‘I Am Chris Farley’ Trailer Debuts, Documentary Offers Moving Peek Into The Turbulent Life Of The Late Comedian
The trailer for a new documentary about the life of comedian Chris Farley — called I Am Chris Farley — debuted on BuzzFeed Monday. The two-minute trailer features snippets of his most memorable Saturday Night Live sketches, as well as interviews with his friends, cast members, and fellow comedians, like Bob Saget, who asks “everyone cries through this, right?”
The documentary chronicles Farley’s life. Clips of home movies, with interviews from his four siblings — which include Tom Jr., who wrote a biography on his brother, titled The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts — document his childhood, and early life in his home in Madison, Wisconsin. The film follows Farley’s start as a comedian while attending Marquette University, his work as a member of Second City Theatre in Chicago, and ultimately, his rise to fame on Saturday Night Live, as well as in films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep.
Interspersed between clips of his most famous and beloved SNL sketches are interviews with those who knew him the best. Comedians like Adam Sandler, Tom Arnold, and David Spade discuss Farley’s comedic ability, as well as the inner demons Chris fought.
“He was this boy that wanted to do good, but then there was this other side of him. So his whole life was this constant battle,” says Tom Arnold.
“Funniest guy ever. He was nuts!” says former SNL writer Bob Odenkirk, who adds, “You can’t walk around being funny all the time. You have to be yourself sometimes.”
Chris Farley quickly rose to fame when he was added to the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1990, at 26-years-old. For five years, his brand of physical comedy made viewers, as well as cast members, laugh, and fall in love with the robust funny man. “He was infectious, and he was kind, and he was a puppy dog,” Christina Applegate says in her interview for I Am Chris Farley.
Five years after he was initially cast on SNL, he — and other cast members — were fired after the 1994-1995 season. Despite this, Lorne Michaels, the creator of SNL, says Farley was in a category above, and that he was drawn to Chris.
“There’s a category of people that I worked with that are infuriatingly talented. As long as they’re in this world, I think you always recognize whatever it is when you see it. You’re always drawn to that.”
Chris Farley passed away in 1997 of a drug overdose. He was 33-years-old.
I Am Chris Farley will be in theatres July 31. The documentary will then debut on Spike TV on August 10, followed by release on video-on-demand and digital download.
[Image Credit: Popcrush]
