Resurfaced Jay Leno interview with late guest leaves fans with the same chilling realization: "He was..."
One of the most memorable guests on 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno' was the late Chris Farley, whose magnetic energy made him a fan favorite. Looking back at his glorious career however is bittersweet, considering the many battles he secretly faced, particularly his struggle with substance and alcohol addiction. Resurfaced clips of his interview are especially hard to watch as Farley seemed totally out of it, putting on a show just for the audience.
Farley's 1997 appearance on Leno's show was a brilliant one, garnering millions of views, as viewers praised not just his humor but also his kind nature. On YouTube, A person commented, “I can't even put into words how much I love and miss Chris Farley. I will never forget the day when I heard that he had died I was 15 and I literally cried for days and was not ashamed to admit that.” However, on closer look, it is obvious that Farley was extra energetic throughout the interview; evident that he was struggling with addiction behind the scenes. Nevertheless, he seemed overjoyed whenever he managed to get a reaction out of the audience; often cracking a joke at his expense. At one point, Farley even blurted, "I can't breathe," to which, Leno urged, "Take it easy."
Reflecting on the same, a netizen regretted, “I wish I could go back in time and tell him to take care of himself. But there were probably a lot of people saying that to him. He was such a kind soul. He didn't deserve to hurt himself in the way he did.” Chiming in, a person added, “I actually remember watching this with my parents when I was 8 years old. I thought he was just being eccentric and thought it was funny, but it's really sad to watch it now.” Another empathized, “It's incredibly hard to perform in front of an audience...I've done it in my band back when I was young and it's PRESSURE. To be as famous as he became and have the whole world watching is something 99.9% of you will never know.” They added, “He was a comedic genius right up there with Belushi and others. He was able to pull it off. Missed dearly in the comedy world.”
Farley was found dead in his Chicago apartment on December 18, 1997, from a drug overdose. Coincidently, he passed away at the same age as his idol, fellow comedian John Belushi, 15 years earlier. From the moment Farley saw his father enjoying 'Animal House,' he knew he wanted to follow in Belushi’s footsteps. And he did just that—landing a spot at Chicago’s Second City Theatre in 1987—the same place Belushi had started— before joining 'Saturday Night Live' in 1990, as reported by People magazine.
After his rise to fame, Farley did multiple stints in rehabs and managed to maintain sobriety for three years before relapsing in 1995. To save him from suffering the same fate as his idol, his friends repeatedly encouraged him to seek help. As reported by Rolling Stone, Farley once said, “I mean, there’s no control in life, is there? There’s only one who’s in control, and He’ll take me when He [God] wants me. I don’t want to know about it. It’s none of my business. But when it happens, I just ask that it won’t be painful and that He forgives me for my sins.”