Chris Farley

Chris Farley (born February 15, 1964, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.—died December 18, 1997, Chicago, Illinois) was an American actor and comedian best known as a slapstick cast member (1990–95) on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL). He also appeared in several movies, including the cult classic Tommy Boy (1995).

Early life

Farley was one of five children born to Mary Anne (née Crosby) Farley, a homemaker, and Thomas Farley, Sr., an oil company executive. As a boy, Chris Farley was taunted about his weight, and he found a way to cope by making fun of himself, eventually becoming the class clown. Farley was inspired to go into comedy after seeing how much his father enjoyed the movie National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), starring John Belushi, whom Farley would go on to idolize. Farley would later say that the only person he was trying to make laugh was his dad.

Farley played high-school football and was named an all-city defensive lineman, but at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 metres) tall and 230 pounds (104 kg), he was not big enough to turn pro. However, his athleticism would become key to his comedy. In 1986 Farley earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre and communications from Marquette University. While there he also played rugby and took ballet classes.

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Saturday Night Live

After college Farley moved to Chicago, where he joined the cast of the Second City comedy troupe. He was discovered by SNL’s creator and executive director, Lorne Michaels. Farley became a cast member on the show in 1990, and his frenetic energy and physical comedy made him a fan favourite. The New Yorker called him:

the greatest physical comedian of his generation, a manic cannonball who could appear surprisingly athletic one moment and perilously ungainly the next, as likely to pull off a nifty cartwheel as he was to obliterate a piece of furniture.

Farley’s physical antics often played on his size, and he expressed concern that if he lost weight it could hurt his career.

Farley portrayed several memorable characters on SNL, such as Cindy, a salesclerk at the Gap; Andrew Giuliani, son of then New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; and U.S. Army Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. But his most famous character was a disheveled and cynical motivational speaker named Matt Foley, who lived “in a van down by the river.” As Foley, Farley wore glasses and a too-small plaid sports jacket while delivering over-the-top speeches. That skit, written by Bob Odenkirk, made its SNL debut in 1993 but was first performed by the duo at Second City. The character was named for a Roman Catholic priest who was Farley’s friend and rugby teammate in college.

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Another SNL highlight was from a 1990 episode in which Farley played an oversized dancer auditioning alongside guest host Patrick Swayze for a spot as a Chippendales exotic dancer. They performed to the tune of Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend,” and Farley displayed his comic timing as well as his surprising dance skills. Farley, who was shy and nervous off the set, channeled those character traits in sketches where he played a TV interviewer on The Chris Farley Show. Arguably the most famous of these appearances was a 1993 skit in which the starstruck Farley fidgeted through a self-flagellating and cringey conversation with Paul McCartney. At one point Farley asked the pop star, “Remember when you were with the Beatles?”

Despite playing such popular characters, Farley was fired from SNL in 1995. At the time the show was struggling in the ratings, and other cast members who were let go included Adam Sandler.

Movies: Billy Madison and Tommy Boy

By the time he left SNL, Farley had already appeared in a number of films, many of which starred other comedians from the show. In 1992 he made his film debut, cast in a minor role in Wayne’s World, which was inspired by an SNL skit. More small parts followed in such comedies as Coneheads (1993), Airheads (1994), and Billy Madison (1995); the latter two films starred Sandler. In 1995 Farley starred with David Spade in Tommy Boy, which depicted the real-life rapport between the two best friends. The film received mixed reviews but became a cult classic. The two comedians then appeared in Black Sheep (1996), about a political aide (Spade) who must babysit a candidate’s bumbling brother (Farley). Farley made two more films, Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), a martial arts comedy, and Almost Heroes (1998), about 19th-century explorers. He was also cast to voice the title role in the animated movie Shrek (2001). Farley did some recordings for the film but died before it was completed; Mike Myers replaced him.

Other activities and death

A practicing Roman Catholic, Farley attended mass regularly. In addition, he frequently engaged in charitable endeavours. He notably volunteered at soup kitchens, visited nursing home residents and sick children in hospitals, and spent time with homeless people.

Farley struggled with addiction for a number of years, and on December 18, 1997, he died from an overdose of opiates and cocaine. His career arc strikingly echoed that of his idol, Belushi—both comedians starred on SNL and died of drug overdoses at the age of 33. In tribute to his friend, Sandler wrote the “Chris Farley Song,” which he performed in numerous venues and during his Netflix special. The documentary I Am Chris Farley was released in 2015.