Tom Farley uses improv to help children resist drugs and alcohol
BY RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press
Almost 10 years after the drug overdose of Chris Farley, his older brother is still trying to use the tragic story to get others to do what the late comic couldn't: avoid alcohol and drugs.
Tom Farley doesn't warn teens they'll end up in a van down by the river if they fail, as the overcaffeinated motivational speaker Matt Foley, his brother's famous "Saturday Night Live" character, once did.
Instead, the 45-year-old president of the Chris Farley Foundation appears at Wisconsin middle and high schools using humor and teaching comedy improvisation techniques to show teens they can resist peer pressure through positive communication.
To parents, he delivers a stiffer message in a state that loves its beer: Keep your house free from alcohol for your kids' sake.
He hosted Madison's first town hall meeting this month to discuss the above-average drinking rates among middle-schoolers, which he said was fueled by parents allowing kids to raid liquor cabinets and beer-stocked refrigerators.
Tom Farley said he's trying to fight Wisconsin's culture of drinking — one kid and parent at a time.
"The Chris Farley brand brings with it credibility," he said. "They know that Chris was a genuine kid, a Wisconsin kid who grew up in this environment and made some decisions and ran into problems. We use that as a starting point."
His approach has been effective in reaching kids and adults, local observers say.
Shawn Schroedl, a learning coordinator at Sennett Middle School in Madison, has worked with Tom Farley for an hourlong performance he is planning with students later this month.
He will act as a talk-show host, mixing one-liners with talk about drugs and alcohol. The school's drama group will present skits on the topics, and its jazz band will play, just like a late-night TV show.
"To take something very serious and deliver it in a humorous way I think is going to hit the students," Schroedl said. "We're trying to give them the information and the skills to empower them to stand up to peer pressure."
Kelsey Kujoth, a seventh-grader, is among about half the students who aren't familiar with Chris Farley's comedy. Still, she said she's learned how to deal with pressure to drink or do drugs in a fun way.
"We learn how to deal with them through the improv," said Kelsey, 12. "We try to know what it would be like and then try to make it realistic."
Tom Farley said he is trying to return improv — a comedy form mastered by Chris and his two other younger brothers, also actors — to its original purpose as a tool to communicate with children.
The five Farley siblings grew up in an Irish Catholic household not far from the Wisconsin governor's mansion.
Chris excelled at comedy and was in the cast of "Saturday Night Live" from 1990 to 1995, using wild antics and his lovable pudgy image to win laughs. Famous characters included the motivational speaker, a rabid fan of "Da Bears" and an overweight male stripper.
He later made hit movies such as "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep," teaming with David Spade. Along the way, he struggled with weight, alcohol and drug problems. He died of an accidental overdose of cocaine and morphine in a Chicago apartment in December 1997 at age 33.
Tom Farley said the foundation was created in 1998 to receive some profits of his brother's "Best of Saturday Night Live" video. Family members expected the charity to fizzle in a few years.
But he said when he visited schools in the New York area, where he was working in the financial services industry, he saw an opportunity to use his marketing and communication background to make a difference.
"I'd introduce myself as the brother of Chris, and everyone would stop what they are doing and lean forward. I had their attention," he said. "I've got the unmatched ability to open eyes and ears in this really sought-after target market."
Tom Farley, who reminds a visitor of his brother when he says words such as "awesome," moved back to Madison three years ago with his wife and three children to focus on the foundation.
The foundation plans to release a biography by author Tanner Colby to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Farley's death later this year.
Tom Farley, who recently was hired as the marketing director for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he would use the book tour to spread his message to schools.
Sometimes, he does a presentation to students. At other schools, he sponsors days of workshops and then has students perform for peers. The foundation's Web site also instructs teachers in improv games.
He said he reminds students that his brother's best characters were created when he was sober — but he stays away from imitating them.
"Nothing would be more pathetic than seeing some 40-year-old guy, the brother of Chris Farley, trying to imitate Chris," he said. "It just can't be done."
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