Chase is considered an American comedy icon, and rightly so.
With a diverse comedy-acting career spanning over 40 years, including theater, radio, television, music, and movies, he has had the opportunity and time to accrue a fairly massive net worth.
With an estimated net worth of between $50-$60 million, it seems that Chase has made a financial fortune out of comedy.
In this article, we will delve into his life, career, and earnings of Chase to reveal just how he managed to make his wealth.
Contents
Biography
Cornelius Crane “Chevy” Chase was born on October 8, 1943, in Lower Manhatten, New York.
Born to an upper-middle-class New York family, Chase is 1 of 5 siblings. Chase’s parents divorced when he was only four years old; his father soon remarried into the famed Folgers family, and his mother was remarried twice.
Chase attended Bard College in New York and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Before his comedy career, Chase’s many jobs included truck driver, cab driver, construction worker, busboy, motorcycle messenger, waiter, fruit picker, produce manager in a supermarket, theatre usher, salesman in a wine store, and audio engineer.
Early Career
Chase’s early comedy career began with an ensemble underground comedy troupe called ‘Channel One, which he co-founded in 1967. He also wrote for Spoof magazines around this time.
In 1973 Chase moved into full-time comedy when he became a writer and cast member of The National Lampoon Radio Hour. The show also starred Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Brian Doyle-Murray.
In 1975 Chase became an original cast member of the late-night comedy TV show ‘Saturday Night Live, which became a huge success.
In 1976 Chase moved into movies with ‘Tunnel Vision’, the box office hit ‘Foul Play, and ‘Oh! Heavenly Dog’.
In 1980 Chase starred in the comedy ‘Caddyshack.’ That same year, he reunited with ‘Foul Play’ co-star Goldie Hawn for ‘Seems Like Old Times and brought out his self-titled album with cover songs of Bob Marley, Randy Newman, and many more.
Throughout the 80’s, Chase had great success in movies, including comedy classics like ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation, ‘Fletch’ and the ‘Three Amigos.’ Chase also starred in Paul Simon’s second music video for ‘You can call me Al’ in 1986.
In the ’90s, Chase made some of his most financially lucrative films, 1992’s ‘Memoirs of an Invisible Man and 1994’s ‘Cops & Robbersons.’ They were critically panned and box office failures, but as an actor, his role’s in the films were some of the most of his career.
During the 2000s, Chase acted in several TV series, including ‘Law and Order, ‘Brothers and Sisters, ‘Chuck’ and ‘Family Guy.
From 2009-2014 Chase starred in the popular sitcom ‘Community’ created by Dan Harmon and starring Donald Glover.
General Info about Chevy Chase:
- Name- Cornelius Crane Chase
- Professional name- Chevy Chase
- Date of Birth- October 8, 1943
- Age- 77
- Place of Birth- Lower Manhatten, New York
- Nationality- American
- Height- 6ft 4inches (1.9m)
- Weight- 200lbs (90kgs)
- Wives- Suzanne Chase (Married 1973–1976), Jacqueline Carlin (Married 1976–1980), Jayni Chase (Married 1982-present).
- Children- 4
- Hair Color- Grey/white
- Eye Color- Dark brown
- Horoscope- Libra
- Chevy Chase Net Worth- $50-$60 million
Contributors to Chevy Chase’s Net Worth
- Television
- Movies
- Endorsements
Television
When first starting on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Chase was reportedly on $750 per week, the equivalent to around 3,700 dollars per week today. An excellent starting salary for a new job, which undoubtedly increased with popularity.
In late 1976 Chase left Saturday Night Live for other career opportunities but returned for one-off specials from time to time that would most definitely boost his income.
In 2009 Chase joined the cast of ‘Community,’ a hit sitcom that he starred in until 2014. It was reported that cast members earned around $30,000 per episode in a 25-episode season, and as Chase is one of the most famous cast members, his salary was likely considerably higher. That would mean a conservative figure of around $2.5 million over three seasons.
Movies
Once Chase moved into films in the late ’70s, his earnings increased again.
He made some popular films in the late ’70s including, ‘Tunnel Vision’, ‘Foul Play, ‘Oh! Heavenly Dog’ and the ‘Caddyshack’.
At the height of his movie earning career, which took place between the ’80s and ’90s, with films such as ‘National Lampoon Vacation,’ ‘Fletch,’ ‘Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and ‘Cops and Robbersons,’ Chase would earn between $2-6 Million per film.
Endorsements
Chase has also brought in added revenue by endorsing popular brands.
- Cola Turka
- Aflac
- Doritos
All bringing great income, especially Doritos, where the advertisement consists of Chase being lampooned for his poorly rated and prematurely cut TV chat show ‘The Chevy Chase Show’ that aired around the time.
Closing Thoughts on The Net Worth of Chevy Chase
Although at times unpredictable, Chase has forged a career in comedy that has been financially successful.
His career has faltered over the years through personal issues, changing times in comedy, and interpersonal industry issues. When he is in the zone and entirely in the limelight, he maximizes these financial opportunities and has boosted his fortune these times. His ability to maintain his wealth in non-limelight or work years is more impressive than that.
He is a talented, multi-skilled artist that will never be ready to retire or be seen as outdated. While holding on to that motivation in later years, he will continue to reinvent himself and inspire others to follow his lead and keep driving, increasing wealth for his family and impacting the industry as a true icon should. Big up to you, Chevy!
Img src: Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images
