The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts » (Bargain)

Tom Farley, Jr., Chris's older brother, is president and managing director of the Chris Farley Foundation.

Tanner Colby is a former head writer and producer of the National Lampoon Radio Hour and co-author of Belushi: A Biography

The New York Times bestselling biography of an American comedy legend

After three years of sobriety, Chris Farley's life was at its creative peak until a string of professional disappointments chased him back to drugs and alcohol. He fought hard against them, but it was a fight he would lose in December 1997. Farley's fans immediately drew parallels between his death and that of his idol, John Belushi. Without looking deeper, however, many failed to see that Farley was much more than just another Hollywood drug overdose. In this officially authorized oral history, Farley's friends and family remember his work and life. Along the way, they tell a remarkable story of boundless energy, determination, and laughter that could only keep the demons at bay for so long.

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 aA National Lampoon Radio Hour A 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)

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Introduction Tom Farley, Jr. Farley, Tom, Jr.

Act I

Ch. 1 A Motivated Speaker 3

Ch. 2 Madison, Wisconsin 11

Ch. 3 An Epiphany 36

Ch. 4 Attacking the Stage 56

Ch. 5 Whale Boy 73

Ch. 6 Super Fan 98

Ch. 7 The Place in Alabama 118

Act II

Ch. 8 A Friendly Visitor 145

Ch. 9 The Magic Sixty-six 171

Ch. 10 The Lost Boys 191

Ch. 11 The Polar Bear Pit 212

Act III

Ch. 12 Raising the White Flag 239

Ch. 13 The Devil in the Closet 261

Ch. 14 Fatty Falls Down 290

Ch. 15 The Parting Glass 311

Epilogue 327

Acknowledgments 331

Note on Sources and Method 335

The -ographies 337

Index 343