Legendary Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley has retained a reputation for being highly influential in the world of comedy even as we all mourn his passing 25 years ago. However, occasionally, one of his siblings will show up to events since a few of them have become public figures in their own right, carrying on his memory wherever they go. Just who are Farley’s siblings, and what do they do?
Tom Farley
Tom Farley remains active to this day in terms of advocacy for the cause of addressing the topic of drug overdoses, the same thing that took his brother’s life in 1997. Recently, Tom participated in an event aimed at raising awareness about fentanyl at the Fairways of Woodside Golf Course in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tom explained the motivation for continuing to speak out about the issue as quoted by WDJT:
“This image you have of somebody that dies of a drug overdose, still, to this day, is a negative one, and I keep pushing Chris out there to tell people. He had a wonderful — we had a great time growing up, and we had a wonderful family, and he had an amazing career ahead of him, and still, it got him.”
Earlier this year, Tom also spoke at an event held by a community-building organization, Be Soul Good, in Green Bay, where he explained the loss of his brother informed his own journey to sobriety. Tom also spoke about the importance of addressing the stigma that keeps so many of those struggling in silence, as quoted by WFRV:
“I would have loved to have been in recovery with Chris. I would have loved to have been able to be up here, the two of us, talking about this […] I would have loved to have had those conversations with Chris, probably about some of the same things that fed into our drinking.”
Nowadays, Tom says he regularly helps other people struggling with addiction get into treatment and spread the important word about admitting when you need help.
Kevin Farley
Kevin Farley is an active stand-up comedian to this day and also has “over 100 television and film appearances” in an acting career spanning three decades, as his website states. That includes guest-appearing in shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and having a role in the cult-classic MTV original TV movie 2gether, a 2000 parody film that lampoons boy bands in the same way that Spinal Tap skewered heavy metal.
Having spent the past 11 years “touring the country headlining as a stand-up comedian,” as his bio states, Kevin has also been involved in other side projects over the years as he splits his time between New York and Florida with his wife and dogs. For instance, Kevin has recently become involved in a biographical graphic novel.
As Comics Beat reported, Farley is the co-author of Growing Up Farley, a forthcoming non-fiction comic book from Z2 set to hit shelves this fall. The story will explore the brothers’ early years as they engaged in performance art together, such as performances at camps and sets at local theaters, with all of it culminating in becoming members of the legendary improv theater The Second City in Chicago. Kevin shared in a statement:
“Laughter was always a big part of growing up Farley. I’m excited to partner with the team at Z2 Comics to share all the humor and humanity of growing up with my brother, Chris, in 1970s Madison, Wisconsin, and the huge influence our Dad had on our decision to go into comedy.”
Growing Up Farley will be illustrated by Ryan Dunlavery and co-written by Frank Marraffino.
John Farley
John Farley is another sibling of the same talented family who has made his own splash in showbusiness, including starring in some films with his SNL-starring sibling, such as Black Sheep and Beverly Hills Ninja, as TCM noted. He has also starred in films such as the Adam Sandler comedy classic The Waterboy and the 1999 drama The Straight Story starring Sissy Spacek, among other films.
Like his brothers, John also trained at The Second City, according to its website, starting there in the 1990s until he eventually worked his way up from a mere student to a touring performer. As the youngest of the Farley family, John still staked out an impressive career in Hollywood that has included writing and producing films and continuing to work in movies and TV, including appearing in shows like Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Barbara Farley
Not much is known to the public about Chris’ sister, Barbara Farley, as she has apparently not taken up a career that involves being a public figure like her brothers. However, it is obvious Barbara was also impacted by and cherishes the memory of her brother Chris since she stood shoulder-to-should with the rest of the Farley clan when the SNL legend got a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2005, according to the official website.
On a Facebook fan page dedicated to Chris, they posted a photo of the Farley clan accepting the Hollywood Walk of Fame star on his behalf. That included Kevin, Barbara, Kevin’s mother, Mary Anne Farley, John, sister-in-law Jennifer Farley, and Tom, according to the post.