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The Last Days of Chris Farley
Posted by Defamer Hollywood at 2:50 AM on April 3, 2008
As much as we'd like to believe that Chris Farley's time on earth was a shouting, dancing laugh fest until its too-soon end, his brother Tom's new book, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, shatters our (admittedly quite flimsy) illusions about his life. Excerpts from the book will run in May's Playboy — finally, you can say "I bought it for the articles!" and truly mean it — but Page Six has two distressing quotes this morning from his fellow Not Ready For Prime Time Players. Particularly sad — Farley BFF David Spade recalls a time when his pal's heckling went well beyond "fat guy in a little coat:"
"I got a lot of s - - - at the end about 'Why weren't you there for him?' But being that close, I dealt with it all the time. And in that situation, before the guy's dead, he's just kind of an a - -hole. Truth is, you get a junkie who's wasted all the time and moody and angry and trying to knock you around, you say, 'OK, you go do that, and I'll be over here.' "
Chevy Chase, meanwhile, took a tough love stance, dressing Farley down as only a reputed narcissist could:
"Look, you're not John Belushi. And when you overdose or kill yourself, you will not have the same acclaim that John did . . . You'll be a blip in the New York Times obituaries page, and that'll be it. Is that what you want?"...And yet, "Farley Show" co-author Tanner Colby's other book credit just happens to be Belushi, penned with that tragic funnyman's wife. Who feels like a horse's patoot now, Chase?
- CHRIS FARLEY AND HIS DAYS OF HELL [NY Post]
Tags: chris farley | saturday night live
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Cacafuego
Posted 4:56 AM 3/4/08
I remember a friend of mine coming back from a pool party at George "Norm!" Wendt's place and being as depressed as you can imagine. I asked him what was up. He replied: "I just spent the afternoon watching Chris Farley killing himself." He went on to describe something pretty much identical to the David Spade quote. Farley was dead within 3 months after that.
I did find it interesting to learn that Hollywood's "big guys"--Tom Arnold, John Goodman, Wendt, etc.--all know each other and hang out. I guess Jack Black's a part of that club now.
Cacafuego
Little Mintz Sunshine
Posted 4:49 AM 3/4/08
Gah...I just remember the death scene photos. If those don't inspire you to take better care of yourself, then you may be beyond hope.
Little Mintz Sunshine
Kdoggy
Posted 4:24 AM 3/4/08
Hey, hate to double post but doesn't Farley have a look-a-like brother out there doing the same act in Avis commercials and even Curb Your Enthusiasm? Guy looks just like him and has the same mannerisms. Seems like the Jim Belushi syndrome.
Kdoggy
Kdoggy
Posted 4:22 AM 3/4/08
Personally, I liked Chris Farley in Tommy Boy and even in many of his skits on SNL better than I did Belushi. Granted, Animal House and The Blues Brothers are iconic American classics but all in all Farley may have been more amusing than Belushi. Belushi needed others to play off of but Farley could just be himself. I always thought Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd had much more talent than John Belushi did anyway. Farley would have done well as part of that original (and to this day) BEST cast of SNL.
Kdoggy
bitchybitch
Posted 4:21 AM 3/4/08
He had some great moments in Tommy Boy. He seemed like he could be really sweet and goofy, not just the fat guy falling down.
bitchybitch
Plankton420
Posted 4:19 AM 3/4/08
Am I the only one who failed to see Farley's comedic "brilliance" at all? Near as I could tell, his full range was "fat guy falls down."
True, he was in a few classics, like the (always-mentioned) "Chippendale's Audition" sketch, but that was so funny only because Farley was playing a fat guy...
As for what David Spade is quoted as saying above, anyone who's been in a similar situation with an out-of-control friend knows he's 100% correct. It's really hard to "be there" for someone that does everything they can to push you away...
Plankton420
JudgeFudge
Posted 4:16 AM 3/4/08
I was lucky enough to get a galley of this, and I must say, its great. One of the most entertaining and compelling artist bio's I've ever read, and a deep and powerful exploration of addiction.
JudgeFudge
CourageousCoward
Posted 4:14 AM 3/4/08
Chase will only be proved a horse's patoot (ironic that his family was in the toilet biz, huh?) if the Farley book outsells the Belushi book. I'm guessing it won't.
CourageousCoward
Old No.7
Posted 4:04 AM 3/4/08
Yeah Chevy, you're the real roadmap on how to be a legendary comedic genius.
Old No.7
Juancho
Posted 5:04 AM 3/4/08
@Cacafuego: And they all had problems, Goodman with the booze. Sad.
The Belushi book is a nice book, but I doubt it sold a ton of copies. Looks great on the coffee table, though.
Juancho
revmatty
Posted 8:05 AM 3/4/08
I didn't watch SNL with any regularity while Farley was on, but the Van Down By The River sketch is possibly the funniest thing that has been on SNL since about 1980.
revmatty
Pomalina
Posted 9:02 AM 3/4/08
@Kdoggy: Yes, he does, though his younger brother is much more regular sized.
Pomalina
Ringles
Posted 8:50 AM 3/4/08
I had a pornographic dream about Chevy Chase which involved a handie on his extrememly large...appendage. I've never recovered.
Oh yes, and Farley was great and all, but he was no Phil Hartman.
Ringles
Xylo
Posted 9:15 AM 3/4/08
@revmatty: "Well, lah-di-frickin'-DAH!!!"
+ Watch video
Xylo
rev2002
Posted 3:49 PM 3/4/08
John Belushi: Zeitgeist,part of
Chris Farley: VH1
rev2002
oolishfay
Posted 5:55 PM 3/4/08
I don't find anything particularly "distressing" about either of those quotes. As a matter of fact, I applaud their honesty. It is much easier for everyone to shake their heads after the fact and tell "he was such a great guy" stories. But to admit his addictions made him an a--hole, or to be so blunt in an effort to scare some sense into someone, now that's real friendship. It certainly doesn't mean they didn't love the guy.
oolishfay
DrFeelgood
Posted 2:11 AM 4/4/08
Spade's quote is from a guy who LOVED Chris Farley.
It's honest and sad.
Very sad.
DrFeelgood
SanFranBetsu
Posted 3:16 AM 4/4/08
Those closest to the addict are the most helpless. Spade did the right thing for his own peace of mind. Chevy Chase dealth with Belushi's death on a very personal level. This story is a sad one.
SanFranBetsu