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'Caddyshack' star Michael O'Keefe claims cocaine was budgeted on set, admits filming scenes high

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Bashian, L. (2026, October 4). 'Caddyshack' star Michael O'Keefe claims cocaine was budgeted on set, admits filming scenes high. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/caddyshack-star-michael-okeefe-candid-cocaine-use-iconic-comedy-filming

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Fox News · collected 2026-10-04 · by Lori Bashian
Content note This article describes suicide or self-harm.

Quick Summary

Michael O'Keefe, who starred in the 1980 comedy "Caddyshack," spoke to Page Six about the extensive drug use, particularly cocaine, on the film's set. He claimed that the drug was even budgeted under miscellaneous expenses and admitted to being high during some scenes. Reflecting on this period, O'Keefe expressed regret over his past actions and credited the death of co-writer Doug Kenney as a turning point in his decision to stop using cocaine.
Written by AI on 2026-10-04, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Michael O'Keefe, who played Danny Noonan in Caddyshack (1980), recently spoke candidly about cocaine use on set. He revealed that drugs were prevalent during the film’s production in 1979 and even budgeted under a miscellaneous item, reflecting the era's attitude toward substance abuse among actors. O'Keefe admitted to using cocaine before shooting scenes, an experience he now regrets upon reviewing his performances. Following Caddyshack, he quit drug use, attributing this decision partly to the death of co-writer and producer Doug Kenney, which served as a "huge wake-up call."

Written for “Cocaine Use in Caddyshack filmmaking” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Cocaine Use in Caddyshack filmmaking
Entertainment · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

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Claims extracted
19
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 19 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
Fox News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Entertainment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-04 · how these are computed

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Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Fox News · 6507 article(s) · 12 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 12 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Lori Bashian
55 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 "She asked if I could act, and I said, 'F- - - yeah, put me in your movie!'"
🔮 "She would admit it that she was judgy of myself and a few of my friends that went to this doctor and had these amazing results," Lake said.
🔮 Who cares?" and that he could walk away knowing he had "a great first showing."
🔮 "I know E.T. wanted to go home, but I hope that if the movie took place in 2024, that my favorite extra terrestrial would come to my party instead."
🔮 The sighting comes ahead of the actress' 63rd birthday on Nov. 5 and more than six years after she had a near-fatal stroke in May 2020 following an overdose on morphine, opiates and pain medication.
🔮 The 54-year-old actress said her lawyers had advised her not to say anything because of the ongoing legal matter, but added that she could say: "Not one day ever have I intended to hurt or frighten anyone a day in my life.
🔮 "Everyone was telling me, ‘Don’t go, your career will be over; you can’t step foot in there.’
🔮 Amy Grant is opening up about her relationship with her husband, Vince Gill, after over 20 years of marriage, saying he will always stand up for her.
🔮 While she is nervous, Glanville is hopeful the surgery will be a success, as facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Honrado, "comes highly recommended."
🔮 The kiss was enjoyed by both her and De Niro, with Stone telling Andy Cohen that when director, Martin Scorsese, asked if they wanted to film the scene again, "We both looked at him and went, 'Yeah, I think maybe we need one more.'" Sylvester Stallone
Also by Lori Bashian
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 55 articles by Lori Bashian →

Topics

Apple Hawaii Page Six Yahoo

Subjects

Kenney PERSON · 2× O'Keefe PERSON · 2× Page Six ORG · 2× Bill Murray PERSON · 1× Chevy Chase PERSON · 1× Doug Kenney PERSON · 1× Hawaii GPE · 1× Michael O'Keefe PERSON · 1× Rodney Dangerfield PERSON · 1× Ted Knight PERSON · 1×

Narrative

When reflecting on the drug use on set, O'Keefe recalled doing cocaine before filming certain scenes, telling Page Six that when he watches those scenes now, "it was not my favorite memory," and that he is "not too happy about them." "But I can report to you that right after that movie, during that movie, was the last time I ever did anything like cocaine," he said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-04
🔮 "As actors, we don't want to be pigeonholed, so while I was always glad to be in 'Caddyshack,' I sometimes wished that people would acknowledge my other work."

Claims (19 extracted, 0 hedged)

Michael O'Keefe is getting candid about what it was like on the set of the hit 1980 movie "Caddyshack." asserted
it → get → movie
During a recent interview with Page Six, the 71-year-old actor shared that there was a lot of cocaine on the set of the classic comedy and claimed the drug was even accounted for in the movie's budget, with the actor noting, "there was some miscellaneous item." "It was the 70s," he said. asserted
he → share → budget
"That’s what was happening back then. asserted
what → ’ → ?
People were just treating it like it was toothpaste, and you had to do it twice a day to stay healthy." asserted
you → treat → it
The movie was filmed in 1979 and released in 1980, and also starred Ted Knight, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield and was set at the fictional Bushwood Country Club. asserted
movie → film → Club
When reflecting on the drug use on set, O'Keefe recalled doing cocaine before filming certain scenes, telling Page Six that when he watches those scenes now, "it was not my favorite memory," and that he is "not too happy about them." "But I can report to you that right after that movie, during that movie, was the last time I ever did anything like cocaine," he said. asserted
he → reflect → cocaine
"I realized that it was a terrible thing to get involved [with], and like so many things in the drug world, it looked like fun, but in reality, it wasn’t." asserted
it → realize → reality
Part of the reason he decided to take a step back from drugs was the death of Doug Kenney, who co-wrote and produced "Caddyshack." asserted
who → decide → Caddyshack
He called Kenney's death "a huge wake-up call." asserted
He → call → death
Kenney died at 33 after falling from a cliff in Hawaii in 1980. asserted
Kenney → die → 1980
… Was strung out on cocaine, got depressed, and committed suicide," he said. asserted
he → string → suicide
"It was truly a result of drug addiction, and that was a huge wake-up call. asserted
that → wake → addiction
Prior to starring in "Caddyshack," O'Keefe had his breakthrough starring in "The Great Santini," which earned him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. asserted
which → star → actor
He later starred in "Ironweed," "Frozen River" and, most recently, the Apple TV series "Your Friends & Neighbors," in which he plays Ron Cooper, the father of Jon Hamm's Andrew "Coop" Cooper. asserted
he → star → Cooper
His most recognizable role remains Danny Noonan in "Caddyshack. asserted
role → remain → Caddyshack
"We always talk about how we got lucky young, and didn't know what we had," he told Yahoo in July 2020. asserted
he → talk → July
"As actors, we don't want to be pigeonholed, so while I was always glad to be in 'Caddyshack,' I sometimes wished that people would acknowledge my other work." asserted
people → want → work
He added: "But then I had this one experience with a wardrobe designer who told me that her father died of leukemia and for the last six weeks before his death, they would gather as a family and watch 'Caddyshack.' asserted
they → add → Caddyshack
That really changed my feelings about what the movie means to people and what it means to me to be a part of it." asserted
it → change → it
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