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NEED TO KNOW
Chris Farley's brother, Tom Farley, reveals what he misses most about the late comedian
Chris died on Dec. 18, 1997, at age 33, from an apparent drug overdose
"I would have loved to have been in recovery with Chris," Tom tells PEOPLE
Chris Farley'sbrother is recalling the time the late comedian was in recovery and at his best — saying he wishes he could continue the journey alongside him, all these years later.
Over28 years afterthe famedSaturday Night Livealum's death on Dec. 18, 1997, at age 33, from an apparent drug overdose, Tom Farley recalls some of his favorite memories of his brother — a larger-than-life personality who was privately plagued by addictions.
Asked what he misses the most about Chris, Tom — who has been open about his own recovery and now serves as the community outreach director forRecovery.com— says it's evolved with time.
Farley Family Archives
"For years, when people would ask me that, I'd give the same answer: We would come home to Madison, Wis., or we'd see each other after a while, and he'd just give me a bear hug. I can still feel it, you know, and we'd hold it," he says. "It was just a brotherly thing. It was wonderful. And I still miss that."
"But what I really miss now is that I would have loved to have been in recovery with Chris," he continues. "Because when he was in recovery, and he was so successful those last years onSNL,he was working his program. He was amazing and look at what happened — he just exploded. And I started seeing a brother I never got to see."
Born in Wisconsin, Chris landed a spot in Chicago's Second City Theater in 1987. He was picked up by Lorne Michaels forSaturday Night Livein 1990.
Over the next five years onSNL, the comedian debuted a slew of legendary characters, including motivational speaker Matt Foley, a wannabe Chippendales dancer and Cindy, one of the Gap girls.
Chris went in and out of rehab more than a dozen times throughout his life, and was sober for three years before relapsing again in 1995.
Though he wasreleased from the sketch comedy showthat same year (along with his close friend Adam Sandler), Farley found success on the big screen, appearing inTommy BoyandBeverly Hills Ninja.
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All these years later, Tom says he still sees Chris in the characters he made famous.
"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 says, adding, "I had to share a bedroom with this guy. He was known for characters, but he was always just himself ... that's why, we all these years later, we love him still."
When the two would put on skits before their family members as kids, Tom says it came naturally to Chris, explaining, "I was playing a character. I was trying to get this caricature of something that wasn't anything close to me. And Chris was just trying to be himself."
"I used to think his whole purpose in life was to push my buttons," Tom laughs. "And he was good at it. But I believe now what he was really saying was, 'Tommy, just be yourself.' "
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