A HOLLYWOOD CAUTIONARY TALE

7 Chris Farley Quotes That Will Sober You Up Fast

Living your life too fast will kill you before you had a real chance.

Chris Farley’s life and career had become a tragic Hollywood cautionary tale. The childlike “big guy” who had great talent, but chasing fame, accompanied by drug and alcohol abuse, consumed him at a young age. He was one of Adam Sandler’s closest friends, belonged to his famous comedy bunch, and made appearances in his films before he went on to have a brief but memorable career on his own.

Sandler paid tribute to him 2 years ago in his stand-up special, which was one of the most heartfelt and emotional performances he ever did on stage. It’s a challenge to watch it without tears.

I loved Farley’s over-the-top personality, the intensity he played every single character with, and how intrusively he would get up in your face to capture your attention. Wherever he showed up, he felt the urge to be the loudest and most outrageous guy in the room despite his insecurity and sensitivity.

I had a friend just like him in school. He didn’t care if you laugh at or with him as long as you were laughing. Perhaps, that’s one of the reasons why I like his goofy comedies a lot up to this day.

Below I gathered 8 quotes that can make you understand why he lived his life the way he did. And maybe you can use them to reflect on your life for a minute, too.

1. “Although I love this kind of comedy, sometimes I feel trapped by always having to be the most outrageous guy in the room. In particular, I’m working on trying not to be that guy in my private life.” — Chris Farley

Farley had a hard time always feeling the pressure to be the center of attention. Especially for comedians, but any kind of artists really, we often feel obligated to prove that we are great at what we’re doing and, sometimes, that can feel like a burden in our personal life. Once we can truly ignore that urge, and not give a damn whether other people approve or not what we do, we’ll know we are good — at least by our standards.

2.“Once I thought that if I just had enough in the bank, if I had enough fame, that it would be all right. But I’m a human being like everyone else. I’m not exempt.” — Chris Farley

If I just had more followers, if I could write one viral article, if I could be more likable… If, if, if. “If” is not reality. “Ifs” are useless scenarios for overthinkers (like me) to drive themselves crazy as quickly as possible. I must remind myself of that every day. We are all human beings. Use what you have in the present to create possibilities in your future.

3. “I want to live fast and die young.” — Chris Farley

One of Farley’s idol was John Belushi (comedian), who had a similarly tragic life and career to his. He was one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live (SNL), and he was famous for his heavy partying, drinking, and drug abuse.

Farley died at the same age (33) as Belushi did in 1982. You could say that Farley has done what he always wanted, by following his own principles and beliefs, but the truth is, his career came to an end so fast that he couldn’t even explore truly his talent. Be cautious about who you choose to follow.

4. “Basically, I only play one character; I just play him at different volumes.” — Chris Farley

This was Farley’s biggest mistake. He thought that he was required to play the “fat guy” who falls down all the time, otherwise, no one will pay attention to him. He might’ve found a variety of characters in him, but he never could’ve been brave enough to discover them by risking failure. Instead, he played the one that always worked. Don’t do this! Be consistent, but from time to time, also experiment and try out new ideas even if that will cost you a possible setback.

5. “I seem to get motivated a few months at a time, and then something stressful breaks the routine, and I just fold.” — Chris Farley

This is me, for sure. I can keep the motivation-wheel spinning until something random happens that discourages me. No matter how unreasonable it is, I just feel that all inspiration and self-belief evaporate from my body, and I’m a loser asshole that nobody loves. Obviously, this is never the case — at least, I hope it isn’t.

Don’t let yourself self-deprecate over insignificant and meaningless things coming from someone who doesn’t even know you. Someone who feels empowered to judge you over something they don’t like. Screw them! You need to shake that off and keep going until you reach the point when this type of bum heads couldn’t even get into your attention span.

6. “People need a time to laugh. It’s up to us to bonk ourselves on the head and slip on a banana peel so the average guy can say, ‘I may be bad, honey, but I’m not as much of an idiot as that guy on the screen.’” — Chris Farley

Maybe I’m a bit off with my interpretation here, but this is what it means to me: be compassionate, empathetic, and helpful, no matter how small or big the person’s social status you’re talking to. You never know how that experience can turn out for you in the future. It might lead to something great or something catastrophic. Regardless, be respectful to people you don’t know even if you’re an arrogant jerk in general.

7. “I used to think that you could get to a level of success where the laws of the universe didn’t apply. But they do. It’s still life on life’s terms, not on movie-star terms. I still have to work at relationships. I still have to work on my weight and some of my other demons.” — Chris Farley

Recently, my dad told me that one of his favorite water polo players died at age 47 due to cancer. He said that no matter how greatly or healthily you lived your life (as a professional sports player) for decades, if it comes to you, there is nothing you can do. So, always work on yourself regardless of how much success, wealth, or knowledge you possess, because you never know when it’s going to end.

Chris Farley was a fine and dandy guy who I sorely miss. However, as Adam Sandler said in his tribute song, life will never be the same without him, but he can still bring us joy through his work.

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