Chevy Chase plays piano at a loft party benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America, New York City
Photo by Frank Beacham
Chevy Chase is 78 years old today.
A comedian, writer, and television/ film actor, Chase was born into a prominent New York family and worked odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon.
He quickly became a key cast member in the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live, where his Weekend Update skit soon became a staple of the show.
Chase is also well known for his portrayal of the character, Clark Griswold, in four National Lampoon's Vacation films, and for his roles in other successful comedies such as Caddyshack (1980), Fletch (1985) and Three Amigos! (1986).
He has hosted the Academy Awards twice (1987 and 1988) and briefly had his own late-night talk show, The Chevy Chase Show.
In 2009, he began appearing as Pierce Hawthorne on the NBC comedy series, Community.
Chase played drums with the college band, The Leather Canary, headed by school friends, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Chase has called the group "a bad jazz band." Becker and Fagen later found their chops and founded the successful group, Steely Dan.
Chase has absolute pitch. He played drums and keyboards for a rock band, Chamaeleon Church, which recorded one album for MGM Records before disbanding in 1969.
Here, Chase does a classic scene the film, “Christmas Vacation” in 1989