For decades, Chevy Chase has been a defining presence in American comedy, from his early breakout on âSaturday Night Liveâ to a long career across film and television. Now, the 82-year-old actor is opening up about a far more personal chapter, revealing new details about a near-fatal heart failure and the memory problems that followed.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Chase was hospitalized for five weeks in 2021 after suffering what his family describes as a life-threatening heart episode. At the time, few details were made public.
âHe Has Basically Come Back From the Deadâ
More details are now emerging in the upcoming CNN documentary âIâm Chevy Chase, and Youâre Not,â which premieres on New Yearâs Day.
In the film, Chaseâs daughter Caley Chase recalls the terrifying experience.
â[He] has basically come back from the dead,â she said, as reported by multiple outlets, including Variety. âHe had heart failure.â
Chaseâs wife, Jayni Chase, described the moment they rushed to the hospital.
âHe couldnât explain to me what was wrong. So, we go to the ER. His heart stops,â she said. âDuring those years he was drinking, he got cardiomyopathy; when the heart muscles get weaker, and they canât pump as much blood out with each beat.â
According to family friend Peter Aaron, doctors placed Chase into a coma for eight days.
Doctors Warned of Lasting Effects
The outlook was uncertain from the start. âThe doctor had warned us: âWe might not get him back. We donât know how present heâll be. Prepare yourselves for the worst,ââ Caley said, as per Variety. âHe woke up, all he could do was use his voice.â
After regaining consciousness, Chase faced a long period of recovery. Aaron said the actor needed time to reorient himself, and that playing chess and cards with friends helped improve cognitive function.
Even now, the effects remain. âI feel like his memory gaps come from that incident,â Aaron said.
Chase agreed. âAccording to the doctors, my memory would be shot from it. Thatâs whatâs happened here,â he said. âIâm fine now. Itâs just that it affects your memory, the doctors have told me that. So, I have to be reminded of things.â
He added that he no longer remembers some controversial moments from his past, including reported on-set clashes during âCommunity.â
Why the âSNLâ Anniversary Still Hurts
Chase also spoke about his absence from the stage during âSaturday Night Liveâsâ 50th anniversary special in February, even though he attended the event.
âThis is probably the first time Iâm saying it. But I expected that I wouldâve been on the stage too with all the other actors,â he said. âWhen Garrett [Morris] and Laraine [Newman] went on the stage there, I was curious as to why I didnât. No one asked me to.â
He said he briefly addressed the matter with show creator Lorne Michaels before second-guessing himself.
âI did bring it up once in a text to Lorne [Michaels] and then took it back. I said, âOK, I take it back, silly.â But itâs not that silly. Somebodyâs made a bad mistake there. I donât know who it was, but somebody made a mistake,â he said. âThey shouldâve had me on that stage. It hurt.â
Chase was part of the original cast of âSaturday Night Liveâ and became the first performer to leave the show after its debut season.
As the documentary makes clear, while Chase says he is physically doing well, the effects of his health scare continue to influence both his memory and his reflections on key moments from a career that helped shape modern American comedy.
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Marina Zenovich, âIâm Chevy Chase and Youâre Notâ features interviews with Chaseâs family and close friends, along with appearances from Ryan Reynolds, Lorne Michaels, Martin Short, Goldie Hawn and Dan Aykroyd.
âIâm Chevy Chase and Youâre Notâ premieres January 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CNN.
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