The Biggest Takeaways from the Chris Farley Documentary

From his idyllic childhood in Wisconsin to his tragic death, the documentary chronicles the incredible ride of the beloved, larger-than-life comedian

There is no denying that Chris Farley is one of the most memorable Saturday night live comedian of all time, where he was a prominent player between 1990-1995. In the documentary I’m Chris Farleynow airing on the CW, his SNL colleagues, friends and siblings remember him as a kind, gentle, vulnerable and naturally hilarious man.

But the actor had a dark side and struggled with drinking and drug addiction. After the left one Saturday night live, he continued to make films but struggled with the pressures of fame. And in 1997, his demons got the better of him. He died of an overdose of cocaine and morphine in Chicago.

IN I’m Chris Farleyfriends like David Spade, Adam Sandler and SNL creator Lorne Michaels remember a man they were proud to call a friend. Below, the largest amounts from I’m Chris Farley.

His childhood was idyllic

Chris Farley grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, in a white house in the suburbs with green shutters and a big yard, and he spent most of his days outside playing with his three brothers, Kevin, John, and Tom, and his sister, Barb. “What you imagined Americana looked like in the ’70s, that’s what it was,” his sister said. He also loved his dad. That, says Adam Sandler, is something he and Farley had in common. “If our fathers had told us to do it, we would have done it,” Sandler says.

He caught the theater bug at camp

Farley and his brothers attended Camp Red Arrow in Wisconsin for seven weeks each summer, where a show was held at the end of the summer. The director of the play, Richard Wenzel, recognized Chris’s talent even then — his roles in the summer camp started his love affair with performing in front of an audience. “He started thinking, this is how I’m different from others,” says his brother Kevin.

He loved the physical gag even in his youth

Farley was a goofball even in high school, where he was on the football team – and was known for pulling his pants down. He once got in trouble for pulling out his penis in a typing class and continuing to type as if nothing was wrong. “It was funny,” his brother Kevin recalls, noting that even their dad laughed about it. Because of the stunt, he was kicked out of school for one semester.

David Spade and Chris Farley in the 1995 film Tommy Boy.

Filmski/Alamy

He was a master at sales

Much like his character in the movie Tommy Boy, Farley had a natural charisma and was an excellent salesman. “He knew people,” says his brother Kevin, noting that Farley worked briefly for his father as a salesman for his oil business, and would take clients out to dinner, eat and drink with them, and they would always end up signing the deal. But he couldn’t resist the allure of performing and moved to Chicago to join the Second City improv and comedy troupe. There he met Mike Myers, who later recommended him to Lorne Michaels for Saturday night live gig

He was nervous about being portrayed as Fat – but accepted it

When Patrick Swayze hosted SNL, was a sketch in which he and Farley played Chippendale dancers. Bob Odenkirk says he was nervous about taking his shirt off and being portrayed as a “fat guy”, Odenkirk told him to come out and be the funniest fat guy he’s supposed to be – which Farley of course did. Dan Aykroyd says Farley appreciated the comedic value his burden carried. Comedian Will Sasso says it was an inspiration. “As a fat kid in high school…he was my hero, especially since Farley was as good a dancer as Swayze.”

Adam Sandler shares a song dedicated to Chris Farley on the anniversary of his death

He was self-deprecating

On SNL, one of his popular sketches was The Chris Farley Show, where he played a nervous interviewer who would berate himself for being an idiot. Friends say he was most like the real Chris. “His self-deprecation was in a lot of the things he did,” the late Bob Saget recalled. “He apologized for a lot of things I wish he never apologized for.”

Chris Farley and Adam Sandler in a 1995 SNL sketch.

Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

He was a secret ladies’ man

His brother says beautiful women were his Achilles’ heel – but he didn’t just sit on the sidelines and watch them. “Some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood would come to the studio to visit him because he was nice to everyone,” recalls Dan Aykroyd. “He was funny, sweet and a gentleman.” He also dated Victoria’s Secret model Lorri Bagley, who recalls that he just had incredible charisma.

He had a dark side that came out at night

While friends recall that he was always, always funny, they said he would withdraw and want to be alone after midnight. Drink and drugs have always been a problem, and SNL boss Lorne Michaels sent him to a strict rehab center during his stint on the show. When he returned, he promised to get better, and his friends warned him that he would die if he didn’t take his health seriously.

Jim Belushi begs Chris Farley to stop using drugs after seeing brother John overdose: ‘You have to stop’

A ‘fat guy in a little coat’ is something he actually did to David Spade

The scene where Farley wore a David Spade coat was one of the most memorable parts Tommy Boy, but before he did it on the big screen, it was a gag that he actually did to Spade, who was his best friend, while they were sitting in the office. Known for his endless physical pranks, he put on a Spade jacket and said, “Look at me! A fat guy in a little coat!” The prank made them laugh so much that it made it into the movie.

Hollywood was not a good place for him

Lorne Michaels says it’s about time Tommy Boy’s success, a new management team came to NBC and they didn’t like Farley or Sandler — plus he was getting big offers and big money to do more movies. According to Bagley’s ex-girlfriend, the move ended up being devastating. Molly Shannon says that without the routine of SNL and the security of his friends and family, he felt lost. Bob Saget says, “Success in Hollywood doesn’t always create the best for people.”

Tom Arnold recalls setting up intervention for Chris Farley before overdose: ‘He did his best’

He went to rehab 17 times before his death

Alcohol was his first love, his friends say, but other drugs were not far behind. Sandler says he loved it when Farley came home from rehab, fresh and eating well. “Chris Sober was the most brilliant, clearest thing I’ve ever seen,” says comedian Jay Mohr. Each time, Farley was determined to stay sober, but he would relapse. He eventually died in 1997 at the age of 33 from a combination of cocaine and morphine. “I wasn’t shocked,” says Mike Myers, though his friends and family were distraught — and said they would have given anything to see Farley still making people laugh today.

Chris Farley’s family honors him posthumously with a star on the Walk of Fame.

SGranitz/WireImage

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