Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian (born in Madison, Wisconsin) . He was best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live television series, who went on to enjoy success in movies in the mid-1990s.
Saturday Night Live
Farley was one of two new cast members announced in the spring of 1990, after the 1989-1990 season came to a tumultuous end. The other newcomer introduced at a press conference shared a first name: Chris Rock. On the show, he frequently collaborated with fellow cast members David Spade, Rob Schneider and Adam Sandler, among others. Popular characters performed by Farley, some of which were brought to SNL from his days as a Second City performer in Chicago, included an over-the-top motivational speaker named Matt Foley (who constantly reminded characters that he lived in "a van down by the river"), Todd O'Connor on Bill Swerski's Super fans ("da Bears!"), a Chippendales dancer (in a famous skit that paired him with guest host Patrick Swayze), a "Gap Girl" who hung out with friends at a local mall, and Bennett Brauer, who often appeared on Weekend Update and would often divulge his personal and hygienic problems via air quotes. As far as impersonations went, Farley was known mainly for his portrayal of Tom Arnold (who gave the eulogy at his funeral) and Newt Gingrich, who invited Farley down to Washington, D.C.
Films
Farley also made appearances in films, such as Wayne's World in 1991, Airheads in 1993, Coneheads in 1993, Wayne's World 2 in 1993 (playing a different character than he did in the first one), and Adam Sandler's Billy Madison in 1995.
After Farley and most of his fellow cast members were released from their contracts at Saturday Night Live after its dismal 1994-1995 season, Farley found success with the 1995 film Tommy Boy (in which he co-starred with frequent SNL cohort David Spade). He and Spade re-teamed in 1996 with Black Sheep, which met with limited appeal. However, by now he had managed to classify himself as a bonafide Hollywood celebrity, and went on to star in Beverly Hills Ninja in 1997 and Almost Heroes with Matthew Perry in 1998, his last movie. He also had a cameo role in fellow SNL alum Norm MacDonald's Dirty Work in 1998, which was released well after Farley's death. He was popular with young audiences not only as a physical comedian but also as a comic actor, but few critics warmed to him. Only "Tommy Boy" was met with any degree of critical acclaim.
At the end of his 2000 feature Little Nicky, producer Adam Sandler insinuated that the film's heaven-residing angel character, played by Reese Witherspoon, began a romantic relationship with her aerobic instructor: Chris Farley.
Farley had recorded vocals for a character in an animated film produced by Dreamworks SKG, but his death necessitated that the role be recast. He was replaced by SNL colleague Mike Myers as the voice of "Shrek", in the movie of the same name.
Farley's last years
Farley, who had struggled with obesity, alcohol, and drug addiction for years, was found dead in his Chicago apartment in the John Hancock Center on December 18, 1997. An autopsy revealed that Farley had died of an accidental overdose of cocaine (from a speedball) with coronary arteriosclerosis being a contributing factor. By the time of his last SNL appearance, as a guest host on October 25, 1997 [1], he was evidently in trouble — his voice was unbearably hoarse, he looked bloated, sweated profusely, and was grossly overweight. A tabloid reported that Farley had been drinking heavily during the week of rehearsals and needed an oxygen tank. Reportedly on the set of Almost Heroes, he required almost constant hands-on caretaking.
He was 33 years old at his death, the same age John Belushi was when he died 15 years earlier. Belushi had likewise died of an overdose of cocaine and heroin.
Farley was in some ways a contradictory character: completely uninhibited onstage and known to be willing to do anything for a laugh, he could be shy and insecure in private. His friends have said that they knew and worried about his excessive behavior, but were unable to get him to stop. After his death, the tabloid press exploited the lurid details, but people who knew Farley said he was a very kind, decent human being.
Ready to prove that he was more than just a comic actor, Farley was ready to take on a more serious role in a project about the life of silent movie comedic actor Roscoe Arbuckle that stalled at Farley's death.
In an interview in the book Live From New York, former cast member Jay Mohr recalled a surreal moment involving Farley and fellow cast member Phil Hartman. In the SNL cast's goodbye song-and-dance performance to Hartman, the final scene featured Farley and Hartman embracing each other. They died within six months of each other.
After his death, a funeral service was held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Madison, Wisconsin on December 23, 1997. More than 500 people attended his funeral, including Lorne Michaels, Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, George Wendt, Tom Arnold, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and Rob Schneider. David Spade did not come to Farley's funeral because he "could not be in a room where Chris was in a box." However, he did introduce a retrospective of his friend on the 25th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live. Farley was buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Madison.
On August 26, 2005, eight years after his death, Farley posthumously received the 2,289th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located in front of ImprovOlympic West. [2]