As the Hollywood saying goes, the show must go on!
Chevy Chase, the comic and Saturday Night Live pioneer, took the saying to heart Sunday. Despite being apparently ill, he showed up and performed at the show's 40th anniversary celebration in Rockerfeller Center.
During the television special, Chase was sweating profusely, panting and talking very slowly, as veteran NBC Entertainment correspondent Carson Daily charged on with questions about the show's legendary success. The actor blamed the red carpet frenzy for looking and sounding disheveled.
"I'm sorry if I am perspiring," Chase said as he took sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief mid-interview. "I just had to run through a gauntlet."
Chase, 71, is credited for being part of the original "SNL" cast in 1975, an eight-time host and the first cast member to be banned from the show.
Despite his explanation for looking and sounding fatigued, fans on Twitter did not bite that bait and quickly took to the social media platform to express their concerns.
Speculation on Twitter about Chase's poor health became the trending topic. Fans also questioned if he was on steroids or just coming down with the flu.
SNL's 40th anniversary event was a star-strutted gala, with attendees such as fellow "SNL" alumni Eddie Murphy and other Hollywood A-Listers, including Whoopi Goldberg and Tina Fey.