Chevy Chase was known for having difficult relationships with his co-stars and the creator of Community, Dan Harmon. With a documentary about Chase set to air in 2026, these issues are being revisited. While the documentary doesn’t cover his departure from the show, he recently explained his side of the story in a new interview when directly asked about it.
Tonight, CNN will premiere the documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not at 8 p.m. Eastern. Before the broadcast, Chevy Chase and the film’s director, Marina Zenovich, discussed the project and Chase’s career with the New York Times. The journalist questioned why the documentary seemingly avoids addressing Chase’s departure from the show Community. Chase responded by saying:
It wasn’t a bad experience. I just didn’t think it was that good, the show.
He recently shared that he didn’t enjoy his time working on Community, and his former co-stars, like Joel McHale and Allison Brie, have addressed those comments. It’s also widely known that he and the show’s creator, Dan Harmon, didn’t get along.
This story focuses on why Chevy Chase left the show. During the fourth season, he became unhappy with his character’s storyline and what he perceived as increasingly prejudiced writing, according to the New York Times. Director Jay Chandrasekhar, in his book I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, explained that a planned scene involving a blackface hand puppet triggered a major outburst and ultimately led to Chase’s departure. The documentary claims Chase had a breakdown and used a racial slur while discussing the issue.
Following this, he was no longer part of the show. The documentary touches on this, but the person involved didn’t directly address it. When gently pressed about why he left Community, Chase stated he “felt it ended well.” When asked to clarify, he responded by saying:
There was a significant misunderstanding of my words and intentions. I believed at least one person, and another surprisingly, didn’t understand me, didn’t know my background, or incorrectly assumed I held racist views. Perhaps their youth meant they weren’t familiar with my work, and they reacted with strong, immediate emotion instead.
This documentary revisits many challenges from Chase’s career. When it came to getting people from the show Community involved, the director faced a lot of resistance. She said everyone she approached refused to participate, and even Dan Harmon ultimately turned down her request.
The documentary also brought up Chase’s past interactions with his Saturday Night Live colleagues. He made some remarks about Terry Sweeney, who then publicly stated that Chase’s behavior was deeply regrettable.
Honestly, this whole situation feels like déjà vu, especially considering the buzz around the premiere of I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. Now that the documentary is out on CNN, I fully expect the conversation about Chevy Chase to really take off. And as more details emerge, I’ll definitely keep you all in the loop.
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2026-01-02 02:38