Chris Farley Biography, Update, Age, Personal Life, Death, Films

Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. He performed with Chicago’s Second City Theatre before joining Saturday Night Live, where he was a cast member from 1990 to 1995. After SNL, he appeared in movies like Airheads, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes.

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Inspired by John Belushi, Farley became famous for his energetic physical comedy and athletic style, much like Curly Howard and Roscoe Arbuckle. He used these talents on Saturday Night Live and in his movies. Throughout his career, Farley struggled with obesity, alcoholism, and substance abuse. He died from a drug overdose in 1997 at age 33.

Profile Summary

Age

Christopher Crosby Farley was born on February 15, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.

Biography

Christopher Crosby Farley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on February 15, 1964, and grew up in Maple Bluff in an Irish-American family. His father, Thomas John Farley Sr., owned an oil company, and his mother, Mary Anne (Crosby), was a homemaker. Farley had four siblings: Tom Jr., Kevin, John, and Barbara. His cousin Jim is now the CEO of Ford Motor Company. He attended parochial schools in Madison, including Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart. Joel Murray, who performed with Farley at Second City, said Farley would “always make it to mass.”

Farley spent many summers at Red Arrow Camp near Minocqua, Wisconsin, first as a camper and later as a counselor. He graduated from Marquette University in 1986 with a double major in communications and theatre. While at Marquette, he played rugby and found his passion for comedy. After college, he worked with his father at the Scotch Oil Company in Madison. He began learning improvisational comedy at the Ark Improv Theatre in Madison.

Farley moved to Chicago and started performing at Improv Olympic. He joined Chicago’s Second City Theatre on the same day as Stephen Colbert, first as part of the touring group. In 1989, he was promoted to the main stage and performed in three revues: The Gods Must Be Lazy, It Was Thirty Years Ago Today, and Flag Smoking Permitted in Lobby Only or Censorama. Farley also auditioned to play a Mall Santa in Home Alone, but director Chris Columbus chose someone else.

Personal life

Farley struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for much of his adult life. Because of these issues, he was suspended from Saturday Night Live. Producer Lorne Michaels, who had faced similar problems with John Belushi, warned Farley that he would be fired if he did not get help. Bernie Brillstein, whose company managed Farley, sent him to rehab several times.

In 1997, Farley’s health noticeably declined. He appeared as a guest on Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy show All That with Kenan Thompson, who would later join Saturday Night Live. Although the appearance went smoothly, Farley did little physical comedy, likely because he was breathing heavily and having trouble performing. In his last years, Farley sought treatment for his weight and drug problems 17 times.

On October 25, 1997, Farley hosted Saturday Night Live for the first and last time. In the opening sketch, Lorne Michaels questioned if Farley could handle hosting, while Tim Meadows said, “he will be calm, he will be focused and he will be good … His party days are over.” Chevy Chase played Farley’s “sponsor” in the skit. There was real concern about whether Farley could perform, and Chris Rock was reportedly ready to step in as host if needed. Farley’s voice was hoarse after rehearsal, and he looked flushed and out of breath during the show.

Death

On December 18, 1997, at 2:00 p.m. CST, Farley’s younger brother John found him dead in his apartment at the John Hancock Center in Chicago. Farley was 33 years old. An autopsy showed he died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin, known as a “speedball.” Advanced atherosclerosis was also listed as a significant contributing factor.

Farley’s funeral was held privately on December 23 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Madison, Wisconsin. More than 500 people attended, including many comedians who had worked with him on Saturday Night Live and in movies, such as Dan Aykroyd, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, Lorne Michaels, Al Franken, John Goodman, Bob Odenkirk, Tim Meadows, Norm Macdonald, Robert Smigel, George Wendt, and Phil Hartman. David Spade, one of Farley’s closest friends, did not attend, sparking rumours of a falling out. Later, Spade explained he stayed away because it would have been too emotionally difficult. Another funeral was held on January 13, 1998, at St. Monica Catholic Church. Farley was buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison.

Legacy

Farley’s career, personal life, and early death are often compared to those of his comedy idol John Belushi, who also died at the same age from a similar drug overdose.

On August 26, 2005, Farley received the 2,289th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in front of IO West. His brother Tom Jr. and Tanner Colby wrote an authorized biography called The Chris Farley Show. The Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute to Farley in their 1999 song “Purple Stain” with the lyric “Farley is an angel and I can prove this.”

A television documentary about his life, I Am Chris Farley, aired on August 10, 2015. He 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.

In 2018, Adam Sandler wrote and performed a tribute song for Farley in his Netflix stand-up special Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh. Netflix later released the performance on YouTube to mark the 21st anniversary of Farley’s death. Sandler also performed the song live on Saturday Night Live during his May 4, 2019, hosting stint.

On April 12, 2024, a Chris Farley biopic was announced, starring Paul Walter Hauser and directed by Josh Gad, with a script by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. SNL creator Lorne Michaels will produce the film. Later that month, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures bought the rights to the project for $2.5 million.

Famous Films

• Tommy Boy (1995): A cult classic starring Farley and David Spade.
• Black Sheep (1996): Reuniting with David Spade.
• Beverly Hills Ninja (1997): Released months before his death.
• Coneheads (1993)
• Airheads (1994)
• Billy Madison (1995)
• Almost Heroes (1998): Released posthumously.
• Dirty Work (1998): Posthumous cameo.
• Shrek (2001)