John Landis didn't have a lot of enthusiasm for Chevy Chase when casting Animal House, and made sure to dissuade him from signing onto the project.
Chase was in the middle of deciding whether to make "Animal House" or "Foul Play" alongside Goldie Hawn. With that in mind, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that Universal, the studio that funded the very first feature film for the folks at National Lampoon, wanted Chase in the movie. If he was going to get his way, and avoid putting an actor in the film he really didn't want to work with, he'd have to get clever. But when director John Landis was getting set to helm 1978 classic "Animal House," Chase was also arguably the biggest star in comedy at that time, and the breakout performer on "SNL" thanks to his dry humor and leading man good looks. [kind of a jerk](https://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/the-star-who-was-too-mean-to-succeed-chevy-chase/2218006/) and is often difficult to work with. He can play smug, and he can play charming; he can be a romantic lead, or a buffoon.
As reported in The Dish column, actor Chevy Chase dined out in Stamford and actress and Greenwich resident Deborah Goodrich Royce wrote another novel.
The event takes place in the Berkley Theater at the Greenwich Library. Anchoring The Village is Greenwich resident Brent Montgomery's Wheelhouse, launched in 2018 in partnership with TV personality Jimmy Kimmel. resident and actor Chevy Chase was spotted dining at The Wheel at The Village in Stamford with his wife Jayni and daughters last week celebrating his daughter Cydney's 40th birthday.
Fans of the "Vacation" franchise will recall that the movie is supposed to take place in Chicago, hence the decision to host Chase at a suburban chicken joint ...
While Chase may have been initially hesitant to take on the role of do-gooder Clark Griswold, in the end, the role even ended up having a positive effect on the actor. [the "Vacation" franchise's most famous film](https://www.slashfilm.com/1120552/the-cast-of-christmas-vacation-wore-cue-cards-for-chevy-chase-to-nail-his-holiday-meltdown-scene/) still a few years away from getting made. "I knew my career was going completely downhill in comparison to the effect I had in New York City with 'Saturday Night Live'" said Chase in de Semlyen's book. When Ramis wanted to cast him in "Vacation," Chase had reservations about what the role might do to his image. [welcomed the Chevy Chase](https://chicago.eater.com/2022/12/6/23490512/raising-canes-chevy-chase-christamas-vacation-photos-images-chicago) to its fine establishment in order to film a new commercial for the company. But before he made Hollywood holiday history, Chase was known for a very different breed of comedy, honing his comedic skills as part of the cast of "Saturday Night Live."