The Cast of ‘Community’ Isn’t Interested in That Chevy Chase Documentary

Chevy Chase is getting the documentary treatment that many comedians of his generation have received. Well, kinda. The film isn’t getting a big theatrical release. It won’t be premiering at Cannes with Chase in tow in a tux. There isn’t a streamer who has purchased a bunch of the actor’s films to make sure they are streaming when his doc is. Instead, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not will premiere on CNN on New Year’s Day because your parents likely don’t know how much of a jerk he is.

Mine didn’t, and I was genuinely surprised to learn that. One is almost 70, and the other is almost 72. They lived through Chase’s heyday. It’s because of them that I was fed a steady diet of his work throughout my youth. I assumed that, like many others, they had just accepted the fact that he was a prick and continued to enjoy National Lampoon’s Vacation regardless. Though, to be fair, they haven’t been bombarded with a deluge of stories about his time on Community.

Chase’s career certainly took one of the biggest hits while he was making that show. His abhorrent behavior on set has come to dominate his career. It took what could have been a fun resurgence for the aging performer and turned it into something deeply disappointing and upsetting. Things were said that cannot be unsaid. He left the show, and things went on just fine without him. Just ask the cast! They’ll tell you how much of a nightmare he was. Well, maybe not anymore.

Director Marina Zenovich recently discussed some of the challenges in making a documentary about Chase. Ironically enough, Chase being his dickish self was helpful, as she didn’t have to skirt around any of those accusations. Instead, the difficulty came from not getting certain people to talk about him, and that includes the cast and creator of Community. She was disappointed yet understanding that the cast didn’t want to talk about their former co-worker.

“Every single person said no,” Zenovich revealed to Variety. “I ran into Dan Harmon at a screening of Deaf President Now! and I got his number. I was so excited. I thought it was going to happen but then he declined. I was so lucky to get Jay Chandrasekhar. He has such an amazing delivery and he was willing to go there. If Jay had said no, I would have been screwed.” Chandrasekhar directed several episodes of the show and provided some color to a particular incident on the show’s set.

I can’t say I blame the Community cast for not wanting to talk about Chase. They have moved on. Their careers have mostly skyrocketed since the show’s completion. There’s no reason for them to give him the time of day, especially as he tries to cling to a legacy that he thoroughly destroyed.