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NEED TO KNOW
Comedian Chris Farley died from a drug overdose on Dec. 18, 1997
He was 33 years old and was found dead in his Chicago apartment
Farley was best known for his role on Saturday Night Live and movies including Tommy Boy
ComedianChris Farley's life came to a tragic end 28 years ago.
The Wisconsin-born star was discovered dead in his Chicago apartment from an apparent drug overdose on Dec. 18, 1997. He was 33 years old — the same age his longtime idol and fellow comedianJohn Belushiwas when he died 15 years prior.
The comedian starred onSNLfor the five years, debuting legendary characters, including motivational speaker Matt Foley, a wannabe Chippendales dancer and Cindy, one of the Gap girls. Though he wasfired from the sketch comedy showin 1995 (along with his close friend Adam Sandler), Farley found success on the big screen, appearing inTommy BoyandBeverly Hills Ninja.
Farley was also plagued by addictions to alcohol, drugs and food. The comedian went in and out of rehab more than a dozen times throughout his life, and was sober for three years before relapsing again in 1995. Friends repeatedlyurged Farley to get sober, in an effort to help him avoid a fate similar to his hero Belushi.
"I said, 'Chris, you can't follow John. You can't follow his track. The guy did drugs. He's dead. You can't follow him with the drugs to find out who he was,' " Belushi's brother Jim said onDavid SpadeandDana Carvey'sFly on the Wallpodcast in December 2022.
From his final days to his lasting legacy, here is everything to know about Chris Farley's tragic death.
How did Chris Farley die?
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There was no evidence of foul play and no drugs found in the apartment when Farley's body was discovered — but those closest to the comedian immediately suspected thathe had died of an overdose. An autopsy report later confirmed what they feared: Farley had died from an accidental overdose of cocaine and morphine.
In addition to the drugs, blood tests revealed that the comedian had taken the antidepressant Prozac and an antihistamine — but neither of those had contributed to his death, according to theLos Angeles Times.
What was found to be a significant factor in Farley's death, however, was coronary atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the medical examiner reported, per theChicago Tribune.
"Chris played Russian roulette with drugs and alcohol, and it caught up with him," Jillian Seely, a close friend of Farley's, told PEOPLE shortly after his death. "He wanted more than anything to be sober, but his addictions overtook him."
Even Farley himself recognized that he was on a self-destructive path.
"Let's just say I had my share of fun," Farley toldRolling Stonein 1997 about his drug usage. "But all that s--- does is kill someone. It is a demon that must be snuffed out. It is the end."
Where did Chris Farley die?
Farley was found dead in his 60th-floor apartment in the 100-story John Hancock Tower in downtown Chicago. His younger brother, John, discovered his body.
"He died alone on a linoleum floor," Father Matt Foley, a friend of Farley's and the inspiration for one of his famousSNLcharacters, said inthe documentaryI Am Chris Farley. "It was not what we wanted for him or what he wanted for himself."
When did Chris Farley die?
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Farley's body was discovered on Dec. 18, 1997, at around 2 p.m. However, his fatal downward spiral began four days prior, on Dec. 14.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, Farley spent the night partying at the Chicago club Karma. At about 2 a.m. on Monday, he moved the party to his apartment, according toEntertainment Weekly, where he reportedly did cocaine for nearly seven more hours. Farley then continued to party Monday evening, attending the 38th-anniversary celebration for Second City (the Chicago improv company where he got his start).
"He was partying too much and had no sense of direction," former Chicago Bulls playerDennis Rodmantold PEOPLE after he ran into Farley that night and had one of his bodyguards help him home.
What was the public reaction to Chris Farley's death?
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Those who knew Farley — and his struggles with substance abuse and addiction — were not shocked by his death at a young age. However, it did not lessen the blow of the tragic loss.
"I wasn't shocked," Mike Myers said about Farley's death in the documentaryI Am Chris Farley, "but I was very sad."
Public memorials for Farley were held in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Stars like Sandler,Chris RockandDan Aykroydattended his funeral in his hometown of Madison, Wis., where a copy of "A Clown's Prayer" was handed out to the mourners.
"As I stumble through this life, help me create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair," the prayer, which Farley kept in his wallet, reads in part.
Why didn't David Spade go to Chris Farley's funeral?
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Several of Farley's fellow comedians andSaturday Night Livecostars attended his private funeral in Madison. But notably absent from the services was Farley's best friend,David Spade.
Spade and Farley not only appeared onSNLtogether, but they also starred in the filmsTommy BoyandBlack Sheep. Their friendship went beyond the big and small screen, too — with Spade describing their bond as "like an old married couple" on theTodayshow. So when Spade did not attend Farley's funeral, rumors sparked that the two had had a falling out.
Spade revealed years later, though, his real reason for skipping his best friend's funeral.
"I think about him all the time," Spade wrote in a Reddit AMA in April 2014, perRolling Stone. "We had such a good time for so long and we were crammed together for so long that we did have our squabbles, but I think people misunderstood me not going to that funeral."
He continued, "It was nothing about that. It was just too ... emotional and I wouldn't be able to handle it."
What is Chris Farley's legacy?
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Though Farley's career and life were cut tragically short, he left a lasting impact on the world of comedy. He is widely remembered as one of the comedy greats and earned a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2005, seven years after his untimely death.
"Everyone still has a real nice place in their hearts for him, they still remember him," Spade said about his close friend at his Walk of Fame ceremony, perToday. "He goes down as one of the greats. And I still think about him every day."
Farley's friends in the comedy world have kept his spirit and memory alive in the decades since his passing. Sandler wrote a tribute song for Farley, dubbed the "Chris Farley Song," andperformed it on his 2018 Netflix special,Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh, againwhen he hostedSNLin 2019and at theend of every stand-up comedy show on his 2022 tour.
Spade and Carvey also honored Farley witha two-part tribute special on theirFly on the Wallpodcast. The episodes, which were released around the 25th anniversary of Farley's death in 2022, honored Farley's talent and lamented what he could have achieved had he not died so young.
"No one was competing with Farley," Chris Rock said about the late comedian on the tribute special. "It was just like he'sMichael Jordan, and give him the ball."
Farley is also set to bememorialized in an upcoming biopic. The film, which is based on the 2008 bookThe Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, will starPaul Walter Hauserand is reportedly being directed byJosh Gadand produced by Lorne Michaels.
"This is a glory story. Not a tale from the crypt. Ready to honor Christopher," Hauser wrote onInstagramin April 2024 when he announced the project.
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