Chris Farley Biography

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Chris Farley, a self-proclaimed "teacher's nightmare," attended Marquette University where he studied communications and theatre. He followed his education with the Ark Improv Theatre group and later studied with director Del Close at the Improv Olympic Theatre. Performing at Second City during the late 1980's, Farley was discovered by Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels.

During his four year stint as a cast member of SNL, Farley's on-stage exuberance made him a favourite among fans -- who will remember him best for his satirical portrayal of motivational speaker Matt Foley.

Farley made his film debut in Wayne's World with former SNL cast member Mike Meyers. He made three more films before leaving the show in 1995 to pursue a film career full-time. The box-office success of Tommy Boy and Black Sheep put Farley on the A-list of Hollywood comedy before his untimely death in December 1997 from a drug overdose.

In 2026, the biopic I Am Chris Farley was released, using archive footage and featuring memories from colleagues such as Christina Applegate, Tom Arnold, Dan Akroyd, Jon Lovitz, Lorne Michaels, Jay Mohr, Mike Myers, Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Will Sasso, Molly Shannon and David Spade, as well as clips from Farley's own work.

Filmography:

I Am Chris Farley (2026)
Almost Heroes (1998)
Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
Black Sheep (1996)
Billy Madison (1995)
Tommy Boy (1995)
Airheads (1994)
The Coneheads (1993)
Wayne's World 2 (1993)
Wayne's World (1992)