Chevy Chase Joins Chuck for Multiple Episodes (SPOILERS!)

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s news that Robert Picardo is joining Chuck for several episodes, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Chevy Chase is on board for at least three episodes. According to THR, Chase will play a technology mogul — a mega-billionaire in the new-media business — who is accused by Chuck’s father for stealing his ideas.

So if Chase is playing a mogul at odds with Chuck’s dad, who is Picardo playing? We’re in a speculating frenzy over in the forum; join us! (Note: you’ll have to register/login to see the spoilers & speculation section of the forum.)

UPDATED 01.15.09: Here’s the official press release from NBC:

COMEDY LEGEND CHEVY CHASE (‘NBC’S SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE,’ ‘CADDYSHACK’) TO GUEST-STAR AS ICONIC COMPUTER GENIUS IN MULTI-EPISODE ARC ON NBC’S ACTION-COMEDY SERIES ‘CHUCK’ THIS SPRING

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. – January 15, 2009 – Emmy Award-winning comedy legend Chevy Chase (“NBC’s Saturday Night Live,” “Caddyshack”) will guest-star as an iconic computer genius who may be more than he appears on NBC’s action-comedy series “Chuck” (Mondays, 8-9 p.m. ET) in a multi-episode arc scheduled for broadcast this spring.

In the action-comedy, Chase will play Ted Roark who is the founder and great mind behind Roark Instruments. Chuck (Zachary Levi) has looked up to Roark since he was a kid, and working at Roark Instruments is his dream. But perhaps there’s more to this company than just super cool computers, turtlenecks — and uberpositive employees.

One of the most honored and beloved actors of his generation, Chase first came to national prominence as a writer and performer with the original cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” for which he won two Emmys. Soon after endearing himself to television audiences, Hollywood beckoned and Chase made his feature-film debut in the comedy-thriller “Foul Play” with Goldie Hawn. His many memorable films include: “Caddyshack;” “Seems Like Old Times;” “National Lampoon’s Vacation;” “Fletch;” “National Lampoon’s European Vacation;” “Spies Like Us;” “The Three Amigos;” “Funny Farm;” Caddyshack II;” “Fletch Lives;” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation;” “Memoirs of an Invisible Man;” “Cops and Robbersons;” “Man of the House;” “Vegas Vacation;” “Snow Day”; “Ellie Parker” with Naomi Watts — and last year’s “Funny Money.”

In 1992, Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nation’s oldest undergraduate dramatic group, honored Chase as its “Man of the Year.”

Chase began his career in comedy as a writer and performer for Channel One, a local New York underground revue that satirized television. Channel One later became the basis for the film “The Groove Tube.” He has written for Lily Tomlin and the Smothers Brothers, and earned a Writers Guild of America Award for writing “Alan King’s Energy Crisis, Rising Prices and Assorted Vices” TV special. In addition, he won an Emmy Award for co-writing “The Paul Simon Special.”

In 2007, Chase received critical acclaim for his guest-starring role on NBC’s award-winning series “Law & Order.” He followed that return to the small screen with a two-episode guest-appearance on the series “Brothers and Sisters.”

Chase recently completed production on the feature film “Stay Cool” with Winona Ryder and Sean Astin, which is scheduled for release this year.

Just named as one of the top-10 shows on TV in TV Week’s Winter Critics Poll, “Chuck” is co-created and written by Josh Schwartz (“The O.C., “Gossip Girl”) and Chris Fedak, and is executive-produced by Schwartz, McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “We Are Marshall”), Chris Fedak and Scott Rosenbaum. “Chuck” is produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision, in association with Warner Bros. Television.