Chevy Chase Quotes

Powerful Chevy Chase for Daily Growth

About Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase, born Cornelius Crane Jr. on October 8, 1943, in New York City, is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, best known for his influential work in comedy and satire. His father, Edward Tinsley Chase II, was a prominent chemist at the National Bureau of Standards, while his mother, Cathalene Parker, was a homemaker. Chase's passion for humor was ignited early; he often entertained friends and family with impromptu skits. He attended Bates College in Maine but dropped out to pursue comedy. This decision led him to the National Lampoon magazine and later the legendary comedy troupe, National Lampoon. In 1975, Chase joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" (SNL), where he created unforgettable characters like Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and the "Vacation" family patriarch, Clark Griswold. His tenure on SNL laid a foundation for modern comedy and influenced a generation of comedians. Chase left SNL in 1976 but continued to star in blockbuster films like "Caddyshack," "Fletch," the "National Lampoon's Vacation" series, and "Spies Like Us." Despite his success, Chase struggled with addiction and mental health issues throughout his career. In 2015, Chase was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, recognizing his significant contributions to comedy and entertainment. His influence can still be felt in contemporary humor, making him an iconic figure in American satire.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm not much for self-analysis. I just do what I do."

This quote suggests that Chevy Chase is not overly introspective or analytical about himself, preferring instead to simply follow his instincts and actions, rather than spending time reflecting on their origins or implications. In other words, he focuses more on the 'doing' than the 'understanding why'.

"I've never really wanted to be a superstar. I just want to make people laugh."

Chevy Chase, in this quote, expresses his desire not to achieve celebrity status or superstardom for its own sake, but rather to entertain and make people laugh. This sentiment suggests a focus on the creative process and the enjoyment of making others happy through humor, rather than personal gain or recognition.

"You can't act your way out of a paper bag."

The quote by Chevy Chase, "You can't act your way out of a paper bag," suggests that no amount of acting skills or talent can save someone who lacks the essential qualities required for a particular role or situation. It emphasizes that without the necessary foundations (in this case, character or ability), even exceptional acting prowess may not be sufficient to overcome challenges or succeed in a given context.

"I'm not crazy about acting, it's exhausting. But I love making people laugh."

This quote by Chevy Chase suggests that he has a genuine passion for making people laugh, but he finds acting, specifically the process of it, to be tiring or exhausting. Despite this personal discomfort, his commitment lies in using acting as a means to elicit laughter from his audience.

"I don't think that anything I do is really that good, but I think that there's something to be said for sheer quantity."

Chevy Chase's quote suggests a self-deprecating view of his own work, acknowledging that he may not produce exceptional quality in everything he does, but emphasizes the importance of sheer volume or quantity in one's body of work. This perspective might imply that consistent output is valuable, even if not every piece is extraordinary, as it offers a larger platform for discovery and growth over time.

I was a young, new, hot star, and I had this unbelievable arrogance. As time went on, the strident narcissism and arrogance slowly diminished. But I was definitely there. I'm older now. And a big crybaby.

- Chevy Chase

New, Star, Big, Unbelievable

The fact was, Ford kept stumbling around. I didn't want him in the White House. I wanted Carter in, and I had a forum of 20 million people watching.

- Chevy Chase

Fact, Want, Stumbling, Ford

Parodies came about because Mr. Ford was actually one of the better athletes of our presidents... but he continually had physical accidents... he was an easy target for me. The main idea was to get people laughing.

- Chevy Chase

Idea, About, Presidents, Ford

I was very involved in political satire, and I'd been writing parody for 'Mad' and 'National Lampoon,' so I made up some strange story about Gerald Ford.

- Chevy Chase

Some, Been, Very, Ford

Anybody can reach anywhere from five to 15 million people weekly making a president look like an idiot, as I did back then, or Tina Fey did with Sarah Palin... You're always preaching to the choir one way or the other.

- Chevy Chase

Reach, Other, Anybody, Sarah

Laughter kills lonesome. It's one of the great things in our lives.

- Chevy Chase

Great Things, Things, Lives, Lonesome

All preconceptions when you laugh go out the window. Laughter kills it.

- Chevy Chase

Window, You, Go, Preconceptions

I was always the guy getting kicked out of my classes at school for having an attitude problem.

- Chevy Chase

Attitude, Always, Getting, Kicked

For one thing, you need a lot of self-confidence to be on the top of your field. There are times probably where I appear to be over-confident or arrogant. It's really in the eye of the beholder.

- Chevy Chase

Need, Arrogant, One Thing, Beholder

I tell the person I won't take a picture or sign the autograph, but I will shake their hand. That kind of personal touch is all they're really seeking.

- Chevy Chase

Kind, Will, Shake, Autograph

All those car battles with my brother Ned were excellent training. Even now, on the set, if we're getting into a vehicle, I'll yell 'shotgun' first. Thus forcing Steve Martin into the back of the car.

- Chevy Chase

Training, Back, Vehicle, Shotgun

The first thing that happens is that you're overwhelmed by so much attention. It's just so unnatural. Only people who've been in that position can realize what it's like. I mean, you have to be there.

- Chevy Chase

Like, Been, Unnatural, Much Attention

Who made me laugh when I was growing was Chaplin and the Marx Brothers, and then moving on, there were so many that I was a writer for for many years: I was a writer for the Smothers Brothers, Lily Tomlin, then I started on 'Saturday Night Live' as the head writer the first year we started it.

- Chevy Chase

Year, Saturday, Brothers, Chaplin

I watched every single Charlie Chaplin film.

- Chevy Chase

Single, Film, Watched, Chaplin

It's about timing and rhythm. But who could be better than Chaplin or Keaton?

- Chevy Chase

Timing, Better, Could, Chaplin

Chaplin was my idol. I remember watching those movies at this little theater in Woodstock, N.Y., when I was probably 6 and laughing so hard at the surprises, like Keaton suddenly being dragged by a streetcar.

- Chevy Chase

Watching, I Remember, Idol, Chaplin

We never could have performed live for an hour and a half every week if we were doing drugs.

- Chevy Chase

Doing, Week, Half, Hour And A Half

They can't make any of these talented young actors Fletch. You might as well make a movie called Chevy Chase.

- Chevy Chase

Young, Movie, Chevy, Young Actors

With Clinton, there's no question that I would have made fun of his out-and-out lying. But he's also a good friend.

- Chevy Chase

Question, Made, No Question, Good Friend

I really love making movies. I just have this yearning in my stomach to go back and somehow subversively screw up television a little bit again.

- Chevy Chase

Love, Making, Making Movies, Screw

What interests me is being alive and being with friends that I care about and being as creative as I can given circumstance.

- Chevy Chase

Alive, About, Given, Circumstance

I guess I look so straight and normal, nobody expects me to pick my nose and fall.

- Chevy Chase

Look, Nose, Normal, Expects

Most of the films I've done were ruined in the postproduction, not during filming.

- Chevy Chase

Most, Films, Filming, Ruined

I would love to do a movie with Albert Brooks; we're so different, but I find him so funny, and I can be just as seemingly narcissistic as he comes off, the 'it's all about me' kind of thing.

- Chevy Chase

Love, Movie, About, Narcissistic

Frank Capra's grandson was a second Assistant Director on 'Christmas Vacation.'

- Chevy Chase

Director, Frank, Grandson, Vacation

You can't observe as much if you're observed by others.

- Chevy Chase

You, Observe, Much, Observed

What's funny is funny. The same thing that made you laugh a hundred years ago makes you laugh now.

- Chevy Chase

Made, Same Thing, Hundred, Hundred Years

Nobody prepares you for what happens when you get famous, and I didn't handle it well.

- Chevy Chase

Famous, Well, Get, Prepares

You may have read that I went to M.I.T. In 1982 I filled out a Who's Who survey with joking responses, and they never bothered to check the facts.

- Chevy Chase

May, Read, Filled, Joking

Yes, I've seen Louis CK. I wouldn't in any way make a degrading remark about Louis CK, but the question is do I think anyone is funny? And the answer is not too many people. He might fit right in there.

- Chevy Chase

I Think, About, Remark, Too Many People

If what you do in life is perform to open up eyes and minds, to make people laugh, then it better damn well be new! It shouldn't be just a repetitious 'Hey, I'm still here!'

- Chevy Chase

New, Here, Still, Hey

My father was the funniest guy I ever met. I'm not sure if I stole his stuff or if I inherited it.

- Chevy Chase

Father, Sure, Funniest, Stole

When you stop to realize that Abraham Lincoln was probably never seen by more than 400 people in a single evening, and that I can enter over 40 million homes in a single evening due to the power of television, you have to admit the situation is not normal.

- Chevy Chase

Admit, I Can, Seen, None

Once I got married and had kids, I moved away from romantic roles, because it seemed wrong to have my three-year-old wondering why Daddy was kissing someone else.

- Chevy Chase

Away, Seemed, Moved, Wondering

I'd never be tied down for five years interviewing TV personalities.

- Chevy Chase

Never, Interviewing, Tied, Personalities

I turned down 'American Gigolo.' There are many films - like 'Ghostbusters' - that I turned down... The first one I did was 'Foul Play' with Goldie Hawn, but I turned down 'Animal House' - I turned that down.

- Chevy Chase

Play, Films, Turned, Gigolo

The idea of trying to write sketches the same way we did on Saturday Night Live every day would be damn near impossible.

- Chevy Chase

Every Day, Saturday, Idea, Sketches

Every Vacation movie didn't just make the studio money. They each made the studio a lot of money.

- Chevy Chase

Movie, Studio, Lot, Vacation

Comparing 'Christmas Vacation' to 'It's A Wonderful Life' is the silliest thing. That film starred the greatest movie actor of all time, and the idea that our movie could ever be connected in some fashion to something so brilliant and beautiful always made feel like, 'That's all they had to write about?'

- Chevy Chase

Some, Movie, Idea, Vacation

Any good actor has to have a good sense of humour, too; they have to be able to manipulate people.

- Chevy Chase

Actor, Too, Good Sense, Manipulate

There's no vacation from being a parent.

- Chevy Chase

Parent, Being, Vacation

I come from a much freer kind of performance thing, where I rely on my own improv and my own sense of humor.

- Chevy Chase

Sense Of Humor, Kind, My Own, Freer

Be Funny. Be naturally funny. If you're not, get out of the business. Be compassionate.

- Chevy Chase

Business, Get, Naturally, Compassionate

It's so important, people laughing.

- Chevy Chase

People, Important, Laughing, Important People

'Weekend Update' can be presented as a full 20-minute sketch, and there's a lot of room there.

- Chevy Chase

Weekend, Update, Lot, Presented

I've usually had two styles: the Fletch character and the Clark Griswold character.

- Chevy Chase

Character, Had, Styles, Clark

It's never a good idea for a celebrity to sign autographs or take pictures if a crowd is gathering.

- Chevy Chase

Celebrity, Crowd, Idea, Gathering

If you're in the White House, it's your house, and you can invite whatever friend you want.

- Chevy Chase

Friend, White, Want, White House

All my children inherited perfect pitch.

- Chevy Chase

Funny, Children, Perfect, Inherited

Anyone who wants to run has to be a Jimmy Swaggart, minus the default.

- Chevy Chase

Minus, Default, Anyone, Jimmy

To me, talk shows are those things during the middle of the afternoon where the underbelly of society is made to look like Middle America.

- Chevy Chase

Middle, Like, Made, Talk Shows

I think the Clintons are brilliant. I've never met a person as intelligent as Bill, and I think Hillary is right up there with him. They're too smart for Washington.

- Chevy Chase

Think, Brilliant, I Think, Hillary

It's incredible. Twenty-three minutes on the air, and I've got to shoot for twelve, fifteen hours a day. What the hell's that?

- Chevy Chase

Hours, Minutes, Fifteen, Shoot

Avoid fatty foods, Bensonhurst, and hair care products.

- Chevy Chase

Hair, Avoid, Foods, Fatty

I did comedy and parody television in the '70s. I was a liberal Democrat, and it was a very heady year.

- Chevy Chase

Democrat, Very, Heady, Parody

Break as few bones as possible and make as much noise as you can.

- Chevy Chase

Bones, Break, Few, Noise

Television doesn't make stars. It's the written media, the press, that makes stars.

- Chevy Chase

Stars, Television, Makes, Press

Parrots make great pets. They have more personality than goldfish.

- Chevy Chase

Funny, Personality, Pets, Goldfish

A laugh is a surprise. And all humor is physical. I was always athletic, so that came naturally to me.

- Chevy Chase

Humor, Surprise, Always, Athletic

It was pretty clear that I was a funny guy, just as a guy.

- Chevy Chase

Pretty, Clear, Guy, Funny Guy

I think I need to be taken away, dropped in some territory with just a lot of loud guys.

- Chevy Chase

Think, Some, Loud, Territory

Anything I have blown a lot of money on? Well, I have three daughters and a wife - that's four women, and I'm working on a sitcom, so you could say that I am just trying to stay alive!

- Chevy Chase

Alive, Three, Anything, Sitcom

The raising of an eyebrow, how you do it; when you look, how you look. All those little things are physical.

- Chevy Chase

Little Things, Look, Raising, Eyebrow

Ideally, I'd like to go right back to getting $7 million a picture and being the headliner. That's probably not going to happen.

- Chevy Chase

Happen, Like, Going, Million

I'm a New Yorker, and I live in the country.

- Chevy Chase

New, Country, New Yorker, Yorker

I learned a lot about handling fans from established stars.

- Chevy Chase

Established, Lot, Learned, Handling

I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not.

- Chevy Chase

You, Chase, Chevy

It seemed that my brother and I were always fighting in the back seat, and there was never any real reason for it.

- Chevy Chase

Reason, Always, Seemed, Real Reason

There was a whole slew of 'Cops and Robbersons,' just films that didn't measure up, that didn't stand for anything comedically. They were purely for a paycheck.

- Chevy Chase

Cops, Films, Purely, Paycheck

It wasn't as if I was simply some guy who had never seen the other side of the tracks.

- Chevy Chase

Some, Other, Side, Tracks

Live a life of grace. You'll be a better person for it, and so will your children.

- Chevy Chase

Better Person, Better, Will, Grace

I have three daughters. I wanted them to be raised where there are real seasons and where everyone their age wasn't trying to get into movies.

- Chevy Chase

Seasons, Everyone, Raised, Daughters

You could knock my teeth out and break my nose, and there'd be something funny about it to me.

- Chevy Chase

Nose, Knock, Break, Teeth

I've always loved the 'Weekend Update' people.

- Chevy Chase

Loved, Weekend, Always, Update

It took me 20 years of making movies to learn how to do it.

- Chevy Chase

Movies, How, Took, Making Movies

I prefer movies because the money is better and certainly because you really know where you stand when you are making movies, and I have made a lot of them: 50-something - I don't know.

- Chevy Chase

Making, Certainly, Prefer, Making Movies

I have been asked to direct many times and usually said no.

- Chevy Chase

Been, Times, Direct, Asked

Let's not call physical comedy falling down and pratfalls. All humor is physical, no matter how you dish it out. It's timing, like a dancer or an athlete would have.

- Chevy Chase

Athlete, Falling, Like, Physical Comedy

Damn, I had some great moves. I still have them; I'm just not using them at home a lot.

- Chevy Chase

Some, Still, Using, Moves

Fame is a very unnatural human condition.

- Chevy Chase

Condition, Very, Unnatural, Human Condition

Last good pratfall I did, I broke bones in both hands. I still feel it when people shake my hand.

- Chevy Chase

Hands, Broke, Still, Bones

Thank God I have the right friends.

- Chevy Chase

God, Right, Thank, Thank God

It's not like I am working with the great innovators of all time, but at the same time, they are my friends.

- Chevy Chase

Like, Same Time, Am, Innovators

I've been too funny in my life to have to play a character who's... moderately funny.

- Chevy Chase

My Life, Play, Been, Moderately

I did very well when I was younger, and I am fine.

- Chevy Chase

I Am, Fine, Very, Younger

The best advice I can give you about falling is to never land.

- Chevy Chase

Never, Give, Falling, Land

If you get 'hot,' everyone's nice to you.

- Chevy Chase

You, Everyone, Get, Hot

When I saw 'Caddyshack,' I realized I couldn't act.

- Chevy Chase

Act, Saw, Realized

I turned down 'Forrest Gump.'

- Chevy Chase

Down, Turned

It will eventually be discovered that the more you sleep, the healthier you are. Which means you'll really be at your healthiest when you pass away.

- Chevy Chase

Discovered, Which, Means, Eventually

There are very few solid family films. A lot of the writing is awful.

- Chevy Chase

Very, Lot, Films, Solid

I just went into this business for laughs. I guess I don't mind being an actor so much now.

- Chevy Chase

Business, Mind, Being, Laughs

In this business, you can come and go in a second.

- Chevy Chase

Business, Go, Come, Second

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