Chris Farley's brother remembers 'great' SNL star on 28th anniversary of comedian's tragic overdose

Chris Farley has been remembered by his brother Tom on the 28th anniversary of the comedian's tragic death. 

The former SNL cast member passed away at the age of 33 on December 18, 1997 from a drug overdose of cocaine and morphine. 

The late star had been known for playing an exaggerated version of himself in an SNL sketch called The Chris Farley Show as well as an over-the-top motivational speaker named Matt Foley. 

Farley had also appeared in a number of films including Coneheads (1993), Tommy Boy (1995) and Beverly Hills Ninja (1997). 

'People come up to me all the time and say, "Oh, I miss your brother,"' Tom told People in an article published on Thursday. 

'It's like, yeah, they miss the celebrity, they miss the laughter - as I do. But I want them to miss the brother I miss.' 

The late actor's sibling recalled Farley's portrayal of his characters being similar to how he was in his personal life. 

'Here was this guy that was known for his characters - and yet, if you look at every one of Chris's characters, it was Chris.' 

Tom added, 'Every time he showed up in a skit on SNL, I'm like, "Oh he used to do that in front of our aunts and uncles."' 

He then gave an example of Farley's playful and comical personality during a past Disneyland trip when they were younger - which saw the comedian suggest that they both jump out of a ride to prank their parents. 

After getting caught, both the star and Tom sprinted 'into to the crowd to try and blend in and we spent the rest of the day riding the monorail around Disney World like 20 times.' 

Tom also reflected on his later brother's strong faith, explaining that 'he was always going to church.'

He further recalled, 'We were camp counselors in college, and just to watch Chris... you know, I was there for the camp counselors at the girls' camp across the lake. 

'Chris, however, was there for the kids. He was like the Pied Piper, just leading these kids on these adventures. He was Peter Pan. He was great.' 

Tom is currently a community outreach director for Recovery.com - which was first launched in 2017. 

It aims to 'help people discover a path to recovery that’s right for them, starting with landing on websites they can trust. We aim to provide unbiased, educational, helpful information about treatment for addiction and mental health,' per the official website.

Following Farley's tragic death after his battle with alcohol and drug addiction, a private funeral was held two days before Christmas.

A number of celebrities were in attendance to pay their respects, including Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, Tim Meadows, Dan Aykroyd, and Bob Odenkirk. 

Last year in April, it was announced that a biopic centered around Farley is in the works - with Paul Walter Hauser set to play the late comedian. 

Josh Gad is directing the project while the screenplay is written by both Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. 

The biopic is also based on the New York Times best-selling biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby.

The film has also received the blessing from the Farley family, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Back in 2021, Hauser previously shared his interest in portraying the late SNL star while also talking to The Hollywood Reporter at the time. 

'I wanted to do a Chris Farley movie where he's in rehab for half of the film, and for the other half of the movie he's doing his stuff and his movies.' 

The Black Bird actor added, 'I think I have a really great take on that story, but I'm trying to lose weight and I'm trying to redefine myself as a person of healthy choice-making, and as an actor.

'So the days of doing Fatty Arbuckle, Chris Farley or Ignatius J. Reilly in a movie have a very small time window, and it's getting smaller by the week.' 

While talking to Collider last year, Gad offered some insight into the biopic and what fans can expect. 

'I can tell you that it's based on the incredible book written by Chris's brother, Tom [Farley Jr.], and his partner, Tanner [Colby], called The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts.' 

He continued, 'It's gonna track his journey through thick and thin, oftentimes thick and oftentimes thin, and it's going to do so in a way that I hope makes people laugh and sometimes cry.

'But we're really excited. We're at the beginning of it, but I think it's gonna be really special.'

And earlier this year in September, Gad gave an update on the production of the movie - sharing how he plans to kick off filming in early 2026. 

'It's ambitious as hell. We're trying to rein in the budget a little, and the plan is still to shoot early next year,' he told Entertainment Weekly. 

Gad also shared to the outlet, 'I'm in the midst of going through the script right now with the studio, who's been incredibly supportive about finding those things that can reduce it to a greenlight-able budget...

'Because, right now, it's a period piece, it's a biopic, it's just super big, and we're just working towards doing this to it, and I think we're getting there.'

Social media users also took to X on Thursday to pay tribute to Farley on the 28th anniversary of his passing. 

One penned, '28 years since one of my favorite actors/comedians Chris Farley passed away. He was great on SNL and I really enjoyed his comedies.' 

Another typed, 'On this day in 1997, we lost Chris Farley who passed away at the age of 33 :(,' and a fan added, 'RIP Chris Farley 2/15/64 - 12/18/97 He came. He saw. We laughed.' 

'Remembering Chris Farley who died on this day in 1997. RIP Chris Farley. You are missed, sir,' one X user wrote.