ACTOR
Chris Farley
- Known for
- Airheads (1994), Black Sheep (1996), Almost Heroes (1998)
37 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
Chris Farley is an actor best known for Airheads, Black Sheep and Almost Heroes.
All facts (37)
- #001
David Spade once told an anecdote about how the SNL cast would hit the bars after rehearsal and how Farley would often approach a woman by claiming to be an aerobics instructor. When the woman inevitably mocked his claim, Chris would do a standing backflip, land it, and carry on the conversation.
- #002
Chris Farley was said to idolize John Belushi. His life story bears a striking resemblance to Belushi's: both Farley and Belushi were regulars at The Second City in Chicago, both later joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975) and went on to make feature films, both had obesity problems, both were famous for living a lifestyle that was out of control, and both died of a drug overdose at the age of thirty-three.
- #003
Chris Farley died of opium and cocaine intoxication. He was found by his brother John Farley in his apartment in the John Hancock building.
- #004
Surprisingly athletic for his size, Chris was documented easily bench-pressing 225 pounds (102 kg), displaying surprising strength for his build. Video footage shows him performing this lift casually in the gym and shows that he had a genuine sports background, having played high school football for Madison Edgewood in 1981. Known for his high-energy, physical comedy, the actor had also played rugby at Marquette University in the 1980s.
- #005
In a 2010 interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993), Adam Sandler revealed that he and Farley were fired from Saturday Night Live (1975) in 1995.
- #006
Chris Farley was good friends with Chris Rock. He was one of David Spade's best friends.
- #007
Because the script was first written in the early 1990s, Chris Farley was actually planned to play Kevin James's role in Grown Ups (2010).
- #008
At the time of his death, Chris Farley was planning to make a third film with David Spade.
- #009
Before his death, Farley said he wanted to take on a dramatic role as the silent comedian Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle in a biographical film.
- #010
As comedian Norm MacDonald said in an interview on the Howard Stern radio show, Farley named his SNL character Matt Foley after a priest named Matt Foley in his hometown; Norm said that at Farley's funeral he learned that Farley had led a secret life helping in a soup kitchen and doing other things for the church.
- #011
Chris Farley was credited with performing many of his own stunts.
- #012
Chris Farley and David Spade were planning to make a film about the Matt Foley character from Saturday Night Live (1975).
- #013
Chris Farley was known for always stopping to give money and show kindness to the homeless people he passed on the street.
- #014
After his death, Chris Farley was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6366 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on August 26, 2005. The star is located in front of the former Olympic West theater, where he had once performed.
- #015
According to the coroner, Farley was 5' 8" and 296 lbs at the time of his death.
- #016
Chris Farley was so disappointed in Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) that he cried on his manager's shoulder after the first screening. He told his manager he never wanted to make a film like that again. Farley's stance was justified, as the film was probably attributed to his manic, physical humor being simplified and played to an almost exhausting and silly level.
- #017
Chris Farley had one year left on his contract with Saturday Night Live (1975), but he left in 1995 during the series' rapid cast turnover.
- #018
Kevin P. Farley, Chris Farley's brother, appeared as an extra in most of his films.
- #019
David Spade paid tribute to him on Saturday Night Live 25 (1999).
- #020
Chris was an alumnus of Chicago's ImprovOlympic improv group. Other members included Jon Favreau, Ian Gomez, Pat Finn, Tim Meadows, Rachel Dratch, Vince Vaughn, Mike Myers, Ossie Beck, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Adam McKay.
- #021
Farley starred in only four films over the course of his career: Tommy Boy (1995), Black Sheep (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) and Almost Heroes (1998). His other film appearances were only supporting roles.
- #022
Dav Pilkey, author of the children's book series "Captain Underpants", wanted Farley to star in a potential television series based on the books, but abandoned the idea after Farley's untimely death.
- #023
He earned a degree in communications and theatre from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1986).
- #024
He was originally set to reunite with David Spade in the film Lost & Found (1999). After his untimely death, the role went to Artie Lange.
- #025
He was originally to appear alongside Chris Rock and Ben Stiller in the then-unmade third Ghostbusters film.
- #026
Adam Sandler wrote a heartfelt and chilling song dedicated to Chris Farley and performed it at his live shows and in a 2019 episode of Saturday Night Live.
- #027
After his untimely death, he was buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin.
- #028
He dressed up as Newt Gingrich on Capitol Hill to help the House Republican leader celebrate his first 100 days.
- #029
He planned to take a role in a biography of Hermann Goering.
- #030
He was the brother of John Farley and Kevin P. Farley.
- #031
He was a passionate football and rugby player.
- #032
He was seven-eighths Irish and one-eighth Scottish.
- #033
He was friends with Jim Carrey.
- #034
He was considered for a voice role in Dinosaur (2000) as Sorbus, a young male brachiosaurus who, despite his enormous size, was afraid of heights. After his death, the character was rewritten as an elderly female brachiosaurus named Baylene, voiced by stage actress Joan Plowright.
- #035
Chris Farley died on 18 December 1997, two months before his 34th birthday on 15 February 1998.
- #036
Tommy Boy (1995) and Black Sheep (1996), the films Chris Farley headlined, are widely regarded as his best-known and most beloved movies, though they did not actually perform very well at the box office during their theatrical runs. Both earned roughly $32 million domestically. Lorne Michaels, who produced both films, felt Tommy Boy had not been promoted enough, and the studio responded by making Black Sheep since Farley was under contract to the studio at the time. Black Sheep opened to a stronger gross than Tommy Boy had the previous year while earning the same amount at the box office. After Farley's death in 1997, however, Tommy Boy became one of Paramount's best-selling home video titles, earning as much as the studio's major hits the Top Gun and Forrest Gump franchises and The Godfather and Indiana Jones franchises. Despite the decline of physical media, it reached nearly four times its theatrical gross and remains a favorite on broadcast and cable television. Black Sheep, though it did not earn as much, has kept its popularity and has a very large following. Because neither film managed to set the box office on fire, the studio was unexpectedly surprised.
- #037
Chris Farley was friends with Andy Dick and Gary Busey.
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