In his too-short life, Chris Farley left us with a very distinctive impression of him: a big, enthusiastic, not very intellectual guy who would go to physical extremes to get a laugh. Since his death in 1997, he’s also become a tragic figure. It’s easy to lump him in with the other famous performers whose talent seemed to go hand in hand with excess and addiction. A new documentary, I Am Chris Farley, doesn’t exactly try to dissuade us from that idea. What it does, however, is give us a more complete picture of Farley as a brother, son, friend, boyfriend, and coworker.
From his early days as a class clown, to his hard-partying college years, to the days when every Saturday Night Live guest specifically requested doing skits with him, the movie concentrates on the positive aspects of Farley’s life. There are great clips from his Second City performances as well as those well-loved SNL sketches. This is no E! True Hollywood Story take on the downfall of a troubled star, and the details of his death from a cocaine and morphine overdose are glossed over. But if you’re at all curious about the origins of the man some called the love child of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, this doc will give you the warm and fuzzies while teaching you a thing or two.
Chris Farley Had A Picture-Perfect Childhood
Farley was the middle child in a family of five children, with three brothers and a sister — all of whom loved to compete to entertain each other. In the doc, his siblings describe a pretty idyllic upbringing in Madison, WI, with a father who loved to laugh and was pretty understanding of his son’s goofy antics. Younger brothers Kevin and John are carrying on Chris’ comedy tradition, and Kevin co-produced the film.
His Career Began At Summer Camp
Farley had never considered taking his performance beyond the family dinner table, until he discovered theater at Red Arrow Camp. The camp’s theater director still remembers him as a “pussy,” and, err, he seems to mean that as a compliment.
He Was An Athlete In High School & College
Farley was always a big guy, but he put his physicality to use as a football player in high school and a rugby player at Marquette University. Friends and family say he really enjoyed being a part of a team. For better or worse, his rugby days were a bit more about the alcohol-fueled after-parties than the games.
His First Comedy Act Was Typing With His Penis
One of the best anecdotes in the doc is about how Farley’s football teammates (at his Catholic high school, btw) dared him to whip it out in the middle of typing class. You’ll have to watch the movie to see his brothers recall how their father reacted to the stunt.
He Was A Prodigy At Chicago’s Second City
After graduating college and spending some time in his father’s oil business, Farley headed to Chicago to learn improv at Second City. Cast mates Mike Myers and Bob Odenkirk describe his rapid rise through the theater’s ranks (past more experienced comedians) as well deserved. Director and teacher Del Close “was the Lamaze birth coach that pulled the stuff out of him,” Myers says of Farley’s experience there.
He Was Taught To “Attack The Stage Like A Bull,” Just Like John Belushi
Many at Second City, and later at Saturday Night Live, saw Farley as the natural successor to John Belushi. Close taught both to embrace their physicality, which once resulted in Farley knocking out someone’s tooth on the Second City stage. In sketches where he fell to the ground, he would never hold out his hands to break his fall.
The Only Sketch He Wrote For SNL Was Called “Puppy Lawyer”
Farley never considered himself a writer, and was always happy just to put his spin on other comedians’ work. In his tenure at SNL from 1990 to 1995, he wrote just one sketch, called “Puppy Lawyer,” which David Spade said totally bombed in read-through.
Matt Foley Is A Real Person…Who Is Now A Priest
Farley’s most famous character, the motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river, had the voice and mannerisms of his father when he’d get worked up about something. But the real Matt Foley is one of Farley’s rugby-playing pals from college, who’s now a priest. Apparently, Foley had the dubious fortune of sitting in the audience at Second City when Farley first performed the character, and the name lived on. He doesn’t seem to mind too much.
He Only Wanted To Be Famous Enough To Entertain Kids In Hospitals
Farley clearly loved performing, but his friends and family talk about the extent to which he was a true “Catholic,” citing his devotion to charity work. He only wanted to be famous enough that if he entered a hospital, young patients would know who he was and be excited to see him.
He Went To Rehab 17 Times
Farley was a heavy drinker since his early days, and later, he turned to hard drugs, too. SNL‘s Lorne Michaels made him go to rehab in Alabama when his addiction began to interfere with his performance on the show. Unfortunately, Farley had to return many more times, with his overeating compounding other addiction issues. Farley had a very sensitive nature, so negative reviews of his movies Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja were relapse triggers. When he was found dead in his Chicago apartment in 1997 at the age of 33, sadly, many close to him weren’t shocked.
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