Chris Columbus Says He ‘Couldn’t Work’ With Chevy Chase On ‘Christmas Vacation’

The director of Alone at home says he almost directed another iconic holiday movie — National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – but ultimately left after a clash with the film’s star, actor Chevy Chase.

speaks to Vanity Fairsaid director Chris Columbus, who had already signed on to direct Christmas Holidaywhich was released in 1989, and had begun shooting when he first met Chase.

“I was signed up…and so I met Chevy Chase. Even given my situation at the time, when I desperately needed to make a movie, I realized I couldn’t work with the guy,” Columbus shared. “I was one of the many who could not work with him.”

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Columbus added that his first one-on-one meeting with the actor produced a bizarre interaction.

“He had to know that I directed the film. I talked about how I saw the film, how I wanted to make the film. He didn’t say anything. I spoke for about half an hour. He didn’t say a word,” Columbus said. “And then he stops and he says—and it makes no sense to any human on the planet, but I’m telling you. I probably never told this story. Forty minutes into the meeting he says, ‘Wait a minute. Are you the director?’ And I said, ‘Yeah… I’m directing the movie.’ And he said to me the most surreal, bizarre thing. I still haven’t been able to make any sense out of it. He said, ‘Oh, I thought you were a drummer.’ I said, ‘Uh, okay. Let’s start talking about the movie again.’ After about 30 seconds he said, ‘I have to go.’ ”

The two later met again, this time with the film’s producer, John Hughes, though Columbus said he was “basically non-existent” as the two exchanged stories.

“We spent two hours together and I left the dinner and I was like, ‘There’s no way I can make a movie with this guy,'” Columbus shared Vanity Fair. “First of all, he’s not engaged. He treats me like s—. I don’t need this. I’d rather not work again. I’d rather write… Who says that to anybody? It doesn’t give a damn meaning. So telling that story makes no sense, but it actually happened. I was like, are we supposed to work together? I’m going to be on set and he’s not listening.”

So Columbus called Hughes and said he was leaving the movie.

“I called John and I said, ‘This is really hard for me, but I can’t do this movie with Chevy Chase.'”

The move, it turned out, was serendipitous, ultimately leading Columbus to take on another holiday film project: Alone at home.

“I resigned Christmas Holiday. The next weekend I got another script from John – and that’s it Alone at home. Alone at homeTo me, it was even more personal, a better script,” Columbus said. “And I thought, I can really do something with this and I don’t have to deal with Chevy Chase.”

Chase has previously brushed off reports that he is difficult to work with, saying in a 2022 interview: “I am who I am. And I like… who I am. I don’t care. And it’s a part of me that I don’t care and I’ve thought about that a lot… I just don’t care.’