Age, Biography, and Wiki
Chris Farley was born on February 15, 1964, in Madison, Wisconsin. He was raised in a family that encouraged his early interest in comedy. Farley's career began with Chicago's Second City Theatre, where he honed his comedic skills alongside other notable comedians. He later became a cast member of "Saturday Night Live," where he gained widespread recognition for his energetic performances and physical comedy.
| Occupation | Comedian |
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| Date of Birth | 15 February 1964 |
| Age | 61 Years |
| Birth Place | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 18 December, 1997 |
| Died Place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Height, Weight & Measurements
At his peak, Chris Farley stood at 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed nearly 300 pounds towards the end of his life, which contributed to health issues.
Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. He 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. 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 at the age of 33.
On October 25, 1997, Farley made his final appearance on Saturday Night Live as a first-time host. The cold open featured Lorne Michaels doubting Farley's ability to host, with Tim Meadows advocating that "he will be calm, he will be focused and he will be good... His party days are over." Chevy Chase was Farley's "sponsor" in the sketch. Farley's hoarse voice and flushed skin were the subject of public scrutiny. He had strained his vocal cords during rehearsal and his exhaustion was so noticeable the producers nearly cancelled his appearance. In the final years of his life, Farley had sought treatment for his weight and drug abuse on 17 occasions.
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches |
| Weight | 300 pounds |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Chris Farley remained single throughout his life. His personal struggles with addiction often overshadowed his romantic life.
His father Thomas John Farley Sr. (1936–1999) owned an oil company and his mother Mary Anne (née Crosby) was a homemaker. He had four siblings: Tom Jr., Kevin, John, and Barbara. His cousin Jim is chief executive officer at Ford Motor Company. Farley attended parochial schools in Madison, including Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart. According to Joel Murray, a fellow Second City cast member, Farley would "always make it to Mass."
Many of his summers were spent as a camper and counselor at Red Arrow Camp, near Minocqua, Wisconsin. He graduated from Marquette University in 1986, with a double major in communications and theater. At Marquette, he played rugby union and discovered a love of comedy. After college, he worked with his father at the Scotch Oil Company in Madison. He first learned the art of improvisational comedy at the Ark Improv Theatre in Madison.
Popular characters performed by Farley included Matt Foley, an over-the-top motivational speaker who frequently reminded other characters that he was "living in a van down by the river!" The character was created by Bob Odenkirk when he and Farley were performers at Second City. The character's name came from a longtime friend of Farley's who became a Catholic priest and currently serves as pastor at St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. In early renditions of the character, Farley used other names, depending on whom he knew in the audience, until the real-life Foley went to the show and had his name used, at which point Farley felt the name best suited the character and refused to change it. Some of the mannerisms of the character were a combination of the positions Farley noticed his rugby teammates took on the pitch coupled with his high school football coach's habit of squatting down when giving pep talks and the voice his father used when he was angry.
Off-screen, Farley was well known for his pranks in the offices of Saturday Night Live. Sandler and Farley would make late-night prank phone calls from the SNL offices in Rockefeller Center, with Sandler speaking in an old woman's voice and Farley farting into the phone and mooning cars from a limousine, and even once defecating out a 17th floor window. He was also known to frequently get naked and do various stunts for laughs, including imitating Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb from the then-current film The Silence of the Lambs. Rock once claimed that he probably saw Farley's genitals more than Farley's girlfriend did. Farley, alongside Sandler, was fired by NBC in 1995.
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Net Worth and Salary
Chris Farley's net worth at the time of his death was approximately $5 million. His earnings primarily came from his successful career in television and film, notably from movies like "Tommy Boy," "Black Sheep," and "Beverly Hills Ninja." For "Beverly Hills Ninja" and "Black Sheep," he earned $6 million each, while "Tommy Boy" earned him $2 million. His time on "Saturday Night Live" also contributed significantly to his financial success.
Career, Business, and Investments
Chris Farley's career was marked by his vibrant performances and collaborations with other comedians. He was a key figure in "Saturday Night Live" from 1990 to 1995, where he developed many memorable characters and sketches. His film career included hits like "Tommy Boy" (1995) and "Black Sheep" (1996), both of which were commercially successful. Though Farley did not leave behind any direct business ventures, his legacy continues to earn revenue from royalties and merchandise related to his work.
After Farley and most of his fellow cast members were released from their contracts at Saturday Night Live following the 1994–95 season, Farley began focusing on his film career. In his first two major films, Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, he starred with SNL colleague and close friend David Spade. These were a success at the domestic box office, earning around $32 million each and gaining a large cult following on home video. The two films established Farley as a relatively bankable star, and he was given the title role of Beverly Hills Ninja, which finished in first place at the box office on its opening weekend.
For most of his adult life, Farley battled alcohol and drug addiction. These addictions resulted in him being suspended from the cast of Saturday Night Live. Producer Lorne Michaels had little patience for Farley's drug use (having had similar problems with John Belushi) and threatened to permanently dismiss Farley if he refused to obtain help. Bernie Brillstein, whose firm of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment managed Farley, had repeatedly sent Farley to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Farley's career, private life, and early death have often been compared to that of his comedy idol John Belushi, who died at the same age and from a similar drug overdose.
Social Network
Chris Farley passed away before the widespread use of social media as we know it today. However, his influence on current comedians and fans is evident through various tributes and mentions across platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Farley was originally cast as the voice of the title character in the animated film Shrek (2001), recording 85% of the character's dialogue, but he died just before the voice-over was completed. The filmmakers considered having a Farley impersonator record the remaining lines, but Shrek's dialogue was eventually re-recorded by former SNL castmate Mike Myers. A story reel and animation test featuring a sample of Farley as Shrek was released in 2015 and 2022 respectively. The original version of Shrek was more like Farley himself, according to his brother. Additionally, in Dana Carvey and David Spade's podcast Fly on the Wall tribute episode to the 25th anniversary of Chris's death, John Farley said he had been approached by the studio to complete Chris's lines due to his voice sounding almost identical to his brother's. While lamenting he wished he had completed the film for Chris, John admitted he just could not bring himself to do it at the time, even though Chris had five days left of line readings.
In 2018, Adam Sandler wrote and performed an emotional tribute song dedicated to Farley in his Netflix stand-up special Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh. Netflix released the performance on YouTube later that year to commemorate the 21st anniversary of Farley's death. Sandler later played the song live on an episode of Saturday Night Live that he hosted on May 4, 2019.
Education
Chris Farley attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he studied communications and theater. His early education laid the groundwork for his future career in comedy.
In conclusion, Chris Farley's net worth and career highlight a talented individual who left an indelible mark on the world of comedy. Despite his personal struggles, his legacy endures, inspiring new generations of comedians and fans alike.
