Remembering Chris Farley: Celebrities Pay Tribute 20 Years After His Death

It’s been 20 years since Chris Farley overdosed in 1997 and shocked the world with the news of his death. The comedy world was deflated as it lost one of the most talented men in the business. Farley was known for his outrageous comedy sketches, and possibly more for his strong group of comedic friends. Adam Sandler, David Spade, Chris Rock, and Rob Schneider made up the “Bad Boys of SNL” along Farley in the ’90s leaving a major impact on the show which has yet to be mirrored.

His closest friend and frequent co-star, David Spade shared a simple post on Instagram and Twitter today remembering his long-time buddy. “20 years ago today,” he captioned the photo which depicted Farley with a mustache, and the years of his birth and death. In just a few hours, the photo was retweeted over 14,000 times and has over 42,000 likes. People also noted that Spade paid tribute to Farley on the 20th anniversary of their hit film, Tommy Boy.

Spade also retweeted a post from his late friend’s brother, Kevin Farley. Kevin shared a heartwarming post dedicated to his brother, and urged his followers to “tell the ones you love that you love them.”

Chris Rock also shared a photo of he and his SNL co-star from the ’90s and admitted Farley was the funniest of them all.

“20 years ago today. I got that call.”

Rock’s post joined thousands of others from fans on all forms of social media, as you could feel the sadness between those who knew him, and those who admired him. Mad TV alum Will Sasso also paid tribute to the late comedian this afternoon, remembering that his friend “was as brilliant as he was kind.”

Tom Arnold also took time out to remember his friend on Twitter today. Arnold’s post was lengthier than the others and detailed the day when he found out about Farley’s passing. Ironically, Arnold was filming a funeral scene when he got the phone call about his friend’s death. Arnold was on set with one of Farley’s brothers and immediately went to find him. He even referred to Farley as his fellow addict, as Arnold has always openly discussed his issues with addiction.

Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider have remained silent regarding the anniversary of their friend’s death on social media as all people choose to grieve differently.

Farley notoriously overdosed on a combination of morphine and cocaine and was found by his brother John Farley in his Chicago apartment on December 18, 1997. The comedian starred in iconic and cult-classic films like Wayne’s World, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Beverly Hills Ninja. He spent five years on Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995 and is most known for his Chippendales and motivational speaker skits.