Titled I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, the 97-minute film premiered Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. From his Saturday Night Live beginnings to a string of classic comedies, Chevy Chase has always had huge comedic range. He is also a complex and contradictory human being. Featuring revealing interviews with those closest to him, this documentary digs into the talent, flaws, and humanity that shaped an icon.
In the days leading up to its release, the film drew attention for revisiting an SNL-era dispute involving Terry Sweeney and for prompting a public statement from former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown.
The film is directed by Marina Zenovich, an Emmy-winning documentarian known for high-profile celebrity portraits, including Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired and Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. Zenovich’s approach typically blends first-person interviews with archival material and third-party accounts, and early descriptions suggest a similar structure here.
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not features interviews with Chase, members of his family, and a range of colleagues who worked with him over the course of his decades-long career. The documentary traces Chase’s rise as one of the most recognizable comedy stars of the 1970s and 1980s, from Saturday Night Live and National Lampoon to major film successes like Caddyshack and National Lampoon’s Vacation.
The film also revisits Chase’s later career and the reputation he developed behind the scenes, including long-standing claims from former collaborators who have described him as difficult or confrontational to work with. Several of those accounts have circulated publicly for years, but the documentary places them alongside Chase’s own recollections and responses.
One of the most discussed segments of the film involves Terry Sweeney, who joined Saturday Night Live during the 1985–86 season as the show’s first openly gay cast member. The documentary revisits Sweeney’s account of an AIDS-related joke Chase allegedly proposed during that period. In the film, Zenovich recounts the incident to Chase, quoting from Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. According to Sweeney’s recollection, Chase suggested a sketch that mocked the AIDS epidemic and singled out Sweeney.
Chase disputes Sweeney’s version of events in the documentary and claims he does not remember the incident as described. In the film, he also makes an incorrect remark about Sweeney’s status, prompting Sweeney to respond publicly after the documentary’s details became known. Sweeney later told The Hollywood Reporter that he found Chase’s comments offensive and inaccurate.
The documentary has also prompted public reaction from Yvette Nicole Brown, Chase’s former Community co-star. Brown did not participate in the film, but addressed it directly on social media in the days leading up to its premiere.
In a statement posted on Threads and later shared on Instagram, Brown criticized unnamed individuals for speaking “for” or “about” her without consulting her directly. She emphasized that people claiming to have insight into her experiences were doing so without her consent or involvement, and asked that her name not be used in connection with the documentary.
Brown added that she would not be offering further comment on the situation and described the renewed discussion as “beneath” her. Her remarks followed reports that the documentary revisits Chase’s firing from Community, which stemmed from a series of on-set conflicts, including an incident involving racial language.
Although none of Chase’s Community co-stars appear in the documentary, the show figures prominently in the narrative. Director Jay Chandrasekhar, who worked on the series, appears in the film and recounts the events surrounding Chase’s departure. According to Chandrasekhar’s account, tensions escalated during a production dispute involving a scripted storyline that Chase reportedly objected to. The documentary includes recollections of the aftermath, including Chase’s reaction and how production leadership handled the situation. Chase has previously acknowledged being unhappy with his character’s trajectory on Community, and the documentary presents his perspective alongside those of other participants.
Chase disputes Sweeney’s version of events in the documentary and claims he does not remember the incident as described. In the film, he also makes an incorrect remark about Sweeney’s status, prompting Sweeney to respond publicly after the documentary’s details became known. Sweeney later told The Hollywood Reporter that he found Chase’s comments offensive and inaccurate.
The documentary has also prompted public reaction from Yvette Nicole Brown, Chase’s former Community co-star. Brown did not participate in the film, but addressed it directly on social media in the days leading up to its premiere.
In a statement posted on Threads and later shared on Instagram, Brown criticized unnamed individuals for speaking “for” or “about” her without consulting her directly. She emphasized that people claiming to have insight into her experiences were doing so without her consent or involvement, and asked that her name not be used in connection with the documentary.
Brown added that she would not be offering further comment on the situation and described the renewed discussion as “beneath” her. Her remarks followed reports that the documentary revisits Chase’s firing from Community, which stemmed from a series of on-set conflicts, including an incident involving racial language.
Although none of Chase’s Community co-stars appear in the documentary, the show figures prominently in the narrative. Director Jay Chandrasekhar, who worked on the series, appears in the film and recounts the events surrounding Chase’s departure. According to Chandrasekhar’s account, tensions escalated during a production dispute involving a scripted storyline that Chase reportedly objected to. The documentary includes recollections of the aftermath, including Chase’s reaction and how production leadership handled the situation. Chase has previously acknowledged being unhappy with his character’s trajectory on Community, and the documentary presents his perspective alongside those of other participants.
The documentary was not a tribute to Chevy Chase, and I am not sure what I think of him after watching it. There are some touching moments with his wife and children, but then some of his comments are just horrible. I don't like him more but I don't hate him more either. I wish the documentary would have dug deeper. It skimmed the surface of why people who have worked with Chevy hate him so much. The documentary was good but compared to other ones of celebrities, this one left me wanting more...
MY RATING: 7 OUT OF 10
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