“I want to live fast and die young,” Chris Farley once said. Tragically, the comedian did exactly those two things.
It’s hard to imagine that someone with as much comedic genius and talent as Farley almost didn’t receive a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to Michael Ewing, an executive behind the film Tommy Boy, the comedian was originally denied his star.
Ewing shared the story with Deadline Hollywood.
“When we reached the 10th anniversary of Tommy Boy, we put out a special edition that turned out to be a huge seller for the studio and Pete and I thought, ‘Why doesn’t Chris have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?’ I called the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the people in charge of bestowing stars and I told them what we were thrying to do. They said, ‘We’re so sorry, we can’t put Chris on the Walk of Fame.’ I couldn’t believe it and asked why. ‘Well, it was the way he died, the overdose, the drugs and alcohol. We can’t have that be an example to young people when they walk past the Walk of Fame.’”
Fortunately Ewing knew the right person and was able to rectify the Chamber of Commerce’s error. Ewing shared his frustrations with Allison Jackson, Head of Special Projects at Paramount.
“She said, ‘Give me a moment,’ and she went straight to the honorary Mayor of Hollywood, who soon called the Chamber of Commerce and straightened them out. Suddenly Farley not only had his star, but it was placed right in front of the Improv, where Farley took the stage many times. His whole family came, his mother spoke, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and David Spade all came out. It was an incredible day,” Ewing recalled.
A documentary about Farley’s life titled I am Chris Farley is being released this week.