Table of Contents
For my brother, whom I love and miss;
my dad, who gave us all he had to give;
my kids, Mary Kate, Emma, and Tommy,
the most inspiring, funny, caring, and wonderful kids anyone could have;
and most important,
my wife and deepest friend, Laura, whom I love with all my heart
For Gus, a great writer of stories and chapter books
Nothing you can make that cant be made,
No one you can save that cant be saved,
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time.
Its easy.
All you need is love.
JOHN LENNON/PAUL MCCARTNEY
INTRODUCTION
Irish brothers share one of the strangest relationships on earth. We fight like hell among ourselves on a daily basis, but one word or action against one brother brings the wrath of God down upon you from the others. That was Chris and me. We were always competing, whether it was driveway basketball, touch football, or Monopoly. Most of the time, those games would end in a brawl. Nothing bloody, mind you. Drawing blood would bring the fury of Mom or Dad down on all of us. No, most of the time wed strike a few blows and then run like hell. And let me tell you, nothing was more terrifying than being chased through the neighborhood by a crazy, mad Irish sibling who outweighed you by twenty-five pounds and had a brick in his hand!
But rare was the time that I wouldnt come running if Chris was in trouble. I was the older brother; that was my job. And, Chris being Chris, it was a job that put me in harms way more times than I would have liked. One such time, when I was in eighth grade and Chris was in sixth, he got into a fight with a classmate. He tackled the kid and threw him to the ground, landing on top of him and breaking his collarbone. Word got around school that the kids seventh-grade brother was gunning for Chris. Naturally, I had to step in. I put the word out that the brother would have to get through me first. I found out later that day that the kids brother was named Rocky. No shit: Rocky! The guy was massive (a future all-city lineman in high school, no less). No fight ensued, but I did learn that I possessed a real gift of what the Irish call the gab. I talked my way out of it. It was my only defense, without which Chris would have certainly gotten me killed several times over. Life with Chris was exciting; he brought drama and danger into our lives. But no matter what he put you through, he could always just give you a look and make you laugh. Boy, did he make us laugh.
We always loved to tell Chris stories. Ive heard them from friends, relatives, teachers, coacheseven priests and nuns. You could be the funniest guy in the room just by describing some of the stuff Chris did. For every hilarious thing he did on camera, there were twenty things he did offscreen that just blew it away. He lived to make others laugh, and he was fearless about it. In the years since Chris passed away, there have been countless times when Chriss buddies would find themselves huddled together, sharing these crazy stories. At one time, I even thought that a collection of those stories would make a fantastic book. I still do. But I now believe that those funny stories alone would not paint the right picture of who this kid was. Chris had far too much depth and way too much pain. We all enjoyed Chris so much, and its hard to put those things into words.
I began this project by listing all the people who either knew Chris the best or were there at the important moments in his life. I spoke to most of them and gave them assurances that this was a project that our family was behind all the way. I wanted them to be open and honest about their memories, opinions, and feelings about being part of what, for most, was an unforgettable relationship. Im not sure I was totally prepared for the story that Tanner and I ended up with. The funny stories and outrageous moments are definitely in there, but what emerged was this amazing picture of the multifaceted character traits that Chris possessed. He was hilarious, yes, but he was also a very religious, very caringand very troubled and addicted person. Its a sad story, no question about it. But its Chris.
Soon after Chris died, I told my wife that my greatest fear was being sixty years old and trying hard to remember this kid who was my brother. I guess anyone whos lost someone close can say that. Being able to watch the fun movies and video clips only gets you so far; its not the full picture. Im pleased that this book will be something I can pick up when Im older, remember Chris and his wild life, and be once more amazed that I had such an unbelievable person in my life.
ACT I
CHAPTER 1
A Motivated Speaker
MIKE CLEARY, friend, Edgewood High School:
Freshman year of college were heading out on a road trip to Milwaukee to see a big game. Were in the car. Weve got the fifth of vodka, the gallon of orange juice. Were ready to get loaded and party. Just as we start to drive, Chris says, Stop!
We stop the car, and he pulls out a rosary. We have to sit there in the car and say one decade of the rosaryten Hail Marys and an Our Fatherbefore we can leave. Then he balls the rosary up in his hand, tosses it in the glove compartment, slams it shut, looks at all of us, and says, Well, its in Gods hands now." And we hit the road.
On June 24, 1994, life for Chris Farley was good. He had just finished his fourth season on NBCs Saturday Night Live and was coming into his own as one of the most promising stars in American comedy. As the earnest, sad-sack Chippendales dancer and the swaggering, van-dwelling Motivational Speaker, Chris was bringing a kind of energy and anarchy to the show not seen since its seventies heyday. Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, and Phil Hartman were stepping down as the shows reliable go-to players, and Chris was leading the chargealongside Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, David Spade, and Rob Schneiderin the next cycle of revitalizing and redefining the late-night institution for a new generation. Chris was also about to take on his first starring role in a feature film, Tommy Boy. The following year, Tommy Boy would open at the top of the North American box office and solidify Chriss status as a bankable movie star.
From his very first days onstagestarting in plays at summer camp and eventually at Chicagos Second CityChris had possessed a singular talent for capturing and relating to an audience. In the words of SNL creator Lorne Michaels, People liked Chris Farley, they trusted Chris Farley, and they thought they knew Chris Farley. In his lifetime, that likability translated to a huge following on television and three straight number one box-office hits. And since his death at the age of thirty-three, Chriss appeal persists. In the past ten years, Saturday Night Lives Best of Chris Farley DVD has sold over a million copies, making it the second-best -selling title in the shows entire history. Tommy Boy, for its part, has gone on to become one of Paramount Studios top-selling DVDs of all time.
But Chriss success had not come easily. His rise at SNL had been marred by a constant struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. High school and college drinking had given way, eventually, to cocaine and heroin use. Through the intervention of friends and family, Chris had attempted several different recovery programs, all of them eventually ineffective.
