Terry Sweeney, Saturday Night Live’s first openly gay cast member, is revisiting painful chapter from his time on the NBC sketch series following the release of CNN’s upcoming documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, which premieres January 1. In the film, Sweeney reflects on a long-standing feud with Chevy Chase (National Lampoon’s Vacation, Caddyshack), stemming from a proposed AIDS-related joke during Sweeney’s 1985–86 season on SNL, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Directed by Marina Zenovich (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind), the documentary revisits Chase’s history of off-screen controversies. Zenovich recalls an incident in which Chase allegedly suggested a recurring sketch that would mock Sweeney’s sexuality and the AIDS epidemic remarks that landed particularly harshly during a period when the crisis was devastating LGBTQ+ communities worldwide, The Hollywood Reporter notes.
SNL creator Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock) addresses the moment in the film, framing it as an example of Chase’s unchecked comedic boundaries. Chase himself disputes Sweeney’s recollection, even claiming he believed Sweeney was no longer alive a comment that prompted a sharp response from Sweeney, who called Chase’s behavior “rotten” in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
As stated by the Hollywood Reporter, the documentary has also sparked backlash from other figures connected to Chase’s career. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown (Community, Inside Out Two) publicly distanced herself from the project, criticizing its handling of past allegations involving Chase during his time on Community.
Drawing from Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, the film revisits Chase’s strained relationships with colleagues and the lasting impact of his behavior. For Sweeney (Saturday Night Live, Shameless), the documentary offers less closure than confirmation, reinforcing a legacy that, in his view, reflects more on Chase’s conduct than on comedy culture itself, The Hollywood Reporter reports.