A biography of the Saturday Night Live star as told by his friends and family.

No one dominated a stage the way Chris Farley did. For him, comedy was not a routine; it was a way of life. He could not enter a room unnoticed or let a conversation go without making someone laugh. Fans knew Chris as Saturday Night Live's sweaty, swaggering, motivational speaker; as the irresistible Chippendales stripper; and as Tommy Callahan, the underdog hero of Tommy Boy. His family knew him as sensitive and passionate, deeply religious, and devoted to bringing laughter into othersa lives.

But Chris did not know moderation, either in his boundless generosity toward friends or in the reckless abandon of his drug and alcohol abuse. For ten years, Chris cycled in and out of rehabilitation centers, constantly fighting his insecurities and his fears. Despite three hard-fought years of sobriety, addiction would ultimately take his life at the tragically young age of thirty-three. Fame on SNL and three straight number-one box office hits gave way to a string of embarrassing public appearances, followed by a fatal overdose in December 1997.

Here is Chris Farley as remembered by his family, friends, and colleagues — the true story of a man who lived to make us laugh and died as a result. The Chris Farley Show is an evocative and harrowing portrait of a family trapped by addiction, a father forced to bury a son, and a gifted and kindhearted man ultimately torn apart by the demons inside him.

"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 a National Lampoon Radio Hour 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." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Essential for Farley and SNL fans, and a sterling example of oral biography — well-structured, consistently engaging and simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"A bittersweet, unabashedly fond remembrance of a troubled funnyman." Booklist

"As with any good oral history, The Chris Farley Show moves briskly and the reporting is deep....[T]his unflinching, well-written book outshines any Farley highlight reel. (Grade: B+)" Entertainment Weekly

"[A] well-organized compilation of vivid reminiscences from family and former schoolmates, TV and film personalities, and community center workers. A heartbreaking story of a complex man emerges....Essential for fans." Library Journal

"Perhaps the authors are too close to give a complete picture. Perhaps everyone associated with SNL remains too scarred by Wired to open up to any biographer....It's not that they gloss over his addictions; it's that the details are frustratingly vague." USA Today

A biography of the Saturday Night Live star as told by his friends and family, The Chris Farley Show is an evocative and harrowing portrait of a family trapped by addiction and a gifted man torn apart by his demons. Two 16-page color inserts.

Tom Farley, Jr., Chris's older brother, is president and managing director of the Chris Farley Foundation, which educates young people about substance abuse and addiction.

Tanner Colby is former head writer of The National Lampoon Radio Hour and coauthor of Belushi: A Biography.