Cory Michael Smithhad some big shoes to fill with his latest role.

I have loved Chevy Chase since I was a kid.

Hes one of my favorite comedic actors, he toldPeople.

Cory Michael Smith in character as Chevy Chase on the set of ‘Saturday Night’; a black-and-white portrait of young Chevy Chase smiling

Cory Michael Smith discusses his portrayal of Chevy Chase in ‘Saturday Night’.Sony/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

So I really dove in, and for about two months I would only let myself watch Chevy Chase.

A still of the cast of ‘Saturday Night’; a red carpet photo of Dan Aykroyd

Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin and Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase inSaturday Night(2024). (Hopper Stone/Sony Pictures Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection)