Chevy Chase is funny, he’s gruff, he’s an enigma, he’s vulnerable, and he’s sometimes mean-spirited. He’s a person of opposites, seen as loving, dutiful and in need of protection by his family, seen as difficult and unkind by some of his co-workers. Or, seen as hilarious and wonderful by his legions of fans. The 2026 documentary I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not highlights every single one of these aspects, culminating in a moment where the comedian even snaps at the woman trying to understand him on camera. So, why did he sign up to be put under this spotlight, anyway?
Chase was interviewed for the release of his documentary, which also deep dives into stories from his past (lest he forget about cocaine in a shaving cream can), as well as follows him putzing around in the current day (which includes meetings with fans in flower shops and other places). Chase was asked about why he decided to allow a documentary crew into his home and personal life, and it turns out, he was familiar with director Marina Zenovich’s work before he said “yes.”
I really like it. I didn’t know if I wanted one or not. I just knew that I’d seen the one with Armstrong. I thought it was very good. All I could think of when we were doing mine was: What’s my problem? What have I cheated on? I thought about my life a little bit, which I tend to do, unlike others. I just thought, ‘I’ve not really done anything bad that’s worth filming.’
He's talking about the director's previous viral Lance Armstrong doc (Lance), which dove into the cyclists achievements and doping scandal, also highlighting ups and downs. In this case, that’s a totally Chevy comment if I’ve ever seen one. In his and Zenovich’s interview with The New York Times, he was both forthcoming and opaque at once, humorous but also quite possibly serious when he said he felt he’s been unproblematic through his career. In print, it’s even more difficult to tell where his brain's going with a given comment, but in the documentary too, he at times shows more self-awareness through his humor than at other times. Either way, Zenovich is good at chronicling this.
After the movie premiered, Marina Zenovich told reporters that Chase having to watch the documentary play out was a “tough,” particularly as it dove into the abuse he suffered as a kid. She said she felt the movie did a good job of “humanizing” Chevy, but told the Times that early on in the process she was struck by the dichotomy of fans versus coworkers. Another exchange with Chevy highlights this.
MARINA ZENOVICH: When the idea was brought to me, I thought, Ooh, Chevy Chase — that could be really interesting. I was a fan. But what was interesting was that when I would tell people that I was working on it, they wouldn’t really have nice things to say about him. That was kind of consistent.
To note, he heard her make the above comment and nearly immediately responded:
- CHASE: “Really?”
- ZENOVICH: "Yes.”
- CHASE: “I didn’t realize.”
Things were so difficult for Zenovich, she had trouble even landing anyone from Community who would discuss working with the actor, though director Jay Chandrasekhar eventually stepped in. His even-keeled accounting, along with Chevy’s, really helped to frame the actor’s exit from the NBC sitcom, as well as make the documentary better as a whole.
Ultimately, whether you are a fan or not, there’s so much to unpack in I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. I’d definitely recommend throwing it on with your HBO Max subscription if you haven’t given it a whirl yet.
