Chevy Chase Puts His Foot In His Mouth (Again) When Describing A Recent Run-In With Donald Glover

In a thoughtful examination of Chevy Chase’s life and career in The Washington Post today, Chase recalls to writer Geoff Edgers what happened when he ran into his former Community co-star Donald Glover backstage during last May’s season finale of SNL. And, not surprisingly, his description is very Chaseian. Which means that it’s extremely cringe-inducing.

Recall that after some incidents on the Community set which were racially charged, including Chase (jokingly?) saying to Glover that “people think you’re funnier because you’re black,” Glover criticized Chase in a New Yorker profile, saying that “I can’t help him if he’s thrashing in the water.”

So how did Chase describe their impromptu meeting in May? “I never saw a guy turn white so fast.”

Yup. Chevy just went there.

Edgers can’t quite parse out whether Chevy was joking, serious, or just clueless about the context of how he used that phrase. But we’re pretty sure Chevy knew what he was saying.

The profile goes on to talk about how Chevy has been sober for the past 18 months, and wants to work. But while other people his age are getting work in comedy, no one’s knocking Chase’s door down asking him to be in their projects. Perhaps it’s lines like the above that are the problem? Nah.

Another interesting anecdote is how, during his daughter’s wedding six years ago, he asked his friend and old boss, Lorne Michaels, for an opportunity to host SNL for the first time in since 1997. According to Chase, Michaels said no, citing the fact that Chevy was too old (he’s only a year older than Michaels). But Michaels had a much different take, one that feels more like something Chevy would do.

“They were literally waiting for him to walk [his daughter] Cydney down the aisle. And he said, ‘I’m ready to host again.’ All I was saying was, we have to stop this discussion now. You’re old and annoying,” Michaels told the Post. “This is a big moment in your life. I’m here for you. Danny [Aykroyd] is performing the ceremony. We’re your friends; we’re here. You’re walking your daughter down the aisle.”

Can’t you just see Chevy lobbying Lorne to host SNL right outside the doors of his daughter’s wedding? “Old and annoying” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, VanityFair.com, Playboy.com, Fast Company’s Co.Create and elsewhere.