The 12 Best Chris Farley SNL Sketches, Ranked

Chris Farley may have died too soon — he was only 33 years old when he passed away on December 18, 1997, from a drug overdose and heart disease — but he left us a great comedy legacy. Born in Madison, Wisconsin on February 15, 1964, Farley developed a reputation from a young age as someone who loved to entertain those around him. Entertainment was something that he pursued later in his education, as he studied theater in college, along with communications. He further developed his comedy chops with numerous performing troupes, including the Second City theater, where he learned from improv instructor Del Close, the teacher of such comedy icons as Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and John and James Belushi.

It wasn't long before Farley got his first big break. Lorne Michaels, the producer and co-creator of "Saturday Night Live," took notice of his talent and cast him on the show in 1990. Farley was an instant hit with audiences and appeared in numerous classic sketches during his five seasons at 30 Rock. It was in these sketches that he displayed his over-the-top antics — fueled by a boisterous personality and physical buffoonery. Farley soon moved to the big screen, beginning with supporting roles in "Wayne's World," "Coneheads," and "Airheads," and then starring in "Tommy Boy, and "Black Sheep" with "SNL" co-star and friend, David Spade. But it was his tenure during one the best eras of "Saturday Night Live" that really showcased his comedic virtuosity. Let's take a look at Chris Farley's best "SNL" sketches.

Mike Myers plays the host of a Japanese game show with three contestants; the first two contestants speak Japanese, but Farley's third contestant, of course, doesn't speak Japanese. Playing a dorky Westerner, Farley embarrassingly admits that he and his wife Mary are on vacation in Japan and that there must've been some kind of misunderstanding, as he thought he was just going to watch a game show, not be in it. Farley lightens up, however, when he wins the first round just by repeating the host's question. But things take a turn for the worse when, during the next round, the losing contestants are forced to cut off their fingers, scaring the living daylights out of Farley.

There are very few "SNL" sketches that don't involve Farley being the butt of a joke. And here, he's the recipient of one of the funniest punishments ever when, after being led to believe that he's the winner, he's strapped to a machine you'd see in a "Hostel" movie and has power cables clamped to his ... ahem, family jewels. It's a wonderfully ironic gag, as his final answer sees him actually employing what little Japanese he knows, only to get a couple of syllables off and have jolts of electricity sent to his crotch. "Japanese Game Show" proved that there was no greater king of buffoonery than Farley.

Hank and Beverly Gelfand are a married couple who host a show wherein they "discuss" nice restaurants to visit. I put "discuss" in quotation marks because it's less of a discussion and more of a ... well, something else. Farley chews the scenery as the overly enthusiastic Beverly, cheerfully reading from a Zagat guide while her husband Hank (Adam Sandler) wishes for it all to end. Every eatery sounds exquisite to Beverly, who squeals with delight over the cheesy copy for each restaurant. Hank, on the other hand, only grows more and more frustrated with the nonstop restaurant descriptions, to the point that he pulls a gun and points it at his own head before deciding to turn the gun on an oblivious Beverly.

It's no secret that Farley and Sandler were close friends during their time on "SNL," and it was always comedy magic whenever the two of them shared the screen together. "Zagat's with Hank & Beverly Gelfand" ranks as one of their best sketches, as it sees them playing characters that perfectly suit their personalities. Farley's over-the-top portrayal of a loving-yet-clueless wife is pure gold, while Sandler knocks it out of the park as the grumpy old husband who's had it up to here with dining out. Watch to the end for one last punchline.

Three judges try to determine who will be the latest addition to their lineup of Chippendales dancers. They've narrowed it down to two, both of whom they think are terrific, but can only afford to hire one. The judges bring out the two final applicants: hunky Patrick Swayze and hefty Farley. How Farley managed to keep up with Swayze is anybody's guess, but the judges saw something special in him. And so, the two prospective dancers are given a last chance to strut their moves to the tune of Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend." Swayze puts on an expectedly sexy performance, but will it stand up to Farley's flabby frolic?

While Farley may have been mostly known as the "funny fat guy" in almost everything he appeared in, his genius as a comedic talent was his ability to use his rotund form to his advantage. Yes, we're laughing at him but he's also the one making us laugh at him; he was in charge every time he made us guffaw. It takes a real man with a less-than-chiseled physique to comfortably go shirtless with Swayze, but that's just a testament to Farley's fearlessness and commitment. The dance-off between the two is uproarious, with Farley not only copying Swayze's every move but doing everything he can to top his opponent at every turn.

"El Niño" is the shortest sketch on this list. In fact, it will probably take you longer to read this slide than to watch this sketch. But it's so funny that chances are you'll watch it multiple times. Here, a parody Weather Channel segment features Farley in a glittery and quite revealing mariachi/luchador costume, with footage of a storm superimposed in the background. In a gruff voice and with absolutely no handle on the Spanish language, he proclaims himself to be the personification of the Pacific Ocean weather phenomenon "El Niño," and that all other tropical storms must bow to him. However, this all-powerful elemental force isn't without compassion; after his grandiose declarations, he gives us a free Spanish lesson.

"For those of you who don't habla espanol, 'El Niño' is Spanish for ... 'The Niño'!"

While El Niño's weather patterns can spark major consequences around the world, Farley's portrayal of the infamous storm is anything but intimidating. His exaggeratedly bad Spanish is a riot, presaging Jack Black's "Nacho Libre" by more than a decade. Because Farley passed away so prematurely, we never got the chance to see the Weather Channel bring him on full-time; imagine the interest he could've generated in meteorology if we woke up to his booming delivery of the day's weather conditions. However, something tells me Univision probably had no interest in adding him to their morning programming block.

Kevin Nealon, during "Weekend Update," brings on guest Bennett Brauer (Farley) for some expert commentary that ultimately goes everywhere except toward anything informative. Brauer kicks off his "commentary" with some scathing remarks about the network's attempts to get rid of him, making his disdain totally clear. As expected, Brauer only continues to spew contempt in a string of quotes citing their complaints about him. His rant starts off with their problems that pertain to his status on the show, such as the fact that he has a "negative Q rating," that he doesn't "look the part," and that he's "not svelte." But the complaints that he mentions only get more personal, like how he doesn't wear "the latest clothes" or "even ones that don't reek."

Not enough is said about Farley's skills at delivering sarcasm, all of which are displayed without any semblance of subtlety or poise. It's a long rant, but Farley constantly maintains his focused derision without fumbling over a single syllable. And let's not forget the nimble work on display from his index and middle fingers, air-quoting the living hell out of the network executives with athletic consistency. However, the best part is when hidden cables lift Farley out of his seat in the middle of his passive-aggressive diatribe, sending him soaring above the audience with all the grace of a bull in a china shop. Tinker Bell would've been proud of you, Chris.

Phil Hartman plays the father of three troublesome teenagers busted for vandalizing their neighbors' homes on Halloween night. So who does dad call to straighten his kids out? Why, Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker, of course. Foley bursts into the living room and gives himself a glowing introduction: "First off, I am 35 years old, I am thrice divorced, and I live in a van down by the river!" After giving the teens some loud life advice, Foley gets into the spirit of the holiday by having the dad turn off the living room lights and then shining a flashlight into his face to regale everyone with a spooky tale about a young man who, after some bad life choices, ends up ... living in a van down by the river.

Matt Foley is Farley's most legendary creation, making its top ranking obvious but much deserved. For this character, Farley unleashes his full arsenal of comedy tricks: explosive vocal inflections, slapstick physical gags, aggressive self-deprecation, and so much more. One of the highlights of the scene finds Farley confronting David Spade's character about who threw eggs at the neighbor's house. Farley picks Spade up as if he were a child and says, "I'll be you, and you be the eggs!" — only for the both of them to crash into the coffee table. Kudos to the supporting actors for maintaining (mostly) straight faces during Farley's nonstop hijinks.