Before SNL
Chris Farley was born on February 15, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin. Raised as a devout catholic, Farley attended multiple catholic schools in Madison before settling in at Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart. After graduating, Farley attended Marquette University to study Communications, however, during his sophomore year, Farley became increasingly unsure of his chosen career path and decided that he wanted to drop out to pursue comedy. After having a discussion with his parents on the matter, Farley was persuaded by his parents to continue his schooling while also adding courses in theater to appease his appetite for show business.
Once Farley graduated from Marquette in 1987, he began his professional career as a comedian at the Ark Improv Theatre in Madison, and then later moved to Chicago where he joined the famous Improv Olympic Theatre. While with Improv Olympic, Farley became a pupil of one of the all-time masters of improv, Del Close. After receiving recognition for his work at Improv Olympic, Farley was hired by The Second City to perform as part of their touring troupe, as well as on their main stage in Chicago. In 1990, Farley was spotted by SNL producer Lorne Michaels, and was immediately offered a job as a featured player for the show’s upcoming season 16.
Studio 8H
Farley flourished in his first season with SNL, showcasing his impressive improv and physical comedy gifts. During his fourth episode on the show, Farley starred in one of his most famous sketches with guest host Patrick Swayze, the star of the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, in which the two men competed for a job as a Chippendales male stripper.
Farley also became well known for his hilarious character acting. Two of his most famous characters were the American Tourist in Japanese Game Show, and Matt Foley, a down-and-out, overweight, motivational speaker.
Farley was notorious for his off camera antics with fell cast members Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, such as making prank phone calls from the SNL offices, as well as mooning pedestrians from limousines. (Fun Fact: They were known by the media as The Bad Boys of Saturday Night Live) These antics led to NBC’s 1995 decision to fire Farley, Sandler, Rock, and Schneider following the SNL’s less than stellar 20th season.
Outside Work
After his departure from SNL, Farley began his film career with small roles in several films starring SNL alums, namely Wayne’s World in 1992 and Coneheads in 1993. Farley’s first major movie role came in 1994 with the release of Tommy Boy.
Another one of Farley’s greatest movie moments was his small role as the Bus Driver in the 1995 film Billy Madison starring Adam Sandler.
Some of Farley’s other films include: Wayne’s World 2 (1993), Black Sheep (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), and Almost Heroes (1998).
Death
Throughout much of his adult life, Farley suffered from troubles with alcohol and drugs due to his father’s rampant alcoholism, as well as the constant pressure that he felt to always be energetic, both on and off the camera. After a four-day binge, Farley was discovered dead in his Chicago apartment on December 18, 1997. An autopsy showed that the cause of death was an overdose of morphine and cocaine that was intensified by Farley’s pre-existing heart disease. Farley died at the age of 33, the same age at which SNL legend John Belushi also passed.
Opinion
Chris Farley was so much more than the sweaty, energetic comic that many people remember. At his core, he was a kind and innocent man who simply succumbed to the pressures of the spotlight. Farley was a maverick in the art of slapstick comedy, always blurring the boundaries of what was funny and what was physically dangerous, often risking his own personal safety for a laugh. We can only imagine the success that Farley could have achieved, had he not died so young. (Fun Fact: Farley was contracted to play the voice of Shrek, recording 80-90% of the character’s lines before his premature death)
