Net Worth Ranker
What Was Chris Farley’s Net Worth?
At the time of his untimely death in 1997, Chris Farley, the beloved comedian and actor, had accumulated a net worth of $5 million. This figure represents the culmination of his successful career in comedy, television, and film, despite his personal struggles with addiction.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Christopher Crosby Farley was born on February 15, 1964, in Madison, Wisconsin. He spent his childhood in Maple Bluff, nurtured in a family of five siblings: Tom Jr., Kevin, John, and Barbara. His father, Thomas Farley Sr., owned the Scotch Oil Company, while his mother, Mary Anne, dedicated her time to managing the household. Chris’s formative years included summers spent at Red Arrow Camp near Minocqua, Wisconsin, where he participated as both a camper and a counselor. His education was rooted in Catholic schools in Madison, including Edgewood High School, before he pursued higher education at Marquette University. In 1986, he graduated with a double degree in Communications and Theater. During his time at Marquette, Farley’s involvement in rugby introduced him to the world of comedy.
Before fully committing to his comedic pursuits, Chris briefly joined his father at the Scotch Oil Company in Madison after graduating. Simultaneously, he began exploring improvisational comedy at the Ark Improv Theatre under the guidance of Dennis Kern, alongside Joan Cusack, who was then a student at UW Madison. This led him to Chicago, where he honed his skills at the Improv Olympic. His next significant step was joining the Second City Improv Company, starting the same day as Stephen Colbert. He initially performed with their touring company and later transitioned to their main stage company in 1989. As a part of the main stage company, Farley contributed to three revues: “The Gods Must Be Lazy,” “It Was Thirty Years Ago Today,” and “Flag Smoking Permitted in Lobby Only or Censorama.” These early experiences in improv comedy were pivotal in shaping Farley’s comedic style and launching his career.
Saturday Night Live Stardom
In early 1990, Chris Farley joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), alongside Chris Rock. The two frequently collaborated, as did Farley with fellow cast members Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, and David Spade. This group became known as the “Bad Boys of SNL.” Farley became famous for his characters, including motivational speaker Matt Foley, who often reminded characters that he was “living in a van down by the river.” Bob Odenkirk created the character when he and Farley worked together at Second City. The character’s name came from a longtime friend of Farley’s who became a Catholic priest. The character’s mannerisms came from Chris’ days as a rugby player combined with his high school football coach’s habit of squatting to give pep talks. Farley also portrayed Todd O’Connor of Bill Swerski’s Superfans, a Chippendale’s dancer in a sketch with guest host Patrick Swayze, one of the “Gap Girls,” a lunch lady, “Weekend Update” commentator Bennett Brauer, and himself on “The Chris Farley Show,” a talk show where Chris interviewed guests or trailed off on random subjects. Many of these characters evolved from his Second City days.
Farley’s SNL tenure also included impersonations of celebrities like Tom Arnold, Andrew Giuliani, Jerry Garcia, Meat Loaf, and Rush Limbaugh. Off-screen, he became known for his pranks around the “SNL” offices. Along with Adam Sandler, he would make late-night prank phone calls from the “SNL” offices in Rockefeller Center. Sandler would speak in an old woman’s voice, and Farley would fart into the phone. He also mooned cars from a limousine and even defecated out of a window. Chris Farley and Adam Sandler, along with many of their other castmates, were released from their contracts at “SNL” in 1995 for various reasons. The circumstances surrounding their departure remain somewhat ambiguous.
Film Career and Box Office Success
Chris Farley’s ascent to movie stardom began during his time on “SNL.” His film debut was a brief appearance as a security guard in 1992’s “Wayne’s World.” He followed this with roles such as Ronnie the Mechanic in 1993’s “Coneheads” and an uncredited cameo as a bus driver in Adam Sandler’s “Billy Madison.” Farley also appeared in the music video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers single “Soul to Squeeze,” which was featured on the “Coneheads” soundtrack. In 1994, he appeared in “Airheads.” His breakthrough roles came with “Tommy Boy” and “Black Sheep,” both co-starring his “SNL” colleague and close friend David Spade. These films grossed around $32 million each at the domestic box office and gained a significant cult following on home video. The success of “Tommy Boy” and “Black Sheep” solidified Farley’s status as a bankable star, which led to him being cast in the lead role of “Beverly Hills Ninja” in 1996.
The worldwide box office numbers for Farley’s major films were: “Beverly Hills Ninja” (1997) – $31 million, “Tommy Boy” (1995) – $32 million, and “Black Sheep” (1996) – $34 million. Despite their financial success, Farley himself expressed some dissatisfaction with “Black Sheep,” which he felt was an attempt by the studio to replicate the chemistry of “Tommy Boy.” This led to a relapse from his previous recovery from drug and alcohol addiction on the night of the film’s premiere, requiring further rehab before he could begin work on “Beverly Hills Ninja.” The film “Beverly Hills Ninja” was released in 1997, and Farley was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance for his role. Before his death in December 1997, Farley completed two more films, “Almost Heroes” and “Dirty Work,” which were released in the summer of 1998.
Unfinished Projects and Lost Opportunities
Several projects that Chris Farley was involved in remained unfinished at the time of his death. He was initially cast as the voice of Shrek in the animated film “Shrek,” and had recorded approximately 80-90% of the dialogue. However, the filmmakers felt that continuing the film with Chris would be in bad taste, so Mike Myers, another former “SNL” castmate, re-recorded Shrek’s dialogue. Farley was also slated to voice a character in “Dinosaur,” but after his death, the character was re-written as a female and voiced by British actress Joan Plowright. At the time of his death, Chris was in talks to co-star with Vince Vaughn in “The Gelfin.” Jim Carrey’s role in the 1996 film “The Cable Guy” was originally intended for Farley as well. Chris was also offered the role of Ishmael in “Kingpin,” which was eventually played by Randy Quaid, but Paramount Pictures forced him to decline in order to star in “Black Sheep.” Farley was also slated to appear in a third “Ghostbusters” film, and author Dav Pilkey wanted Farley to play the title role in a potential TV series based on the “Captain Underpants” books. In addition, at the time of his death, Chris had been in talks for the lead in an adaptation of the novel “A Confederacy of Dunces.” He also had expressed interest in portraying Atuk in an adaptation of the novel “The Incomparable Atuk.”
Personal Struggles and Tragic Demise
Throughout his adult life, Chris Farley struggled with alcohol and drug addictions. The pressures of fame and maintaining his public persona likely contributed to these struggles. A visible decline in Farley’s health was noticeable during a guest appearance on Nickelodeon’s “All That” and when he hosted “SNL” for the first time in October 1997. In the final years of his life, Chris attempted treatment for obesity and drug abuse 17 times. On December 18, 1997, his younger brother John discovered Farley dead in his apartment at the John Hancock Center in Chicago. He was 33 years old. An autopsy revealed that he had died of an overdose of cocaine and morphine, with advanced heart disease as a significant contributing factor. A private funeral was held for Chris at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. Over 500 people attended the funeral, including many comedians who had worked with him on “SNL.” His remains were interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison.
