Lead Actor For Chris Farley’s Upcoming Biopic Has Wanted The Part For Ages

The late Saturday Night Live star and comedian, Chris Farley, who died in 1997 will be getting his biopic screenplay based on the book The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by his brother Tom Farley, Jr. and Tanner Colby. Reports say that character actor Paul Walter Hauser of Richard Jewell, I, Tonya, and Cobra Kai will be fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing the lead role in this film.

Aside from Saturday Night Live, Farley was well known by the fairly older generation for his hilarious theatrical performances in the likes of Wayne’s World. He was also recognized for the Wayne’s World sequel, Coneheads, Airheads, as well as an uncredited role in Adam Sandler’s 1995 release, Billy Madison.

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Joining Walter is actor Josh Gad who will be making his directorial debut, as well as producer Lorne Michaels as producer. Renowned writers of The Disaster Artist, Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, and 500 Days of Summer, Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter, also have the script detailing Farley’s life and career prepared.

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Although there is no official title or release date for Farley’s biopic, his family has approved that his story be told. What is left is for the studios to bid for the project, as the rest of the details are being figured out. The film is sure to spotlight Farley’s triumphs and falls like his early death from a drug overdose.

Farley is fondly remembered for loud, energetic comedy on Saturday Night Live, where he did his final performance as a first-time host in October 1997. He was found dead a few months later by his younger brother John at the John Hancock Center apartment in Chicago. The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be an overdose of cocaine and morphine (or speedball), as well as advanced atherosclerosis as a “significant contributing factor.”

The late star struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction in his lifetime, which led to his management run by Bernie Brillstein often sending him to rehab and multiple suspensions from SNL. All efforts by Farley to permanently go drug-free proved abortive, and although he died at 33 after a four-day drinking binge, his impact remains indelible in Hollywood’s comedy scene.