Chris Farley was an American actor and comedian who was prominently known for his highly energetic, entertaining, and comedic nature. He was also known for being one of the members of the famously known Second City Theatre, Chicago. Besides that, he was also part of the Saturday Night Live cast from 1990 to 1995. Thereafter, he went on to star in various films that included Wayne’s World (1992), Coneheads (1993), Airheads (1994), Black Sheep (1996), and Beverly Hills Ninja (1997).
Besides that, he was also very well-known off-screen, especially for the pranks he and legendary comedian and actor Adam Sandler would pull off. This also cost them their job at Saturday Night Live as they were fired. However, behind his fun-loving nature lied a darker side to him. Farley had a severe addiction towards alcohol and substance abuse which eventually led to his demise on December 18, 1997. Sadly, Farley had overdosed on a deadly combination referred to as “Speedball”. However, Chris an unsung hero who died before his time still lives on in the hearts of people and as of September 2019, more than 1.5 million people followed his family-run Facebook profile.
Age
Chris was born on February 15, 1964.
Died
Chris Farley died on December 18, 1997, at the age of 33, in his apartment at the John Hancock Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States, due to the overdose of drugs and coronary atherosclerosis.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Girlfriend / Spouse
Chris Farley had dated –
- Erin Maroney – In the past, he also dated Erin Maroney.
- (1993) – Actress Karen Duffy and Chris dated one another for a short while in 1993. Nevertheless, their hookup did not last very long and ended.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Religion
He was raised a Roman Catholic.
Best Known For
- Doing impersonation of well-known people like Tom Arnold, Andrew Giuliani, Jerry Garcia, Meat Loaf, Norman Schwarzkopf, Dom DeLuise, Roger Ebert, Carnie Wilson, Newt Gingrich, Mindy Cohn, Mama Cass, Hank Williams Jr., and Rush Limbaugh on SNL from 1990 to 1995
- Working alongside various actors and comedians like , Adam Sandler, , Bridgette Wilson, , Robin Shou, and Nathaniel Parker
- Being cast in a number of films such as Wayne’s World (1992), Coneheads (1993), Airheads (1994), Tommy Boy (1995), Black Sheep (1996), and Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
- Starring in many TV shows like The Jackie Thomas Show (1992), Roseanne (1993), and All That (1997)
- Being the older brother of comedian and actor John Patrick Farley and Kevin Peter Farley
First Film
Chris made his debut theatrical film appearance as a “Security Guard” alongside the likes of Wayne Campbell and in Wayne’s World in 1992.
First TV Show
He made his debut TV show appearance as various characters including public liaison assistant Andrew Giuliani, singer, and songwriter Jerry Garcia, singer and songwriter Meat Loaf, general Norman Schwarzkopf on Saturday Night Live in 1990. He had appeared in more than 100 episodes from 1990-1995.
Personal Trainer
In an episode of , actor Adam Sandler spoke about how much Farley loved to eat. He also stated that Chris would order 2 dishes of everything.
Chris Farley Facts
- He was raised in a well-to-do Roman Catholic family in Maple Bluff, Wisconsin.
- Chris had studied in many Catholic schools and never missed a single day of mass growing up.
- During the summers, he enjoyed spending his time camping and counseling kids at the Red Arrow Camp on Trout Lake, Wisconsin.
- His father Tom owned the Scotch Oil Company in Madison, whereas, his mother Mary was a homemaker.
- While on SNL, Chris did an impersonation of various celebrities that included actor and comedian Tom Arnold, public liaison assistant Andrew Giuliani, singer and songwriter Jerry Garcia, singer and songwriter Meat Loaf, general Norman Schwarzkopf, actor and comedian Dom DeLuise, film critic and journalist Roger Ebert, singer and TV host Carnie Wilson, along with many more.
- While studying at Marquette University, he played on their rugby team. It was also there that he found his passion for comedy. Later, he studied at the Ark Improv Theatre.
- His first performance as a comedian was at the iO Chicago. Then, he went on to join The Second City‘s touring group. Thereafter, his hearty humor earned him a place on the joints Mainstage act where he starred in 3 cabaret shows titled The Gods Must Be Lazy, It Was Thirty Years Ago Today, and Flag Smoking Permitted in Lobby Only or Censorama in 1989.
- He and comedian, producer, and political commentator signed up to be a part of The Second City on the same day.
- In 1990, he was introduced to as the newest Saturday Night Live cast member along with well-known actor and comedian .
- He would often work alongside actor and comedian , Chris Rock, Tim Meadows, , and . The group earned themselves the nickname “Bad Boys of SNL.”
- Actor Tom Arnold was the one to give Farley’s eulogy at his private funeral.
- As of 2019, his cousin Jim Farley was the Executive Vice President and President, Global Markets at Ford Motor Company.
- Besides acting, Farley was also a one-of-a-kind prankster. He and his close friend actor Adam Sandler would often get together and make late-night prank calls to individuals. Farley would break wind while Sandler would disguise his voice like an old woman. They took comedy to a different level which encouraged Chris to go on a mooning spree. It is said that Farley had gone to the extent of even defecated out of a window.
- In an interview, actor, and comedian Chris Rock stated that he may have seen Farley’s private parts more than Farley’s girlfriend ever did.
- He was featured in the Coneheads (1993) soundtrack video for the song Soul to Squeeze by .
- In 1995, Farley and his co-star Adam Sandler were fired from SNL.
- Initially, Chris Farley was chosen to voice the titular character in Shrek. According to sources, he had recorded almost 95% of the voice before he met his demise on December 18, 1997. Due to his untimely death, the producer then re-recorded the entire dialogues with the voice of actor and former SNL star . However, in 2015, a sample version of Shrek that was voiced by Farley was launched.
- Behind his humorous and openly naughty side of life lied a dark secret that many who were close to him knew. Farley was a drug and alcohol addict and he had been sent off to rehab many times. He would do hard drugs like cocaine and opium. This constant abuse led him to be suspended from SNL many times and seek treatment for drug abuse more than 17 times.
- On December 18, 1997, Chris’s younger brother John found him passed out in his John Hancock Center apartment. Upon looking for vital signs, he found out that Chris was dead.
- In January 1998, The New York Times published an article stating that the Cook County Medical Examiner stated that “a narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart muscle” was one of the major factors involved in his death. Besides that, traces of morphine and cocaine were also found in his blood.
- It is said that Farley had also ingested antidepressants known as fluoxetine and antihistamine shortly before his death. There were also traces of marijuana but no alcohol.
- He looked up to former SNL member John Belushi who also died due to a combination of drugs. However, in the case of Belushi, he had ingested heroin and cocaine.
- His funeral that took place on December 23, 1997, was privately held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Madison. It was said that more than 500 people attended it and amongst them were his friends and colleagues like Dan Aykroyd, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, , , and Phil Hartman. His remains were then buried at the Resurrection Cemetery.
- Many noted that Farley’s good friend David Spade did not attend that funeral. When the media asked David for a reason, he stated that he found it difficult to face the loss of his friend.
- In August 2005, he became the 2,289th star to be awarded a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which can be found in front of iO West.
- After his demise, a number of biographical shows were released such as The Chris Farley Show which was written by his brother Tom Jr. and Tanner Colby. Besides that, on August 10, 2015, a second documentary was featured on television titled I Am Chris Farley.
- In 2018, Adam Sandler wrote and performed a song dedicated to Chris Farley on his Netflix stand-up special titled Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh.
- He was incredibly agile despite his large size. He attended ballet dances during his dance college years.
- Chris started the anti-slapstick comedy style.
- He used to keep his hair messy.
- At the time of his death, he was 5 ft 8 in tall and weighed an astounding 296 lbs.
- He and actor and comedian Jerry Springer lived beside one another at the John Hancock Center in Chicago.
- Farley was paid dollar 2,000,000 for his appearance in Tommy Boy (1995)
dollar 6,000,000 for Black Sheep (1996), and dollar 6,000,000 for Beverly Hills Ninja (1997). - He was obsessed with eating gourd.
- Visit his official website @ chrisfarleystore.com.
- You can follow Chris on .
Featured Image By Chris Farley / Facebook
Facts of Christopher Crosby Farley
- Gender Male
- full nameChristopher Crosby Farley
- middle nameCrosby
- nicknamesChris
- birthplaceMadison, Wisconsin, United States
- Date of Birth February 15, 1964
- Age 60 years 6 months
- Horoscope Aquarius
- Lucky Number 10
- Lucky Stone Amethyst
- Lucky Color Turquoise
- Best Match for Marriage Aquarius, Gemini, Sagittarius
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundthree-quarter Irish and partially Scottish
- nationalityAmerican
- religionRoman Catholic
- net worth$5 million
- professionActor, Host, Comedian
- weight135 kg or 297.5 lbs
- height5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
- hair colorBlonde
- eye colorBlue
- body type / buildLarge
- high schoolEdgewood High School
- collegeMarquette University
- motherMary Anne Farley
- fatherTom Farley, Sr.
- brothersJohn Patrick Farley, Kevin Peter Farley, Tom Farley Jr.
- sistersBarbara Farley