Chris Farley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 - December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian, best known as one of the cast members of the popular Saturday Night Live television series, who went on to enjoy success in sophomoric movies in the mid 1990s.
Saturday Night Live
While on SNL, he frequently collaborated with fellow cast members David Spade, 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"), 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, DC
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, and Adam Sandler's Billy Madison in 1995.
After being released from his contract at Saturday Night Live after its dismal 1994-1995 season, Farley found great 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, which would go on to become the last movie he ever worked on. 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.
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'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 and heroin (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 before. Belushi had likewise died of an overdose of cocaine and heroin. David Spade, dealing with a memory of another close friend dying, did not come to Farley's funeral. However, he did introduce a retrospective of his friend on the 25th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live.
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 stated that they knew and worried about his excessive behaviour, but were unable to get him to stop. Following his death, the tabloid press exploited the lurid details; however, 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 as he was attached to a project about the life of silent movie comic actor Roscoe Arbuckle that never came to fruition when he died. In an interview with the book Live From New York, former cast member Jay Mohr recalled a surreal moment revolving around both Farley and fellow cast member Phil Hartman. In a goodbye song and dance performance by the cast to Hartman, the final scene of the song featured Farley and Hartman embracing each other. Both members died within six months of each other.
On August 26, 2005, seven 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]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Farley
