A new documentary sheds light on the health struggles of comedian Chevy Chase, who faced a life-threatening situation during the pandemic. Titled “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” the film reveals that the now 82-year-old actor was put into a coma for approximately eight days following severe heart failure. This documentary premiered on January 1, 2024, on CNN.
In 2021, Chase was hospitalized for five weeks due to undisclosed heart issues. His daughter, Caley Chase, recounts in the documentary, “He has basically come back from the dead. He had heart failure.” The situation escalated when Chase’s heart stopped, prompting his wife, Jayni Chase, to take him to the emergency room. “Something was wrong, and he couldn’t explain to me what was wrong,” she explained.
Doctors diagnosed Chase with cardiomyopathy, a chronic condition where the heart muscles weaken, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood effectively. Longtime friend Peter Aaron noted the severity of Chase’s condition, stating, “They decided to put him into a coma for maybe eight days. That’s pretty rough on the body.”
The family received a sobering prognosis from the medical team. “The doctor had warned us: ‘We might not get him back. We don’t know how present he’ll be. Prepare yourselves for the worst,’” Caley recalled. When Chase eventually awoke, he struggled to regain his bearings, only able to communicate through his voice. A moment of levity emerged when he humorously responded to a nurse’s actions with, “That’s what she said.”
Recovery was not instantaneous. Aaron described how it took time for Chase to “reorient himself” after the coma. He faced some cognitive challenges and engaged in activities like playing cards and chess to help regain his mental acuity. In a statement to the press in 2021, Chase expressed gratitude for his recovery, saying, “I’m feeling good… A heart issue. So, for now, I’m around the house. Not going anywhere.”
The documentary also touches on the impact of Chase’s health on his memory. “I feel like his memory gaps come from that incident,” Aaron said. Chase himself acknowledged the effects, stating, “According to the doctors, my memory would be shot from it. That’s what’s happened here.” Throughout the film, he confronts uncomfortable memories from his past, including disputes from his time on Saturday Night Live and Community. When asked about these moments, Chase admitted, “I don’t remember many of the incidents.”
Chase also expressed his feelings about being excluded from the SNL 50th anniversary special, describing the experience as “kind of upsetting.” He remarked, “This is probably the first time I’m saying it. But I expected that I would’ve been on the stage too with all the other actors.” He referred to a moment when fellow cast members Garrett Morris and Laraine Newman took the stage, expressing confusion about his absence. “I did bring it up once in a text to Lorne Michaels and then took it back. I said, ‘Okay, I take it back, silly.’ But it’s not that silly. Somebody’s made a bad mistake there. I don’t know who it was, but somebody made a mistake. They should’ve had me on that stage. It hurt.”
As the documentary unfolds, it paints a vivid picture of Chase’s resilience in the face of health challenges while also addressing the emotional aspects of his career and relationships.
Chase’s journey from near tragedy to recovery highlights not only his personal battles but also the universal themes of family support and the complexities of memory. As he continues to navigate the aftermath of his health crisis, fans and followers can look forward to his candid reflections in this revealing documentary.
