Chevy Chase thought career ended after meltdown | TV Shows

Chevy Chase thought his career was over due to his “full meltdown” on the set of Community amid his racial slur incident.

New particulars about the incident that led to the 82-year-old Hollywood legend’s exit from the hit NBC sitcom will likely be explored in a new documentary, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which is set to premiere on January 1 at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST on GWN.

The new, approved documentary about the SNL alum options director Jay Chandrasekhar reflecting on witnessing the 2012 incident, in which Chase used the N-word, and the on-set “meltdown” that got here after it was leaked.

The 57-year-old directed a number of episodes of the show and recalled that he “was there, directing, the night that Chevy Chase got fired from Community.”

Chandrasekhar said the scenario got here about from a storyline involving a controversial “blackface” hand puppet bit written for Chase’s character, Pierce Hawthorne.

During rehearsals, Chase allegedly “said something” to costar Yvette Nicole Brown. However, Chandrasekhar said he didn’t hear precisely what was said at the time.

At the time, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Chase was “frustrated” with the direction his character was going and used the N-word “when questioning the dialogue.”

In their report, THR clarified that while stars Donald Glover and Brown, 54, who are both Black, had been current on set for the scene and incident, “The slur was not directed at them.”

In the upcoming documentary, Chandrasekhar recalled, “I know that there was a history between [Chevy and Yvette] around race, and she got up and stormed out of there.

“Chevy storms off, so the producer is like, ‘We need Yvette in the scene, proper?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, she’s in the next scene.’ And he goes, ‘Well, she will not come out unless Chevy apologizes to her.'”

Chandrasekhar went on to claim that Chase then returned to the set but “did not say something.”

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Chandrasekhar recounted his and Chase’s subsequent conversation, referencing the late stand-up comedian and actor, Richard Pryor, who died in 2005.

The director said, “[Chase] goes, ‘You know, me and Richard Pryor, I used to call Richard Pryor the N-word, and he used to call me The Honky, and we liked each other.’ And I’m like, ‘I do know, man, I really like that bit.’ I said, ‘You know, can we just have a little apology?’ He goes, ‘For what?'”

After filming finished that day, Chandrasekhar said someone leaked that there was a “racial incident” on set to THR. What resulted was Chase’s “full meltdown,” which occurred once the cast returned to set following the leak.

Chandrasekhar said Chevy came “storming onto the set, and he goes, ‘Who f–ked me over?’ … ‘My career is ruined! I’m ruined!’ Like, it is a full meltdown. ‘F–k all of you!'”

The director added, “And I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s shoot the scene.’ He never ended up coming back after that.”

Following the 2012 incident, showrunners halted production, and Chase was later reportedly forced to issue an apology, according to People.

Chase ultimately left Community after Season 4, which aired in 2013, despite briefly returning for one episode in 2014.

The National Lampoon’s Vacation star’s exit came not only after the incident, but also a very public feud with creator Dan Harmon over creative and on-set fighting, which is also explored in the new documentary.

“It was out in the open that Chevy Chase was a little tough on Community, and I’m being good. People had been speaking about it, enough that Dan did that factor at the wrap occasion,” Chandrasekhar added, referring to when Harmon, 52, got party guests to say, “F–k you, Chevy!”

The second led to the notorious leaked voicemail the comic left for the show creator.