Chevy Chase was one of the first stars of Saturday Night Live, and he was one of the first cast members to leave the show in pursuit of a movie career.

Looking back on his decision 50 years later, Chase admits he should have thought twice before abandoning TV for the big screen when he did. “It was a mistake to leave SNL,” Chase says in the trailer for I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, a new CNN documentary about the comedian’s life (via EW).

Given the National Lampoon’s Vacation and Fletch star’s sardonic tendencies, it’s hard to tell from the clip how serious he is being in his declaration.

History records that Chase exited SNL in the middle of season 2 amid rising tensions between himself and his fellow cast members, John Belushi in particular. The tense atmosphere was allegedly fueled by Chase’s breakout stardom, which fostered resentment among the other Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

Substance abuse may have further contributed to deteriorating relations between various members of the original SNL cast.

Chase later made it seem that these tensions were not the real reason he left the show just halfway into the second season, telling David Letterman back in 2007 that he quit SNL to move to Los Angeles and be with his fiancée at the time, Jacqueline Carlin.

Chase now saying it was a mistake to leave SNL requires further context to fully understand, and CNN’s documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not presumably will fill out the story with more remarks from Chase when it premieres on January 1, 2026.

In addition to Chase himself, the documentary boasts appearances by many famous stars, including Chase’s fellow actors Goldie Hawn, Dan Aykroyd, and Martin Short, and SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

Chase’s post-SNL career got off to a hot start with a Golden Globe nomination for his performance alongside Hawn in 1978’s Foul Play. He began a run of classic comedies with 1980’s Caddyshack, in which he starred alongside Bill Murray, the man who replaced him on SNL.

Chase went on to become one of the ’80s biggest stars thanks to movies like the aforementioned National Lampoon’s Vacation and Fletch, along with Spies Like Us, which co-starred him with fellow original SNL player Aykroyd, and Three Amigos, which teamed him with Steve Martin and the previously-mentioned Short.

The Clark Griswold actor returned to host SNL multiple times over the years, but was banned from the show after allegedly being abusive toward other cast members during his 1997 hosting appearance. Though he has not hosted again since that ban was imposed, Chase has made small SNL appearances over the years, and was present for the show’s 40th and 50th anniversary specials.