Chris Farley, Who Died Just Like His Idol John Belushi
Getty ImagesChris Farley in the SNL “Chippendales” sketch. Farley’s overdose ranks among the most tragic SNL member deaths.
Chris Farley idolized John Belushi. Both comics hailed from the Midwest, and both found their big break on Saturday Night Live. But sadly, Farley also met an eerily similar end to Belushi.
In 1997, Chris Farley died at the age of 33 from a speedball overdose.
Born on Feb. 15, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, Farley discovered the power of comedy at a young age. Overweight since childhood, he found that humor could be an effective defense against even the cruelest bullies.
As an adult, Farley made his way to Second City, where the comic caught Lorne Michaels’ attention. Farley joined the SNL cast in 1990, and stayed with the show for five years. His larger-than-life stage presence and willingness to do anything for a laugh quickly made him a fan favorite. Many of Farley’s sketches, including “Chippendales” and “Van Down By The River,” stand as some of SNL’s most iconic.
Getty ImagesChris Farley with SNL cast mates Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and David Spade.
But Farley, like his idol Belushi, also struggled with heroin and cocaine addiction. He went in and out of rehab more than a dozen times, and clearly lacked energy when he returned to host SNL in 1997. Despite warnings from his friends and co-stars, Farley’s struggles with drugs and alcohol continued.
In December 1997, Farley embarked on a four-day binge of drugs and alcohol. On Dec. 18, his brother found him dead in his Chicago apartment.
“I used to think that you could get to a level of success where the laws of the universe didn’t apply,” Farley once told Playboy, according to his New York Times obit. “But they do. It’s still life on life’s terms, not on movie-star terms. I still have to work at relationships. I still have to work on my weight and some of my other demons. Once I thought that if I just had enough in the bank, if I had enough fame, that it would be all right. But I’m a human being like everyone else. I’m not exempt.”
