Product Description

A biography of the Saturday Night Live star as told by his friends and family

No one dominated a stage the way Chris Farley did. For him, comedy was not a routine; it was a way of life. He could not enter a room unnoticed or let a conversation go without making someone laugh. Fans knew Chris as Saturday Night Live’s sweaty, swaggering, motivational speaker; as the irresistible Chippendales stripper; and as Tommy Callahan, the underdog hero of Tommy Boy. His family knew him as sensitive and passionate, deeply religious, and devoted to bringing laughter into others’ lives.

But Chris did not know moderation, either in his boundless generosity toward friends or in the reckless abandon of his drug and alcohol abuse. For ten years, Chris cycled in and out of rehabilitation centers, constantly fighting his insecurities and his fears. Despite three hard-fought years of sobriety, addiction would ultimately take his life at the tragically young age of thirty-three. Fame on SNL and three straight number-one box office hits gave way to a string of embarrassing public appearances, followed by a fatal overdose in December 1997.

Here is Chris Farley as remembered by his family, friends, and colleagues—the true story of a man who lived to make us laugh and died as a result. The Chris Farley Show is an evocative and harrowing portrait of a family trapped by addiction, a father forced to bury a son, and a gifted and kindhearted man ultimately torn apart by the demons inside him.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9170 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Amazon.com
Amazon Best of the Month, May 2008: You don't have to be a rabid Chris Farley fan to enjoy The Chris Farley Show, an honest, endearing oral biography about a truly funny, deeply troubled addict that is as likely to make you cry as it is to make you laugh out loud. Made up mostly of excerpts from intimate interviews with family, childhood friends, famous castmates, and writers, The Chris Farley Show is a vivid portrait of a performer, told plainly by the people who knew him best at every stage of his life. These hundred or so interviews piece together the complex back-story of a hugely talented, big-hearted guy who could make the funniest people in the business laugh with "just a look," but whose vulnerability and "puppy dog personality" charmed friends and family into letting him off the hook--preventing him from getting help when he needed it most. Funny and heart wrenching, The Chris Farley Show is a must-read for fans of Farley and of the people who loved him (including David Spade, Chris Rock, Tim Meadows), as well as anyone looking for a glimpse into life on the stage. --Daphne Durham

From Publishers Weekly
Chris Farley's older brother Tom is director of the Chris Farley Foundation, an institution dedicated to educating young people about addiction and inspired by the tragic early death of his comedian sibling. Farley has teamed up with Colby (coauthor of Belushi: A Biography and also a National Lampoon Radio Hour head writer) for this rip-roaring memory mosaic, talking to all the people who either knew Chris the best or were there at the important moments in his life. The interview quotes have been rearranged into a chronological narrative, which starts with Farley's childhood pranks in Madison, Wis., and moves on to the Marquette University theatricals that revealed Farley's flair for improv. Chicago's Second City catapulted him to Saturday Night Live, where he performed many well-remembered characters. Next came movies, but drugs, alcohol and rehab lurked in the background of his rise to fame. Molly Shannon recalled: He was just indulging in everything: girls, Chinese food, drugs, booze, cold syrup. Everything. With talents such as Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien and David Spade analyzing his humor and detailing Farley's escapades and hijinks, this is a boisterous book the comedian's fans will want to buy, borrow or steal. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Tom Farley, Jr.., Chris’s older brother, is president and managing director of The Chris Farley Foundation, which educates young people about substance abuse and addiction. Tanner Colby is former head writer of the National Lampoon Radio Hour and coauthor of Belushi: A Biography.

Customer Reviews

great story, valuable lessons
hilariously funny and crushingly tragic at the same time. For fans of Chris Farley's SNL career, this is a must-read.

I couldn't put this book down, reminded me of how much I loved the comedy of Chris Farley.
This book gives insight from the people who were closest to Chris Farley of how truly wonderful and caring this man was. He had so much to offer those around him and the world but unfortunately was, in the end, unable to fight off his inner pain and demons. Addiction and low self-esteen and a search for love can be too much for some people to overcome and Chris must have been one of them. His contributions to comedy and this world will never be forgotten. This book is an easy read, is funny in parts and breaks your hearts in others. A must read for anyone who admired this great man.

The life of the sad clown.
This book had me laughing and crying. It really helps you understand the man who made us laugh, when deep down inside he was crying.