Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre[1] and later a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for five seasons from 1990 to 1995.[2][3] He went on to pursue a film career, appearing in films such as Airheads, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes.
This article is about the comedian. For the journalist and author, see Christopher John Farley.
Chris Farley
From his early acting days and through the height of his fame, Farley struggled with obesity, alcoholism, and substance abuse. He died of a drug overdose at the age of 33.[4]
Early life[edit]
Farley was born Christopher Crosby Farley in Madison, Wisconsin on February 15, 1964 and grew up in Maple Bluff.[5] His father Thomas John Farley Sr. (1936–99) owned an oil company and his mother Mary Anne (née Crosby) was a homemaker.[2] He had four siblings: Tom Jr., Kevin, John, and Barbara. His cousin Jim is chief executive officer at Ford Motor Company.[6][7]
The Farleys are Irish Catholics. Farley attended parochial schools in Madison, including Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart. According to Joel Murray, a fellow Second City cast member, Farley would "always make it to Mass."[8]
Many of his summers were spent as a camper and counselor at Red Arrow Camp, near Minocqua, Wisconsin. He graduated from Marquette University in 1986, with a double major in communications and theater.[9] At Marquette, he played rugby union and discovered a love of comedy.[10]
After college, he worked with his father at the Scotch Oil Company in Madison.[11] He first learned the art of improvisational comedy at the Ark Improv Theatre in Madison.
Farley made his way to Chicago, performing first at Improv Olympic. He then attended Chicago's Second City Theatre, starting the same day as Stephen Colbert,[12] initially as part of Second City's touring group. He was eventually promoted to their main stage in 1989, and was a cast member of three revues, The Gods Must Be Lazy, It Was Thirty Years Ago Today, and Flag Smoking Permitted in Lobby Only or Censorama.[13]
Personal life[edit]
For much of his adult life, Farley battled alcohol and drug addiction. These addictions resulted in his repeated suspension from the cast of Saturday Night Live.[51] Bernie Brillstein, whose firm of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment managed Farley, had repeatedly sent the actor to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.[52]
In 1997, there was a visible decline in Farley's health. He made a guest appearance on Nickelodeon's children's sketch comedy show All That, doing a sketch alongside future SNL cast member Kenan Thompson. The appearance proceeded without incident, but the stunt comedy Farley was famous for was minimal, arguably because it was noticeable Farley was wheezing heavily and straining himself to perform.
On October 25, 1997, Farley made his final appearance on Saturday Night Live as a first-time host. The cold open featured Lorne Michaels contemplating Farley's ability to host, with Tim Meadows advocating that "he will be calm, he will be focused, and he will be good ... His party days are over." Chevy Chase was Farley's "sponsor" in the sketch.[53] Farley's hoarse voice and flushed skin were the subject of public scrutiny. He had strained his vocal cords during performance and his exhaustion was so noticeable the producers nearly recommended cancelling his appearance. In the final years of his life, Farley had sought treatment for his weight and drug abuse on 17 occasions.[54]
Legacy[edit]
Farley's career, private life, and early death have often been compared to that of his comedy idol John Belushi, who died at the same age and from a similar drug overdose.[21][56]
On August 26, 2005, Farley was posthumously awarded the 2,289th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located in front of iO West.[61] An authorized biography of Farley, The Chris Farley Show, was written by his brother Tom Jr. and Tanner Colby. The song "Purple Stain" from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1999 album, Californication, contains the lyric "Farley is an angel and I can prove this" as a tribute to Farley.[62]
A television documentary on his life I Am Chris Farley was shown on August 10, 2015.[63][64] Farley was also the subject of the TV program, Autopsy: The Last Hours of Chris Farley, which premiered on November 19, 2016, on the Reelz channel.[65]
In 2018, Adam Sandler wrote and performed an emotional tribute song dedicated to Farley in his Netflix stand-up special Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh. Netflix released the performance on YouTube later that year to commemorate the 21st anniversary of Farley's death.[66] Sandler later played the song live on an episode of Saturday Night Live that he hosted on May 4, 2019.[67]
On April 12, 2024, a Chris Farley biopic starring Paul Walter Hauser and directed by Josh Gad was announced to be in the works. [68]