R.I.P.

Something recently reminded me of Chris Farley and how great he was in those SNL sketches and how utterly under-appreciated he was for his comedic skills. Yes, everyone appreciated his physical pratfalls but I don't think anyone gave him credit for his acting skills.

Many of the other SNL alums have gotten much more critical praise or audience approval but in the sense of appreciating some one's craft, I don't think they deserved it more than Farley. For example, in all the sketches I have ever watched of Chris Farley, I have never seen him break character out of giggle fits or from distraction on set or from the audience. Some of the classics are:

MATT FOLEY, motivational speaker. The first introduction was with Christina Applegate as host where she and David Spade were the surly teens to Phil Hartman and Julia Sweeney. The man who lived "in a van down by the river" was brought in to motivate the teens. The immediate joke was the comedic classic of fat-man-in-tiny-suit but Farley took it to another level by using his voice and giving Matt Foley some awkward mannerisms that made the ridiculous seem realistic. Spade and Applegate were in fits of laughter; so much so that they couldn't lift their eyes to meet Farley's because they knew they'd never recover. Farley didn't miss a beat. He carried his way through the entire sketch with the most hilarious yet professional skills for any SNL actor and this gave birth to one of the classic SNL characters ever.

The Dieting Gap Girl - you can't put into words the genius here. Watch the clip:

Saturday Night Live - Gap Girls Season: 19 - The funniest videos are a click away


Dancing Lunch Lady, the French student ("Jay blew blay, melephonay, BLOO blay bloo." Bravo, tres bien!), his dance off audition against Patrick Swayze for Chippendales... a short list among many others.

One of the best is The Chris Farley Show. I love this sketch because I feel he reveals the tender aw-shucks side of his personality which he hid behind the drugs, booze, and eating binges. I believe he loved the work he did and he was in awe of the stars he met and he did love those things he'd ask his guests, only to claim, "That was awesome." He was deeply troubled but because he wanted to be loved and appreciated. I don't think anyone with such demons could have been helped; only he could have saved himself. Instead, we mourn the loss of another tortured comedian.

I was so shocked when I heard that he was found dead (as much as I was when I heard about Phil Hartman) and I was just plain sad. It broke my heart that he couldn't grasp how amazing he was, not just as a comedian, but as an actor. I think he could have gone farther in his career if he had believed in himself. Since he can't now, I can only wish that others will continue to appreciate the genius comedian that he was.