20 Times Chris Farley Broke People On Set

The story of Chris Farley, a beloved “Saturday Night Live” actor whose life was cut short prematurely, is tainted by the struggles with demons that plagued him throughout his career. However, it’s also the account of an exceptional performer, one who cherished his friendships as deeply as he did his work. His main ambition appeared to be making those around him laugh, which effortlessly resonated with audiences as well. This was particularly evident when spectators were privileged to see Farley laughing heartily among his friends – even when he wasn’t supposed to do so.

Watching actors falter, be it during a live performance such as Saturday Night Live (SNL) or in behind-the-scenes footage like bloopers and outtakes, is a favorite among audiences. Few could break an actor better than Farley, and he took great pleasure in his knack for it. There are numerous instances of him doing this on the SNL stage, and luckily, we also have examples from film sets where he worked. Here, we’ve collected some of the most memorable moments where Farley made his co-stars laugh uncontrollably.

He flusters Adam Sandler’s shy waiter character

It’s clear that Chris Farley shared an outstanding bond and great on-screen chemistry with David Spade, but Adam Sandler came in a close second. The duo, particularly Farley and Sandler, always seemed to enjoy themselves immensely when working together. Unlike Spade who could often manage to keep a straight face while working with Farley, Sandler rarely suppressed his laughter on the “SNL” stage alongside Farley.

For instance, Sandler’s acting as the timid new waiter in this comedy sketch set in a restaurant is noteworthy. In this scene, he’s adding pepper to Farley’s character’s dish. Sporting a bushy beard, Farley’s character delivers his lines in an exaggerated and hilarious way, causing Sandler to turn away from the camera almost instantaneously. He manages to peek back only briefly to respond with his own lines before he’s giggling too hard and averting his gaze once more.

Billy Madison is powerless against his flirty reward

When Adam Sandler landed his first major movie role after his success on “SNL,” he offered Chris Farley a minor part as the eccentric bus driver. Needless to say, Farley stole the limelight in every scene from “Billy Madison.” However, it was towards the end of the film, when he alighted the bus and unexpectedly appeared in an awkward situation at the Madison Mansion, that he put Sandler under immense pressure – a scene that ultimately made it to the final cut.

The scene alludes to a study session with Billy and his teacher or girlfriend, where she would take off an item of clothing whenever Billy answered correctly. On this occasion, his correct answer prompts Farley to say, “That’s right,” in a seductive manner while unbuttoning Sandler’s shirt and playfully placing a finger to her lips. The laughter of Sandler can be heard before the camera has returned to him.

He gets David Spade, Rob Schneider, and Adam Sandler with an awkward train burn

During Chris Farley’s time on “SNL,” one frequently appearing skit was the Gap Girls series, where Farley, Adam Sandler, and David Spade portrayed snooty Valley Girl-like characters working at a Gap store in a mall. Other cast members and guests were also often included, as seen in this clip with Rob Schneider and Sara Gilbert playing rivals who worked at the Donut Hut, another mall shop.

While the two groups of girls were exchanging witty remarks, Farley attempted to join in with a questionable joke about traveling on a train. His delivery of the seemingly senseless jibe – punctuated by stuffing fries into his mouth – left only Gilbert unaffected as everyone else burst out laughing by the end of his attempt.

His exaggerated exit makes Jan Hooks giggle

As a devoted admirer, I must admit that although Chris Farley and Mike Myers shared extended tenures on “Saturday Night Live,” they didn’t often appear together in many skits. Regrettably, one of their infrequent collaborations led to one of the most awkward SNL sketches ever, where Myers portrayed a stereotypical, offensive character representing Japanese men. Matters only spiraled downward from that point onwards.

Additionally, there’s a lesser-known video in which Farley takes on a brief role as Myers’ occasional sidekick for his recurring Middle-Aged Man character. This character assists people who are slightly younger, falling within the age range of 40 to 55 years old. While Farley doesn’t have many opportunities to act throughout most of it, he eventually imitates Myers and delivers a dramatic exit, which unexpectedly makes the usually composed Jan Hooks giggle subtly.

David Spade can’t handle his car freak out

Despite his unfortunate demise cutting short his film-making career, Chris Farley still left behind several masterpieces in his limited collection of films. Among these, it is widely agreed that “Tommy Boy” stands out as his finest work, particularly when comparing films where he had more than a brief appearance.

The chemistry between Farley and David Spade is electrifying in every moment they share on screen, and there are plenty of behind-the-scenes clips showing their endless fun together. Some of these clips, naturally, show Spade struggling to maintain his composure when Farley is at his most exuberant, like this instance where they have a meltdown in a car. After their shared outburst, Farley tries to outdo his co-star by pushing things a bit too far — at which point, Spade can’t help but give a slight, amused smile.

He was constantly cracking jokes on the set of Tommy Boy

As a gamer, I can say that while Chris Farley was on movie sets, he was not only sober but seemed to be at his happiest when completely engrossed in his work. The comedian thrived during this time and was in top health. This theory is strongly supported when you watch the blooper reel from “Tommy Boy,” which is filled with moments of a joyful Farley having the best time, clearly relishing every moment of filming and making sure everyone else around him was having just as much fun as he was.

In this video clip, Farley can’t resist making a simple joke about flatulence following a scene, causing his co-star Roy Lewis to burst into laughter. Interestingly, most of the outtakes from this blooper reel consist of Farley acting foolishly to amuse either his fellow actors or crew members right before or just after a take.

He makes Dennis Miller lose it during Weekend Update

Each weekend update host has brought their unique style to the job, and Dennis Miller was no exception. Unlike some of his predecessors who were more openly humorous, Miller didn’t always lean towards being overly serious, but he also didn’t often break into fits of laughter while delivering the news.

As a gamer, I can’t help but admit that Chris Farley was eager to shake things up a bit. At first, Miller managed to keep a relatively neutral demeanor during Farley’s Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf impression. However, it wasn’t long before Farley’s infectious laughter forced Miller to break out in giggles. From that point on, it was impossible for him to suppress his grin throughout the rest of Stormin’ Norman’s impassioned speech.

He rolls with a mechanical issue and cracks up Kevin Nealon in the process

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but reflect on Weekend Update, where Kevin Nealon, who held the position for the longest during Chris Farley’s time, chose to play the straight man. He approached each story with utmost seriousness, and it was often unintentional when he’d even manage a smirk.

When Nealon erupted in hearty laughter during a scene where Chris Farley’s lifting wires got tangled, it was a delightful moment. It was even more amusing because Farley continued his performance flawlessly, handling the technical glitch with his signature humor, causing Nealon to laugh even harder.

An appearance on All That gave him a unique opportunity to break Kenan Thompson

Although Kenan Thompson holds the record as the longest-serving cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL), his stint didn’t begin until after Chris Farley had sadly passed away, meaning they never appeared together on SNL. However, luckily for Thompson, Farley made an appearance on Nickelodeon’s “All That,” Thompson’s debut sketch show, providing them with the opportunity to collaborate at least once.

In this sketch, Thompson often uses smirks to maintain his character rather than breaking it, a tactic he employed numerous times. As Farley’s character as a ketchup-mad chef on a cooking show grows increasingly erratic, Thompson frequently smirks, coming close to breaking but never quite giving in fully. It isn’t until the very end of the sketch that Thompson seems to succumb and lets out a genuine laugh.

The extras can’t keep it together as he gets repeatedly doused with water

On occasion, Saturday Night Live (SNL) resorts to the somewhat predictable gag of creating a chaotic scene for humor. This tactic doesn’t always hit the mark, and even when it initially does, it loses its appeal rapidly. However, Chris Farley had an exceptional knack for making being drenched with water look hilarious.

It appears that Janeane Garofalo, a cast member, shows some amusement when water splashes on her while hosting George Clooney. However, it might simply be part of her acting and flirting with Clooney’s character. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the background actors in the water park are genuinely chuckling at Chris Farley’s skilled responses to enduring repeated dousings of water.

The Herlihy Boy sketches were seemingly designed to make Adam Sandler break

The sketches titled Herlihy Boy, named after Tim Herlihy, a former SNL writer and close associate of Adam Sandler, feature Sandler playing a character who unsuccessfully tries to sell services like dog walking and house sitting. In between his desperate, occasionally creepy pitches, the camera switches to Chris Farley, whose role in the sketch remains unexplained, as an older man who scolds the audience for not employing “Herlihy.

Whenever the attention shifts towards Sandler, he makes every effort not to burst into laughter at Farley while still trying to carry on with the scene. In each Herlihy Boy skit, Farley reaches a peak of 10 in energy, while Sandler struggles to keep up.

He’s in rare form as the lunch lady for a classic Sandler musical number

Adam Sandler gained recognition on “SNL” due in part to the humorous songs he composed and performed, an aspect of his act that eventually led to a separate career in comedy albums and live musical tours. This segment of his performance, which proved extremely popular, has remained a significant part of his career ever since. At Weekend Update, he frequently performed acoustic versions of his songs, but also put on full-fledged musical performances, such as this one for “Lunchlady Land.

In this role as the main character, the lunch lady played by Chris Farley, showcases his unique style of dancing and comedic expressions throughout the act. He manages to elicit a few laughs from Sandler, but it’s when he moves in close to sing the catchy “sloppy joe” part that he comes incredibly close to disrupting Sandler’s entire performance.

He gets touchy feely with Adam Sandler while playing his wife

It appears that Chris Farley’s portrayal of a woman and his physical affections towards Adam Sandler often provoke hearty laughter from the latter, and this dynamic is most evident in their skit featuring Zagat. In this skit, Farley takes on the role of an enthusiastic wife who shares restaurant recommendations from a Zagat guidebook with an uninterested and perpetually cold husband played by Sandler.

During the whole sketch, Sandler maintains a smug expression, but when Farley becomes particularly thrilled about the idea of a romantic date at a specific restaurant, and then begins to massage Sandler’s leg, Sandler’s smugness transforms into a complete breakdown.

A bittersweet blooper in Dirty Work marked his final moments on film

Despite being known for his controversial and edgy comedy earlier in his career, Norm MacDonald achieved mainstream success towards the end of it, becoming famous enough to not only have a self-titled sitcom but also star in several Hollywood films. The 1998 movie “Dirty Work” was one such film, and interestingly, it was the only one he co-wrote. Unsurprisingly, this film went on to become a cult classic. Chris Farley, who had an uncredited role in “Dirty Work,” made his final screen appearance in this movie before his untimely passing.

After Chris Farley’s movie ended with a funny blooper reel clip featuring him and Norm MacDonald goofing around, it served as a touching and poignant farewell for Farley. Since Norm MacDonald passed away in 2021, this moment holds even more significance because it has become an enduring tribute to their friendship on the silver screen.

He gives controversial character Canteen Boy an aggressive wedgie

The Adam Sandler character “Canteen Boy” was criticized right from the start because it featured a young boy scout being forcefully pursued by an older scoutmaster played by Alec Baldwin. However, despite the initial controversy, Canteen Boy didn’t fade away and eventually became famous enough for Chris Farley to leave his own impact on the character.

In the skit, Farley portrays an old tormentor of Canteen Boy, playfully administering a humorous, over-the-top wedgie as a nostalgic gesture. Farley gives it his all, lifting and shaking Sandler while hurling taunts at him, causing Sandler to erupt in laughter and clutch onto Farley to prevent himself from being knocked off balance by the roughhousing.

Christian Slater is powerless against Chris Farley as Matt Foley

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d say: Among all the Matt Foley skits, this one might not be as strong, but it was always hilarious to see Farley bring the character to life. And from what I gather, the folks who acted alongside him felt the same way, because you could always count on someone in the scene cracking up.

In this instance again, David Spade found it challenging to maintain a serious expression, much like Melanie Hutsell did as well. However, it was Christian Slater who had to conceal his laughter by covering almost his entire lower face when Farley, playing Foley, left him in splits. Remarkably, Slater managed to hold himself together during the sketch later on when Farley lifted Spade and they both tumbled through the coffee table – but Hutsell didn’t.

Matt Foley enters the room and breaks almost everyone immediately

In most Matt Foley sketches, the humor unfolds gradually, adding to the fun. However, the moment when Foley delivered a motivational speech from within a prison, with Martin Lawrence’s inmate motivational speaker setting the stage, was the longest Chris Farley ever took to appear as Foley.

It might be the reason that when he eventually storms into the room, everyone is reduced to attempted, but unsuccessful, suppressions of laughter within seconds. After all, cracking even a few seasoned comedians like David Spade, Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, Rob Schneider, and Jay Mohr is one matter, yet making an entire crowd of them laugh uncontrollably is an entirely different feat.

Matt Foley’s terrible Spanish cracks up Jay Mohr

In another interpretation: Chris Farley wasn’t exempt from having fun on stage, but he usually didn’t go overboard to the point of falling apart. However, during this particular sketch where he portrayed Matt Foley in an international gig, he momentarily lost it, which was a hit with the audience. This incident also caused his castmate Jay Mohr to laugh, which ultimately paved the way for Mohr’s own breakthrough later on.

In this scene, Farley speaks broken Spanish, suggesting that characters played by Mohr and Morwenna Banks have been using illicit substances. His poor Spanish and the absurd dance he does cause them to laugh uncontrollably. It appears that this is an essential part of a Matt Foley sketch, where humor comes from such situations.

After seeing Tim Meadows start to lose it, Matt Foley goes at him to finish the job

Regrettably, Chris Farley’s last performance on “SNL” was uneven, and upon reflection, it seems filled with foreshadowing of the unfortunate path he was on. However, there were some shining moments in that episode, as expected, one of them being a return to the character of Matt Foley.

In the majority of cases, many of Farley’s former co-stars had moved forward, but this situation offered him an opportunity to collaborate with Tim Meadows, one of the last remaining cast members from the early ’90s, on another Matt Foley sketch. As expected, Meadows found it challenging to maintain his character, as his mostly expressionless face couldn’t hide the evident trembling caused by his laughter. Unsurprisingly, Farley sensed this and continued to provoke Meadows, aiming to trigger a full-blown fit of laughter from him.

David Spade and Christina Applegate fall apart in the best Chris Farley sketch of all time

This Matt Foley sketch stands out not just as Chris Farley’s best skit but also as a strong candidate for the finest Saturday Night Live sketch ever, full stop. Its setup is flawless, the character is brilliantly developed and funny, and it provides the ideal opponents for Farley to bounce off. It even includes one of SNL’s most iconic character-breaking moments, a scene that has graced numerous highlight reels throughout its history.

Following Farley’s amusing command to quiet Phil Hartman’s father character, he casually makes his way towards the couch where David Spade and host Christina Applegate are seated – a scene that was already teetering on chaos. Upon approaching them, their situation only deteriorates further with Farley’s antics. This moment is legendary in a legendary sketch, showcasing a masterful performer at the pinnacle of his skill.

2025-07-01 13:32