Steve Martin’s Absence in Chevy Chase’s Documentary Explained

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Chevy Chase’s new documentary, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, includes interviews with many people who have worked with the comedian over his career, like Martin Short, his co-star in the film ¡Three Amigos!. However, Steve Martin, the third star of that 1986 comedy, doesn’t appear in the documentary.

Although critics had a varied reaction when it first came out, ¡Three Amigos! is now celebrated as one of the greatest Western comedies ever made. The movie was also a big hit, boosting the careers of its three stars. Steve Martin and Martin Short became close friends after working together on the film.

Steve Martin and Martin Short have worked together on numerous projects, including their popular Hulu series, Only Murders in the Building. Despite many fans hoping Chevy Chase would join the show, Martin and Short haven’t cast him, leading to speculation about a possible disagreement between the three friends.

Steve Martin Is Notably Absent From Chevy Chase’s New Documentary

It’s unlikely that recent reports of tension between Steve Martin and Chevy Chase were improved by Martin not appearing in the new documentary about Chase, titled I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. While Martin Short plays a significant role in the CNN-produced film, Martin is completely absent, despite having worked with Chase in the past.

Notably, Chevy Chase wasn’t present when Steve Martin and Martin Short returned to Saturday Night Live last year. Martin hosted a special episode celebrating SNL‘s 50th anniversary, and Short made a brief appearance during his opening monologue. This was surprising, as Chase had joined them onstage for the show’s 25th anniversary celebration back in 2000.

It’s no surprise Chase was disappointed he wasn’t included in the celebration of Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary, especially considering he was one of the original cast members. It also meant he didn’t get another chance to perform with Steve Martin.

Chase & Martin Starred Together In Three Amigos Alongside Martin Short

Though it’s not Steve Martin and Chevy Chase’s absolute finest work, ¡Three Amigos! remains one of their most memorable films. The movie follows Martin, Chase, and Martin Short as three old-fashioned Western movie stars who are wrongly believed to be real heroes by a woman in Mexico who needs their help.

Three Amigos! solidified the reputations of its stars as comedic icons. The film also led to a lasting friendship between Steve Martin and Martin Short, and they went on to collaborate on five more projects together. However, it marked the final time Chevy Chase would work with either Martin or Short.

Steve Martin Declined To Appear In Chevy Chase And You’re Not

Chevy Chase revealed in his documentary that he fondly remembers working with Martin Short and Steve Martin, and hopes they’ll collaborate again someday. Unfortunately, a reunion of the Three Amigos! cast doesn’t seem likely, and it appears Chase won’t be returning for the sixth season of Only Murders in the Building.

Marina Zenovich, the director of the Chase documentary, told Variety that Steve Martin turned down a request to be involved. She suggested that the reasons why certain stars, like Martin, chose not to participate – whether due to time constraints, personal reasons, or a desire to tell their own stories later – are fairly obvious.

Steve Martin probably won’t be archiving much personal material, considering his own documentary premiered on Apple TV in 2024. He’s also been involved in documentaries about other comedians, like Gene Wilder and John Candy.

In a 2019 interview with Nova FM’s Nathan, Nat and Shaun, Steve Martin, along with Martin Short, hinted at why he avoids discussing Chevy Chase. When asked about Chase, Martin explained their relationship with him like this:

We became friends when we both lived on the West Coast, but he was originally from the East Coast and had a large family there. I didn’t have any family at the time, so he kind of stepped into that role for me, but ultimately, the relationship didn’t last.

It seems Steve Martin and Chevy Chase aren’t particularly close friends or frequent collaborators, but they don’t have any bad blood between them either. Martin actually shared a warm memory of a prank Chase pulled on people while filming ¡Three Amigos!, suggesting there were good times. He just doesn’t think their experiences together are remarkable enough to document.

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2026-01-05 21:09