Chris Farley
Updated: 12/20/2025, 11:13:30 AM Wikipedia source
Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. Farley was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for five seasons, from 1990 to 1995. He went on to pursue a film career, appearing in films such as Airheads, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes. Influenced by John Belushi, Farley was widely known for his physical performance/comedy and athleticism (similar to Curly Howard and Roscoe Arbuckle). This was used to great effect during his time on Saturday Night Live, and continued through many of his films. From his early acting days, and through the height of his fame, Farley struggled with obesity, alcoholism, and substance abuse. He died of a drug overdose in 1997 at the age of 33.
Infobox
Born
Christopher Crosby Farley(1964-02-15)February 15, 1964Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died
December 18, 1997(1997-12-18) (aged 33)Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Burial place
Resurrection Cemetery
Alma mater
Marquette University (BA)
Occupations
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Years active
1984–1997
Relatives
mw- John Farley (brother)Kevin Farley (brother)Jim Farley (cousin)
Tables
· Filmography › Film
1995
Role(s)
Thomas "Tommy" Callahan III
Notes
MTV Movie Awards Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with David Spade)
Role(s)
Shrek (voice)
Notes
Animated test short; released in 2023
1998
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Wayne's World | Security Guard | Film debut |
| 1993 | Coneheads | Ronnie Bradford | |
| Wayne's World 2 | Milton | ||
| 1994 | Airheads | Officer Wilson | |
| 1995 | Billy Madison | Bus Driver | Uncredited |
| Tommy Boy | Thomas "Tommy" Callahan III | MTV Movie Awards Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with David Spade) | |
| Shrek - I Feel Good Animation Test | Shrek (voice) | Animated test short; released in 2023 | |
| 1996 | Black Sheep | Michael "Mike" Donnelly | |
| 1997 | Beverly Hills Ninja | Haru | Nominated: MTV Movie Awards Best Comedic Performance |
| 1998 | Almost Heroes | Bartholomew Hunt | Posthumous release |
| Dirty Work | Jimmy No-Nose | Uncredited; posthumous release (final film role) |
· Filmography › Television
1993
1997
Role(s)
Himself (host)
Notes
Episode: "Chris Farley/The Mighty Mighty Bosstones"
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990–1995 | Saturday Night Live | Matt Foley / Various characters | 100 episodes |
| 1992 | The Jackie Thomas Show | Chris Thomas | Episode: "Ottumwa 52501" |
| 1993 | Roseanne | Man in Clothing Store | Episode: "Glengarry, Glen Rosey" |
| The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | Episode: "NY or LA?" | |
| 1994 | Tom | Chris | Episode: "He's Heavy, He's My Brother" |
| 1997 | All That | The Chicago Ketchup Chef | Episode: "Mint Condition" |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode: "Chris Farley/The Mighty Mighty Bosstones" |
References
- "Chicago Alumni"https://www.secondcity.com/people/other/chris-farley/
- "Chris Farley Biography — Yahoo! Movies"https://web.archive.org/web/20100314042606/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018622/bio
- "Wisconsin Historical Society"https://web.archive.org/web/20101106094908/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/highlights/archives/2008/05/farley_exhibit.asp
- The New Yorkerhttps://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-big-funny-tragic-life-of-chris-farley
- MSNhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/the-tragic-1997-death-of-comedy-legend-chris-farley/ar-AA15BBMz
- The Bozhohttps://www.thebozho.com/chris-farley-tour-madison/
- Detroit Free Presshttps://web.archive.org/web/20130330045446/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/freep/access/1793009141.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+18%2C+2009&author=GREG+GARDNER&pub=Detroit+Free+Press&edition=&startpage=A.9&desc=Rising+star+assigned+new+duties+at+Ford
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/business/20ford.html
- "Chris Farley"https://web.archive.org/web/20090424071147/http://www.thechrisfarleyshow.com/chicago.html
- "Marquette University — Famous Faces"https://web.archive.org/web/20130104220519/http://www.marquette.edu/about/allfamous.shtml
- Marquette Tribunehttps://marquettewire.org/3672803/tribune/tribune-news/tom-farley-addresses-brothers-addictions/
- "Chris Farley Biography"https://www.biography.com/people/chris-farley-9542500
- "Chris Farley and I started at Second City on the same day. You knew the minute you saw him on stage he was great. He was sweet and smart and funny. When I heard he had died, 21 years ago today, I fell to the ground. Rest In Peace"https://x.com/stephenathome/status/1075203135239585792
- Fox 8 Cleveland WJWhttp://web.archive.org/web/20250711220823/https://fox8.com/news/a-future-snl-star-was-almost-cast-in-home-alone-but-he-blew-his-audition/
- "The Story Behind Chris Rock's Firing From 'Saturday Night Live'"http://uproxx.com/tv/2014/11/the-story-behind-chris-rocks-firing-from-saturday-night-live/
- The Daily Beasthttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/14/the-secrets-of-saturday-night-live-where-comedy-legends-are-born.html
- Daily Heraldhttps://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150801/news/150809920/
- New Yorkhttps://web.archive.org/web/20220819112936/https://nymag.com/arts/books/reviews/47039/
- "New Exhibit: Chris Farley Remembered"https://web.archive.org/web/20101106094908/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/highlights/archives/2008/05/farley_exhibit.asp
- The Ringerhttps://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/3/31/21200801/chris-farley-chippendales-patrick-swayze-skating-snl-sketch
- "'Chris Farley Show' stuffed with gossip"https://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/05/07/chris.farley/
- Adam Sandler: America's Comedian
- "Chris Farley's Black Sheep Jacket"https://web.archive.org/web/20100610103041/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/artifacts/archives/003176.asp
- New Yorkhttps://nymag.com/arts/tv/features/47548/index6.html
- Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
- New York Daily Newshttps://web.archive.org/web/20100124044753/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2010/01/21/2010-01-21_youre_not_alone_conan_obrien_adam_sandler_says_nbc_fired_him_and_chris_farley_fr.html
- The Daily Beasthttps://www.thedailybeast.com/adam-sandler-talks-getting-fired-from-snl-bad-reviews-and-his-desire-to-play-a-villain?ref=scroll
- Houston Presshttp://www.houstonpress.com/arts/10-things-that-the-waynes-world-movies-gave-us-6396262
- Coneheadshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/coneheadspghowe_a0afe0.htm
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9501E5DA1031F936A3575BC0A962958260
- TV Guidehttps://www.tvguide.com/movies/billy-madison/review/130553/
- Rolling Stonehttps://web.archive.org/web/20161029200847/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-10-best-red-hot-chili-peppers-music-videos-20160622/soul-to-squeeze-20160622
- Black Sheephttps://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=blacksheep.htm
- Tommy Boyhttps://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tommyboy.htm
- Beverly Hills Ninjahttps://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=beverlyhillsninja.htm
- New York Posthttps://web.archive.org/web/20090103194239/http://www.nypost.com/seven/12162007/entertainment/that_was_awesome__816891.htm?page=0
- Fast Companyhttps://www.fastcompany.com/3049545/chris-farley-was-originally-the-voice-of-shrek-and-footage-has-finally-surfaced
- /Filmhttps://www.slashfilm.com/chris-farley-shrek/
- CNNhttp://www.cnn.com/2015/08/06/entertainment/chris-farley-shrek-voice-feat
- Yahoo! Entertainmenthttps://www.yahoo.com/movies/chris-farley-shrek-original-casting-how-different-125465444507.html/
- Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chris-farley-tribute-episode-part-2/id1603639502?i=1000590130223
- "Top 10 Actors Who Almost Voiced Disney Animated Characters"http://geektyrant.com/news/2012/9/28/top-10-actors-who-almost-voiced-disney-animated-characters.html
- The A.V. Clubhttps://www.avclub.com/article/fatty-fall-down-make-tragedy-emthe-chris-farley-sh-28977
- "The Lost Roles of Chris Farley"https://web.archive.org/web/20150808192125/http://splitsider.com/2012/12/the-lost-roles-of-chris-farley/
- "Original 'Ghostbusters' Cast Onboard For Reboot, Harold Ramis Says"https://web.archive.org/web/20141128010008/http://www.mtv.com/news/1607995/original-ghostbusters-cast-onboard-for-reboot-harold-ramis-says/
- "His Books Let Him Stay Class Clown, Even At 34"https://web.archive.org/web/20130907080051/http://articles.philly.com/2000-04-26/living/25588816_1_captain-underpants-ladies-from-outer-space-professor-poopypants
- Slatehttp://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hollywood/2006/12/a_conspiracy_of_dunces.html
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-feb-21-tm-10276-story.html
- "The Lost Roles of John Belushi"https://web.archive.org/web/20150828075343/http://splitsider.com/2011/03/the-lost-roles-of-john-belushi/
- Vulturehttps://www.vulture.com/2009/11/grown_ups_trailer.html
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2000/film/news/surjik-may-helm-tree-now-at-mgm-1117784099/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2022/film/news/chris-farley-david-spade-third-movie-death-1235241896/
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/01/03/drug-overdose-killed-comedian-farley/
- Bernie Brillstein, Where Did I Go Right? You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead (1999, Little, Brown a
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://ew.com/article/1998/01/09/chris-farleys-sad-drug-fueled-final-days/
- Rolling Stonehttps://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/chris-farley-the-wild-ride-and-sad-end-186660/
- Ultimate Classic Rockhttps://ultimateclassicrock.com/chris-farley-last-snl-appearance/
- New York Daily Newshttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/comic-farley-dead-age-33-article-1.772521
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/03/us/chris-farley-s-death-laid-to-drug-overdose.html
- Athens Daily Newshttps://web.archive.org/web/20090818015306/http://www.onlineathens.com/1997/122497/1224.a3farley.html
- eonline.comhttp://www.eonline.com/news/35689/farley-funeral-day-the-clowns-cried
- Rolling Stonehttps://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/david-spade-explains-why-he-didnt-attend-chris-farleys-funeral-190011/
- "CNN - Friends, family grieve at Farley memorial service - Jan. 13, 1998"https://web.archive.org/web/20240629064354/http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9801/13/farley/#:~:text=SANTA%20MONICA%2C%20California%20(CNN),grieving%20family%20members%20and%20friends.
- ""I Wanna Party Like Chris Farley" - A Trip to the Grave of Rap's Favorite Comedian"https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-wanna-party-like-chris-farley-a-trip-to-the-grave-of-raps-favorite-comedian-1/
- USA Todayhttp://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-08-26-farley-star_x.htm
- IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000394/bio
- 4-traders.comhttp://www.4-traders.com/NETWORK-MEDIA-GROUP-INC-9717197/news/Network-Media-Group-Inc--Network-Entertainment-Announces-Chris-Farley-Legacy-Documentary-17262264
- Entertainment Tonighthttp://www.etonline.com/movies/167761_chris_farley_documentary_unveils_the_late_comedian_complex_struggles
- "Autopsy"https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015228/https://now.reelz.com/tve/tveshow.aspx?showid=286
- USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/10/26/adam-sandlers-netflix-100-fresh-his-best-work-years/1772450002/
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/adam-sandler-returns-snl-after-24-years-opera-man-ode-n1002076
- "Chris Farley to Be Played by Paul Walter Hauser in Upcoming Biopic: 'Ready to Honor Christopher'"https://people.com/chris-farley-played-by-paul-walter-hauser-new-movie-8631008
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2024/04/new-line-chris-farley-paul-walter-hauser-josh-gadd-1235895056/
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2024/04/avengelyne-deal-warner-bros-margot-robbie-olivia-wilde-simon-kinberg-tony-mcnamara-deadpool-creator-rob-liefeld-comic-1235896996/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/bard-tops-mtv-list-1117434620/
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-15-ca-60022-story.html