yeah, yeah, I remember what you call it You know to kill. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember. What do you call it? The kill for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. What? A spirit gun. Yes, yes. What's that for?
Starting point is 00:36:31 Oh, I do know little spirit fish. Oh, really? Do a fish? I say something like, and I just came up with something called not sharks, but Cedar sharks. A whale? No, no, no. Things you want in the ocean, the big heavy.
Starting point is 00:36:49 In the ocean, not a shark? Not the ocean. In the, what does he say? Do you know? Because of the pee. Porpoises? Porpoises. Yes.
Starting point is 00:36:58 So she says, oh, I never said that. I said, no, porpoises. It's the worst thing you could ever say in a movie, and he gets away with it somehow. This character. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart.
Starting point is 00:37:10 I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart.
Starting point is 00:37:18 I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've never had a chart. I've the God to ask. I just know in my head that it's funny. It's funny. It's timing. It's attitude. Delivery. It's understanding the ridiculousness of the
Starting point is 00:37:34 of the line. It's the quickness. It is what it is. It's like the it's the quickness of it. Yes. That's right. So when we shot that scene, let's say it was like our second take or something. You know, I did a lot of first take stuff. That's amazing. I mean, are there any roles or any movies that you regret that you didn't take, that like, characters that you think back to you? Like, oh, I should have done this. I should.
Starting point is 00:37:58 You know, I can't remember the first 50. I know. Well, I mean, I just got offered for a scump. I was going to ask about for a scump. Yeah. Yeah. And you turned down for a scump. They wrote it for me. Did you know that? No, they wrote it for you. And you turned it down.
Starting point is 00:38:12 Yeah. Why? I don't know. I thought Tom Hanks would be perfect for that, by the way. And he did it. Before they even... Yeah, I thought he'd be good. So I'm trying to think, for this character,
Starting point is 00:38:25 I'm a little too Christian, you know, white, Anglo-Saxon, what is it? Wasp. Yeah, wasp, yeah. I'm a little too wasp and too big, too tall. It should be somebody slighter, that has to achieve all these things to make his life important.
Starting point is 00:38:45 Not somebody like me who actually was an athlete and a good, or whatever, how tall you are. Yeah, yeah. That's so, wait. That's these again, sorry. Oh God, thank you. You got just one booker. Just one booker.
Starting point is 00:39:03 I use your, no, no, no, it's okay. Thank you, though. I appreciate that. So did you actually think, did you recommend Tom Hanks or did they just pick Tom Hanks even, and even, oh no, no, I didn't, I didn't. You don't recommend Tom Hanks. No, no, I thought he was right. But he'd be right.
Starting point is 00:39:17 Yeah, I did. Because now you can imagine anyone else doing that role, right? Like that's crazy. No, Tom. Just Tom. So it's great. There's no other roles that you're like, oh, damn, I should have like, did I have to do that?
Starting point is 00:39:27 Well, I should have done it in retrospect. Because, huh? Animal House was offered to him. Oh, yeah, Animal House. I was offered to him. Yeah, Animal House, yeah. Instead, what's his name? Took the part I had.
Starting point is 00:39:40 Oh, right. What? Who was that after? It was. Tim Matheson. Tim Matheson. Tim Matheson, oh right, right. Tim Flash. So Tim played me in the part I was supposed to play in Animal House.
Starting point is 00:39:53 I would have played it differently obviously. I don't know why I didn't do it. Maybe it was an ass. You didn't roll. Is there any rule that you would have liked to do that you didn't? Lawrence of Arabia, I think really. But I was too young. A little.
Starting point is 00:40:10 How about John Candy? Do you remember John Candy? No. We didn't. Funny if I didn't. No. No, who is that? Of course I know.
Starting point is 00:40:18 You guys were really close friends. Yeah, we were very good friends, yes. Close? Well, if it's John, you're close. So there you are. He was a big fat guy. Yeah. Loved him.
Starting point is 00:40:28 He was so funny. I remember arriving at John's house up off Sunset Boulevard in Brentwood area. Going there, we were going to write something. I don't know what, but he had a little place like this above his house. He had to walk up to he had a little place like this above his house. You had to walk up to him, but I had to go through his house. And as I'm going through, it's like one in the afternoon, I can see that oven being opened by a cook. And there's
Starting point is 00:40:54 two huge turkeys. It was just a testament to how all this guy could eat. I mean, two turkeys for him. Well, I didn't see anybody else around, but I'm sure his wife and kids are whatever. But they mean two, yeah, no one. Yeah, it's just, to me, the first thing that comes to my mind is, you know, some idiot thing like that. So John, here's how funny John was. Hey, he had a migraine, really bad headache once and one day and Everybody was saying John
Starting point is 00:41:27 I heard you're trying to have time cold clothes, you know, all that stuff after about three of those Somebody said um, maybe if you'd read it John, but it's gone He was lying. It wasn't good. He just didn't want to hear anymore Funny it's funny. It is funny. Who else were you close friends with back then? Well, Belouch, who was just a thief and a niriduel, but John and Belouch and I became friends.
Starting point is 00:41:58 And who else, Danny? I still love Danny. He's still the same. He's up in Canada. Yeah. We're seeing Toronto or Vancouver. It was over, yeah, that area of Vancouver. Oh, very Vancouver. Yeah. Do you have any other stories that you can remember that you could talk about like with John Belushi or Dan Acquired that are? Well, to Belushi was a drug addict, as you know. As I know, yeah. But at that time in the, As you know. As I know, yeah. But at that time, in the, uh, what year was it?
Starting point is 00:42:27 Seven years. Coke was a huge drug. Everybody took cocaine. It was expensive. But we were actors who had making good money, and we all took it. I had a little vile, which was very typical of the time. Literally that big, little tiny spoon connected to it, you know, and inside
Starting point is 00:42:45 this coke. And I was playing the piano alone on the stage of Lemmings where we were doing a live show and which was my first live show, by the way. So Chris Gas, John Balucci, me, Alice Flaten, Gary Goodcast. Christopher Gas is amazing too. Chris, yeah. Oh yeah, well Chris and I are very close friends. Yeah, really?
Starting point is 00:43:07 Oh, yeah. We first came out here in 72, and the two of us, and got a house together. Really? Yeah. Lived up on camera with the name of the robot. The Holland? The Holland.
Starting point is 00:43:19 The Holland and up high in the mountain. Did you ever do a movie with him, though? You never did, like, I'm never waiting for Guffman in all those movies like, Gaston Show and so on. No, he's not gonna ask me to do that, because, first of all, he's competitive, you know, just like all of us, but I'd love to do a movie with Chris,
Starting point is 00:43:37 but if he's not asking, I'm not answering, I'm not gonna ask, I've had enough trouble asking Lauren if I can do that. Yeah, be on the host of the show, exactly. Yeah, I mean, you know, I've had enough trouble as you learn if I can. Yeah, beyond the host in the show, exactly. Yeah, I mean, you know, before I die, could I please host? Yeah. It's gonna end up like that. Well, I'm maybe, maybe.
Starting point is 00:43:53 I ended up in the hospital. Can I host? Really, I don't, but Christopher Guest though, maybe is he still making movies? He is, isn't he? I think so. But if you're, maybe you guys can collaborate and do one together.
Starting point is 00:44:05 That would be nice. I'd love that. That would be great. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:44:14 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:44:19 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
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Starting point is 00:50:41 and use code hustle15 for 15% off your entire order. Okay, I want to hear the John Belushi story. Oh, yeah, so there I am alone in the piano and the little coquile. Yeah, the piano just sitting there and above the keyboard. I don't know why, but it was there. And I'm playing. I remember John coming in and then leaving when I'm finished, I look up, it's gone. The little vial coke. I said, John. John, come here. What? Did you take my coke? No. I would
Starting point is 00:51:28 hate to let no. You sure? It was right here in the piano. Didn't see it. About a week later, I'm at John's house with his wife, Judy, for dinner or something. And I'm sort of checking out the apartment. And there's a bookcase of books and right in front of the books is my vile empty just sitting there almost as if it had been washed and the little spoon and I'm thinking I can't remember if I pointed it out I did I did you know you still say I have no idea that's crazy something like that. That's crazy. Well, we were pretty funny guys, and the goddess of there being coconut.
Starting point is 00:52:10 Yeah, of course. It was also part of the culture. It was that time, yeah. It was part of the culture. So you guys were actually like friend friends, like hang out all the time friends. No, we're not hanging out all the time. I mean, I have a couple of great pictures of me and John, where there's somebody's taking
Starting point is 00:52:27 a picture of me just sort of leaning back against the eighth floor elevator and John behind you like this. And I have another one, another picture that's me and President Ford and my wife at the time and John in the background. He was just so pissed that he wasn't the star. He had been the star in Lemmings with Chris Gasson. He was really the star. We brought him in from Chicago.
Starting point is 00:52:58 He was very funny. We did the Woodchuck Festival with Peace Love and Daily. Oh yeah. And so we were doing Christy II Great Impressions of Bob Dylan and James Taylor, perfect compressions of them. I did basically a song about what that guy, he would start a Wood sing about O'Callorado, that guy. About who? Who was it? about Colorado and how beautiful it was there
Starting point is 00:53:28 Oh Colorado's calling me So will he Nelson? No, no, no sit before that. Oh, I don't remember Who is on the thinking of? Yeah, John Denver John Denver, thank God for you here. That's amazing. Yeah. So by the way, what's your life?
Starting point is 00:53:49 Goodbye. Thank you. Oh. Your life has been so expansive in terms of, like, I'm sure you've had like crazy experiences, just being who you are, being like a comedy legend. Yeah. What are some of the stuff?
Starting point is 00:54:03 Like, can you talk about some of the things that happened to you because of who you are that are just so elaborate and cool? Like, what's some of the coolest things that you kind of got yourself like, got involved with? I don't know. I don't know. Well, Bill Clinton and I became friends when he was running for president. Oh, okay. In fact, Janie and I went to the inauguration. Okay. And I performed, I can't remember what, but I had left the auditorium. The place had cleared out. Everybody's going, the show had been over.
Starting point is 00:54:37 And I come back in and there's Janie at the same table and Bill with his armor around our talking tour. So I come out of you. Take your filthy hands off my wife. And by, you know, his reaction to that is, Hi, Chavvy, how you doing? It doesn't have been phased out. Not at all.
Starting point is 00:54:55 I probably heard that a hundred times. That day. That day, exactly. Anyway, yeah, but I didn't really know him. That was my introduction to Bill. Oh, that was? Yeah. Oh, that was yeah Oh, that was your first time. Oh really? Hi Chavius nice to see you. Are you guys still friends now? Yeah, that's funny
Starting point is 00:55:12 I don't seem a lot, but because of shillery, you know, I'm about to do that. Yeah So then who do you think is really funny today like in today's time like who do you think is who has the chops? Nobody I think is really funny today, like in today's time, like who do you think is, who has the chops? Nobody. No, one person besides you. I can't think of anybody. Like how about sad, ooh. Well, Ryan Reynolds, they say, what?
Starting point is 00:55:35 Ryan Reynolds says, you're not funny. He based his comedy routine on you, like his, oh that's true, he's a nice character. It's a livery, nice character. 100, and he's hilarious. It's time livery nice. Yeah, yeah, 100 and he's hilarious His time he's hilarious. Yeah, his timing is amazing Absolutely, yeah, he's a hundred percent really yeah, and I love him. I have no idea really. He's amazing
Starting point is 00:55:55 I don't know if I've even seen him Ryan Reynolds. He plays Deadpool. I didn't see that okay He plays a lot he played like a bunch of he's he's great. I've heard yeah, he plays a lot, he played like a bunch of, he's, he's great. I've heard. Yeah, he's very good. And so who else patched right? Janie and I were eating once and that he was over a few tables away with his wife or whatever. Her wife, yeah, probably. Eating, this is a long time ago. Oh, maybe not his wife. I don't know, I was with my wife, but she got up and went over to him until something nice like, you know, you remind me of Chevy or something like that. And she came back and said, he totally counts you as the thing that made him him or something like that.
Starting point is 00:56:38 Wow, yeah. And he copies me and that he had said that, which is really nice. That's a very bad idea. I just met Jerry Santhold, what a year ago, wasn't it? And he even said, we just met in a place where I was doing something. Anyway, but he said that, you know, when I was younger, you were the man, that's that stuff, and I tried to copy you. So there are people who I consider funny. I think Jerry's funny. Yeah. His deliveries are great. His face is great.
Starting point is 00:57:09 Who claimed that I was a regenerative of some kind of humor? Oh, for sure. I'm sure there's more than just them too. I'm sure there's lots of people. But you never did stand up though, right? No. Yeah, that was never your... Did you try and just don't like it or you used to do it? No, I can do it.
Starting point is 00:57:27 In fact, my daughter works at the comedy store here in LA as the pianist in the comics. Oh. And I went up there once or twice just briefly. Of course, they have a different reaction to me because I'm famous and they've seen my movies or whatever. So it's a big deal for them and for me it's like, what do I say? Exactly. You don't know what to say. I don't have an act. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:57:51 But still, I've seen a lot of these stand-ups. And I've always felt, in seeing stand-ups, that it's right, but they've always seen the little desperate to me. A little, I need to be seen, I need to go further. I need to be a big start kind of mentality. And there's nothing wrong with that. I think I have the same thing. But in my mind's eye, it's there's a desperation. Right. In stand-up in general. People who are stand-up from the general. Yeah. I don't think that's a bad thing necessarily, but it's not my style. Right, so that's why you always chose to do more of the improv and comic writing and stuff like that.
Starting point is 00:58:37 Would you ever, has anyone ever approached you to do a remake of, let's say, Caddy's shack or even vacation? Like vacation's been remade a million times, oh, no, Caddy's shack or even vacation. Vacation's been remade a million times, oh, no, a million, like a few times for sure. Well, you're being Christmas. Yeah, it's been remade. That's Vegas vacation.
Starting point is 00:58:53 Las Vegas vacation. That was the end of it, Vegas vacation. That was the end, exactly. That's one very good. But has anyone come to you and say, let's remake this again and see with you? No, no, no, they don't like me. Of course they like you. No, they don't.
Starting point is 00:59:05 Why would you say that? Because they don't come to me. Well, maybe they don't think you're interested. Maybe you can make them think I'm interested. Maybe I can, I don't know. I'm interested. I'm still to me. I'm young and I can do all the physical stuff I ever did. So you would still want to do those types of things? Yeah, I love it. Oh God, that's great. Of course I would, yeah. But I also, as like I said, I love my life, my family. And, well, I patrick, you can count for that.
Starting point is 00:59:36 It's just the, patch the same way. Patrick's is this guy over here pays me money. No, I pay him, that's all I put. You pay him. But I I pay him, that's all I put. He pay him. But I mean, no really. He's the same way. He's a family, your children. What more, do you really want in life?
Starting point is 00:59:53 Yeah. I still want to perform. And I feel as if the time has gone by, at least two or three years, now, where I've done nothing really for the public and that I'm forgotten. It's a terrible feeling inside. Yeah. That I've been sort of forgotten.
Starting point is 01:00:09 It's like, at one time, what do you call it, or whatever. I hate it. And I can't really understand why Princess Lauren wouldn't have the host again. I don't know what's going on there. We haven't been forgotten, and I'll tell you. I mean, people love you. I mean, when I told people you were coming on this podcast,
Starting point is 01:00:28 they were so excited, number one. And I think it's just getting the right gigs, you know? Like, I know that Darren tells me you do all these great things. You did a commercial for some, I don't remember what it's. Raising Cains, that was amazing. And you're doing all these, like, Q&A's. Aren't you doing all these Q&A's? And people are, like, just ecstatic. Oh, yeah, yeah. Those aren't films. No, no, no, no, those aren't films.
Starting point is 01:00:49 I think they should be bad. I think somehow I see you sitting there with a camera. But that's okay, don't have to. I can imagine though, it must be difficult when you've had such a like a star, right? Like such a light being shine on you and all these opportunities. And then things start to change. Yeah. You know, like how do you deal with that type of thing? You know, I sort of dealt with it just talking to you. Not as I can tell you, this is how I feel.
Starting point is 01:01:17 But in fact, it doesn't, it's not to prepare or everything. I don't really think about it much. When I do, I piss. Sometimes I go to prepare or everything. I don't really think about it much. When I do, I'm pissed. Sometimes I go to bed at night. And before I go to sleep, I'm angry about Saturday night live or something. So you know, you do have those feelings at the end of the day, how to let day go and then.
Starting point is 01:01:40 So I feel it, but. But you get the big documentary coming out. You see? See I tend to forget things like you're doing it. They have a documentary coming out on you. Massive documents or whatever the documentary on the bike. Oh yeah. So Lance Armstrong. Yeah. Lance Armstrong. Same people did one on me. Oh so three for 30.
Starting point is 01:02:04 Is it going to be on Netflix or where would it be? What where's it gonna be? I've been sold yet. Oh, it has been signed. Oh, no way it's gonna be there yet. Thank you. To give me a day in the life of Chevy Chase today, give me the day, it's called Habits in Hustle,
Starting point is 01:02:17 I wanna know what your habits are, like what you do every day. Sleep, you sleep all day? Any mail for me? Yeah, nope. My favorite thing. Any mail for me. Well, okay, typically I sleep late. What time? Today was noon. You slept till noon. I know, but that's really an aberration. I didn't know why. I did, but you know, you get into a dream thing, and Janie just closes the door for me so they don't hear this or that or the other.
Starting point is 01:02:47 It's loud because where we are, these little dogs come out around seven. You know, from some house right next to us. And we don't have much of an area. It's a house we got a long time ago. But anyway, so I get up, I have cereal. What kind of cereal do you like? I like jet picks. What do you mean? Yeah, what kind of cereal? I was good one. Jet picks. I've never heard of it. I know. I just made it up. Oh, okay. I like cornflakes fruit. Yeah, basically. Cornflakes. Yeah, but a lot of fruit. Oh. Yeah,
Starting point is 01:03:23 so I cut up the strawberries and put a lot of fruit in there. In the cornflakes. Yeah, but a lot of fruit. Oh. Yeah, so I cut up the strawberries and put a lot of fruit in there. In the cornflakes. Well, not in the cornflake. Oh, beside the cornflakes. In the bowl. Oh, in the bowl. Okay. But I put the cornflakes on it.
Starting point is 01:03:34 Oh, so the cornflakes go on top of the fruit. In your opinion, yes. Okay. Okay. Okay. I like it. So the cornflakes. Anyway, in the milk.
Starting point is 01:03:43 Okay, then. And then a stevia. Oh. On the quark... Anyway, and then milk. Okay, then milk. And then a stevia. Oh, on the quark legs, okay. The fruit doesn't... No, just on the table next to the quark leg. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:03:54 So the stevia, because it's not sweet enough, just with the... No, no, no, I need sweet. You need sweet, okay. And then do you drink coffee? Are you a coffee drinker? Are we all? I am, but some are not. So you have your breakfast and then what do you drink coffee? Do you have a coffee drinker? Are we all? I am, but some are not. So you have your breakfast, and then what do you do next?
Starting point is 01:04:09 Then I have a place that I sit with my animals around me in a big TV in front like you have here, and books that I love. Oh, okay. And I read a lot. You do? Yeah, mostly fiction. Charles M. Russell I read a lot. You do? Yeah, mostly fiction. Charles M. Russell would be a good example
Starting point is 01:04:27 of a writer or John Grisham or something like that. David Belldacci. And I watch TV. I think that there's a thing about TV that people say, you watch it too much TV. There is no too much. TV is remarkable. It's an eye into even the behavior of an actor and as an actor
Starting point is 01:04:48 on a soap opera or something. Why? Why that choice? Who's directing that? Now, I don't even want soap operas, but I just have a new pass through one and you see, I don't know if I can tell her any, you know, that kind of shit. And that's exciting. And there are women all over the world like this. I know. I know. It's a hundred percent. Taken by it. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:05:12 But in any case, I'm not here to just put down. So, poppers? Poppers. But I watch TV. I like the news a lot. And there are many different stations for that. There's Story Television too, which has great stuff. I like the, I like murder stuff.
Starting point is 01:05:31 Okay. Do you work out? Do you exercise a lot? No. Do you want to start? Okay. No, I'm saying just something that makes it like for your day. Yes, I do.
Starting point is 01:05:41 Every day. I have a physical therapist. Oh. And so I do work out. Oh, good. So you work day every day. Yes I do. Every day. I have a physical therapist. Oh. And so I do work out. Oh good. So you work out every day? Every day, five days a week, sometimes six.
Starting point is 01:05:53 Nice. Yeah. For about an hour and a half. With a physical therapist, what kind of stuff are you doing? F***ing her. No, wait. I'm sorry. that was a mistake. No, no, that's okay.
Starting point is 01:06:07 It's not even good. It's good timing at least. Okay, what would you say you do with her? I mean, with the fitness of their... Oh, my golly, honey. No, like, do you have an injury that she's helping you with or... No, no. Or like a personal...
Starting point is 01:06:20 It's not a hair. It's a personal hair. Well, there is one. Okay. On Tuesdays and Thursdays is a guy, Neil. These are really good practitioners. Physical therapy. A lot of walking hills and stuff like that.
Starting point is 01:06:38 Some work out with weights. Oh, weights, yeah. I don't like any of it, but I do like it kind of you have to kind of do it right? Yeah Do you have any other hobbies? Oh tennis? Oh, yeah, I don't like the name of it. I don't like the look of the court I don't like the fairies who play Oh my god, there he is. Oh, oh, oh, okay, and got him, you know what? Do you like tennis though?
Starting point is 01:07:11 Yeah. Okay. The pickleball is to tennis like Monopoly is to politics. It's something bad like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? I got his name.
Starting point is 01:07:24 How about chess? chess? We play a lot of chess. Are you do you play a lot of chess? Yeah. Is there anything other than any other hobbies you have? I play the piano. On the piano.
Starting point is 01:07:37 You still play every day practice to keep it up? Oh, that's great. And so what else are you working on to end this whole thing like is there anything besides a documentary? We were finished. Well, we can keep on going. No, I want it to be like you're sick of me. I Yeah, sick of you already That's a take long Is there is there anything else you want to talk about that you are working on that? Well, I write every day a little bit, scenes I write,
Starting point is 01:08:08 Oh good. For a script supposedly. I've never gone anywhere with it. I mean, I haven't finished one. Okay. And a book, too, I write prose, but the same thing. I just sort of let it go.
Starting point is 01:08:24 Why would I write this unless it made a great deal to me or unless I felt an audience had to find another part of me? Whatever that crap is, I just sort of am lazy. I like I wasn't school. Yeah. Yeah, okay. Oh, I have one question then, I'm going to wrap you. You can go, where did you get the nickname Chevy? Like where did that come from?
Starting point is 01:08:46 My grandma. Oh, it's an interesting story. I would love to hear it. I can't discuss it though. Oh, okay. No, my mother had a stepfather in Cornie's Crane and she named me Cornie's Crane Chase. And I think partly because he was so wealthy that she hoped he'd died and leave stuff like that. Money. She was a money grubber. And also real pissed because he left her like 500 grand. This guy was a multi millionaire.
Starting point is 01:09:21 So he was a little selfish. Anyway, I don't know where the rest of the rest of the story is. He had a wife, a new wife, and left everything to her. She was a Japanese woman who probably owns Japan now. In any case, so she named me that, and my grandma, on my father's side, who lived in Woodstock, where I did most of my growing up, named me Chevy. She couldn't stand.
Starting point is 01:09:43 Now, obviously, I've never asked her, but there was a city called Chevy. Chevy said, where else would she get it? But I can't imagine her doing that. It's sort of, but where else would you get Chevy? Yeah, would you ever ask? No, like I said, I'd never really asked her. Wow, so you never found out? No, no, but it's a pretty easy guess, I think. Yeah. It's just that those things never were a part of her life. My grandfather's, they were, he was an artist, they were woodstockers and small house. My dad grew up there, they're, they're something.
Starting point is 01:10:17 You know, there was no TV or anything like that where she would come up with something like Jerry Chess. I don't know how I can probably just know either city or... Right. Just she thought it was a nice nickname. Does anyone call you by your real name, like Cornelius? No. Sometimes they'll write something, some company or whatever, to Cornelius,
Starting point is 01:10:37 Cranie Chase. But I, Chevy, has been officially my name for many years many years. Well, well, Chevy Cornelius, I appreciate you so much for being on this podcast. Thank you for coming on. Well, that'll be $40. $40 only? Okay, well, I mean, I got a pretty good then.
Starting point is 01:10:58 No, it was very good. I enjoyed your questions and thanks a lot. I actually really enjoyed having you on the podcast and I can't wait to watch the documentary. Yeah, me too. Now I know, well, whenever it comes out, I hope you dare and will tell me when it comes out or I'll know about it.
Starting point is 01:11:14 Hopefully it will come out. If it doesn't, I'll have to do another one. Yeah, you should definitely do one. I think it'd be super interesting. Yeah, all right, well, thanks a lot. You're welcome. By the way, Chevy Chase is on social media, so follow him. And what is it?
Starting point is 01:11:31 What is it, Instagram? Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. Oh, yeah, I'm all of them. Oh, everything. Yeah, I, yeah. To your hip, you're keeping up with his money. I'm so hip and tune in, won't you? Oh, I love it.
Starting point is 01:11:42 You guys do like social media stuff together? Yeah, you guys see the TikToks amazing. I will absolutely, now that I know, thank you for sharing that. This is great. Thanks, Chevy. You're welcome, thank you. Thank you.
Starting point is 01:11:55 Thank you. This episode is brought to you by the YAP Media Podcast Network. I'm Holla Taha, CEO of the award-winning digital media empire YAP Media, and host of YAP Young & Profiting Podcast, a number one entrepreneurship and self-improvement podcast where you can listen, learn, and profit. On Young & Profiting Podcast, I interview the brightest minds in the world, and I turn their wisdom into actionable advice that you can use in your daily life. Each week, we dive into a new topic like the art of side hustles, how to level up your influence and persuasion and goal setting. I interview A-List guests on Young & Profiting.
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