Chris Farley

Much like his idol, the late John Belushi, comedian Chris Farley hid his struggles behind a façade of humor. Comically gifted, Farley first made a name for himself in the early 1990s as a clown on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), where he established himself alongside compatriots David Spade, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider as the so-called "Bad Boys of SNL." On the eternal late-night sketch show, Farley created such larger-than-life characters as over-the-top motivational speaker Matt Foley, a Chicago "Da Bears" Superfan, a Chippendale's dancer, and himself as talk show host whose nervousness with guests often devolved into asking simple-minded questions. Outrageously uninhibited, Farley's willingness to stretch the boundaries of physical comedy left audiences both laughing and wincing at the same time. As with many popular "SNL" players, Farley segued to movies with cameos as a bouncer in "Wayne's World" (1992) and as Ronnie the Mechanic in "Coneheads" (1993). He made his feature debut in the financially successful comedy "Tommy Boy" (1995), which co-starred his best friend off-screen, David Spade. Sadly, Farley's demons caught up with him, as he succumbed to a drug overdose in December 1997, leaving behind a vast chasm of unfulfilled promise and a legion of bereft fans and friends.