Chris Rock's heartbreaking story of when he saw Chris Farley for the last time
Back in the 90s, Chris Rock and Chris Farley had a striking relationship together while on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Together, with the genius comedic work of David Spade, Rob Schneider and Adam Sandler, the quintet made up the ‘Bad Boys of SNL’, a special segment showcasing the best of the best in wild, out-there comedy sketches. Check out their work on the show here:
Sadly, Farley died on 18 December 1997 of a drug overdose, with an autopsy revealing that the 33-year-old took a lethal combination of cocaine and morphine, more commonly known as ‘speedball’.
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And as the 25th anniversary of the comedian’s death draws near, his fellow co-star Chris has told the heartbreaking story of when he saw his dear friend for the last time.
Talking to Esquire in Explain This, Rock recalled the moment behind a picture of himself, Farley, Sandler and Spade at his first big comedy tour in LA’s Universal Amphitheatre after the release of his 1996 movie Bring the Pain.
Rock said: “Hey, this is a great day.
“This looks like one of the last times I saw Chris alive,” he recalled.
“I would see him one more time when I did a gig in Chicago. We tried to hang out afterwards, but… I don’t know if you’ve ever really hung out with an addict. Towards the end, anything that isn’t the drug is a chore.”
The actor added: “I remember I was at his apartment. He was showing me his apartment. I leave, I see him out the window, and I was like, ‘That’s probably the last time I’m going to see him.’ I knew.”
The now sadly deceased Farley still remains one of the most influential comedians both to the ‘Bad Boys’ and to the world.
Sandler went on to pay a tribute to his friend when he hosted SNL in 2019, while the comic remains well-known to fans for his outlandish comedic style and energy on stage.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rock admitted that he was ‘supposed to hate’ Sandler for landing a spot on stage so easily when they first started out.
“Here’s the thing about the comedy clubs, you’ve usually got to work your way up.
“So, you start off stacking chairs and cleaning tables, and then they let you go on [stage] during the week. And if you’re really good, they let you go on [stage] on the weekend. So, that usually takes a year or two years.
“I literally go away to LA for a week, I come back, I never even met Sandler and he’s on a f***ing Saturday night. I mean, who the f*** is this guy?”
But, of course, he couldn’t resist the comedic chops and loveable personality that the Uncut Gems star had to offer.
“So, I’m supposed to hate him and I’m watching his act and he’s so funny… I just love the guy.”
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Topics: Chris Rock, Saturday Night Live, Celebrity
Gabriella Ferlita