Why we think Chris Farley is a Type 7
Boisterous and enthusiastic demeanor. Farley commanded the attention of any room he was in with his outlandish and vibrant energy. He was loud, naive, and bumbling, yet endearing, just like the characters that he played on Saturday Night Live and in films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep.
Use of his body. He was not a small man, but he moved with surprising agility and energy. He used his body size to his advantage in comedy, often breaking the expected behavior of someone of his stature. He would throw himself into slapstick routines, tumbling and pratfalling. His movements were often larger than life, using every inch of his frame to generate laughs.
All about having fun. Farley loved a good prank, both on and off the SNL set. Tom Arnold, an actor and friend, recalled an incident where Farley mooned the audience at a packed show. He was known to be the center of fun and laughter, even if it meant making a fool of himself.
Spontaneity. Fellow comedian and close friend David Spade recounted many stories of Farley's memorable antics. One such instance was when Farley in an attempt to cheer Spade up, invited a group of strangers to his apartment for a party. Spade recalls walking into Farley's apartment to find him "hosting" the group, a gesture that demonstrated Farley’s love for humor and spontaneity.
Infectious enthusiasm for laughs. In the "Chippendale's Audition" sketch from SNL, Farley and Patrick Swayze are rival Chippendale's dancers. The sketch showcases Farley's fearless commitment to physical comedy. Despite his less-than-ideal physique, he auditions with infectious enthusiasm and without inhibition, mirroring his desire to fully experience and enjoy life, irrespective of potential embarrassment or failure, and his desire to make others laugh.
Relentless enthusiasm for new experiences. In the "Zagat's" sketch, Farley plays a wife who can't stop excitedly recommending restaurants from a Zagat's guide to her increasingly irritated husband (played by Adam Sandler). The character's relentless enthusiasm for new experiences (here, new dining experiences) is indicative of Farley’s own thirst for novelty and experience.
Party animal and the star of the show. Outside of his performances, Farley was known for his high energy, joviality, and love for life. He was always the life of the party and thrived on being the center of attention.
Chris Farley quotes that show he is a Type 7
"I want to live fast and die young.”
"I have a tendency to go through my life at full speed and as a one-man band, and so I don't generally stop and take in other people enough to develop many relationships. I'm starting to regret that a bit. I want to change it."
“I don't know what the future holds. All I know is, I'm good today. Real good.
“I can't help it. I want to be a good Catholic, but I'm a hedonist.
“I have a tendency toward the pleasures of the flesh.”
"I'm an entertainer. That's why I do the interviews. Because I'm really an entertainer."
“Although I love this kind of comedy, sometimes I feel trapped by always having to be the most outrageous guy in the room. In particular, I'm working on trying not to be that guy in my private life.”
“People... need a time to laugh. It's up to us to bonk ourselves on the head and slip on a banana peel so the average guy can say, 'I may be bad, honey, but I'm not as much of an idiot as that guy on the screen.'”
“I remember one time when all the nuns in my Catholic grade school got around in a semicircle, me and Mom in the middle, and they said, 'Mrs. Farley, the children at school are laughing at Christopher, not with him.' I thought, 'Who cares? As long as they're laughing.'”