Millions of fans mourned the loss of this portly comical genius who
succumbed in the prime of his life. Always the underdog, Chris Farley
had a knack for drawing sympathy from his audience with his amiable,
vulnerable characters.
As was the case with his overweight idol—comedian John Candy,
Farley’s last film was a western. Almost Heroes (1997) with Matthew
Perry was intended to be a knee-slapper, but it bombed at the box
office, in spite of its possible sentimental appeal, as it was released
after the young talent’s death. Farley was an avid sports fan and
adored children.