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'SNL' alums on backstage fight between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase: 'The testosterone was surging'

Saturday Night Live alums Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman appeared Thursday on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, where they spoke about witnessing the backstage fight between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase in 1978. Chase had returned to host the show, despite leaving on less than ideal terms. Following a tense week, Murray reportedly quipped about Chase’s rocky marriage with Jacqueline Carlin, and Chase came back with a comment about Murray’s appearance. This would later turn into a physical altercation in John Belushi’s dressing room just before the show was set to air.

“I think Jane and I — and Gilda — both witnessed it,” Newman said, referring to their late cohort Gilda Radner. “But, you know, it was very sad and painful and awful.”

“It was that sad kind of tension that you would get in a family,” Curtin added, “and everybody goes to their corners because they don't want to have to deal with the tension, and it was uncomfortable. You could understand, you know, there were these two bull mooses [sic] going at each other, so the testosterone was surging and stuff happens.”

As Newman touched on what Murray and Chase said to each other, Cohen pointed out that the two were still able to work together on Caddyshack, which opened in 1980.

“I think they both knew the one thing that they could say to one another that would hurt the most,” Newman said, “and that's what I think incited it.” “And by the way,” Cohen said, “and then they went and filmed Caddyshack right after, so what can I tell you? Everything worked out.”

The long-running feud between Murray and Chase eventually fizzled, and the two buried the hatchet.

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen airs Sunday-Thursday on Bravo.

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