Getty Kevin Farley
Kevin Farley is the younger brother of late comedian Chris Farley. He will be appearing in tonight’s A&E documentary Chris Farley: Anything for a Laugh, which tells the story of the latter and his meteoric rise to fame.
“We’re very touched that people are still talking about Chris 22 years after his passing,” Kevin told FOX News. “It’s just nice to know that.” Kevin is also a comedian, and he has acted steadily in film and television since the 1990s. Read on to learn more about his career and his relationship with the SNL legend.
1. Both He & Chris Grew Wanted to Be Comedians from An Early Age
During promotion for the 2015 documentary I Am Chris Farley, Kevin talked about his childhood and how comedy shaped the way he interacted with his brother. “We looked at comedy as a competitive thing, so if you were funnier that day, you’d get a star,” he recalled. “We’d always take the nod to who was funnier.” Kevin admitted that this competitive streak sometimes led to physical confrontations. “We had a couple brawls, yeah. We’re Irish,” he told Yahoo.
Kevin also mentioned the films that he and Chris watched as kids. “Literally, on a loop we had Caddyshack, Blues Brothers, A History of the World from Mel Brooks,” he said. “We would watch them constantly, over and over again.” And of course they would act them out, too… We would answer each other in movie quotes.” Kevin cited Blues Brothers as being particularly important to Chris, since it introduced him to one of his idols, John Belushi.
“I think Chris was more like John Candy than Belushi,” he told Boom Howdy. “I just think that he had the vulnerability of John Candy but the physicality of Belushi. He had a good combo of both of those guys.” Both Kevin and Chris graduated from Marquette University before pursuing their respective careers in comedy.
2. He Rose to Fame As Part of the Fictional Boy Band 2gether
While he had been performing since the early 1990s, Kevin didn’t break out as a comedic force until he joined the fictional boy band 2gether in 1999. The band was a parody of popular acts like New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, and they were the stars of the self-titled MTV movie and the spin-off television series.
Kevin played Doug Linus, who was described as “the older brother” of the band. 2gether released two studio albums, and even had a charting single with “The Hardest Part of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff)”, which peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100. They disbanded in 2001, after their series was cancelled.
There’s been rumors of a 2gether reunion over the years, but the only time the members performed together was in 2012, when they did a one-off show at the Jon Lovitz Theater. Kevin, Noah Bastian and Alex Solowitz were present, and though Evan Farmer was absent due to scheduling conflicts, he did record a video message for the show. The band’s fifth member, Michael Cuccione, died in 2001.
3. He Has Acted Alongside Several of His Brother’s ‘SNL’ Castmates on Film & Television
While Kevin was not a member of SNL himself, he has maintained close relationships with Chris Farley’s castmates. He made his film debut in 1995’s Tommy Boy, which starred his brother and David Spade, and has continued to land bit parts in comedies starring SNL alumni. Some of his most notable films include 1998’s The Waterboy, which starred Adam Sandler, and 2001’s Joe Dirt, which again starred Spade. Kevin also guest-starred in the sitcom Rules of Engagement, where Spade was a main cast member.
Kevin cites his brother’s comedic gift as being the perfect match for the SNL format. “To me it always felt like Chris was a writers dream on SNL because you could always count on him to get a laugh. This was a microcosm of Farley’s life,” he explained. “He was infection and his physically comedy was almost second to none. When you have a guy like Chris that’s in the scene and performing it, you know at least you are going to get some kind of laugh out of it. Because he finds the way to make it funny.”
Adam Sandler paid tribute to Chris Farley during his recent SNL appearance. Kevin reached out to the comedian on Twitter, and thanked him for keeping his brother’s legacy going. “Thank you @AdamSandler for remembering Chris in such a great way,” he wrote. “You guys were great friends. He was lucky to have you as a true friend.”
4. He’s Written & Directed Comedy Films Like ‘Paranormal Movie’ & ‘Hollywood & Wine’
Beyond his acting career, Kevin has proven adept as a writer and filmmaker. He made his directorial debut in 2011 with the straight-to-video comedy Hollywood & Wine. The film boasts an impressive cast of stars that includes Chris Kattan, Chazz Palminteri, Pamela Anderson and David Spade.
Kevin told Betsy’s View that while he enjoyed directing, he made a point of getting input from his cast and crew. “In any film, there is a collaboration. Everybody has to collaborate. So there was plenty of collaboration,” he said. “And that goes with any film. No film is made by itself by one person. It’s just impossible. If you can’t collaborate with someone you’re never going to get your film made. So yeah, it’s a big exercise in collaboration. Any film is.”
His second film, 2013’s Paranormal Movie, was a parody of the Paranormal Activity series and included a similarly impressive roster of performers like Tom Sizemore, Eric Roberts, and Kevin himself. Paranormal Movie also starred his younger brother John P. Farley, who is a comedian and actor with an impressive list of credits to his name. Check out his full IMDb profile here.
5. He Currently Tours Comedy Clubs Around the Country & Hosts the ‘Kevin Farley on the Road’ Podcast
Kevin is currently touring the country and performing in various comedy clubs. According to his official website, he has tour dates planned through November, with stops in Texas, Florida, and Ohio among many others. Click here to find out if he’s performing near you.
Kevin also hosts a podcast titled “Kevin Farley on the Road.” The podcast recaps his experiences touring, as well as any professional and personal stories that come to mind. On the most recent episode, which you can listen to here, Kevin discusses the A&E documentary on his brother, and how his legacy has affected his own comedy career.