Why Lorne Michaels Would Allegedly Ban Chris Farley From ‘SNL' For 'Weeks at a Time'
During Chris Farley's time on Saturday Night Live, creator Lorne Michaels would allegedly ban the late actor-comedian for 'weeks at a time' to help him with his alcohol and drug use.
Susan Morrison, the author of Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, made a recent appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, where she opened up about Michaels changing his regulations on the sketch comedy show's cast's alcohol and drug use following John Belushi's overdose death in 1982.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
'SNL': Sabrina Carpenter Joins Quinta Brunson to Honor "Shorties"
Mike Myers Explains Origins of Recent Canadian Political Activism
'Saturday Night Live': Quinta Brunson, Walton Goggins, Scarlett Johansson Close Out Season 50
'When Belushi died, it really hit him hard,' she explained. 'And I think he felt like, oh my God, this whole approach of just letting people do their own thing on their own time, this was the wrong approach. We're a tribe, we're a group, and we have to look out for each other.'
'So by the time Chris Farley comes along, you know, 10 years later or whatever, from the beginning he clearly had addiction issues,' Morrison said, adding that Michaels would reportedly 'call him into his office and give him these talks about the drinking or the drugs.'
She said Bob Odenkirk, who worked as a writer on SNL from 1987 to 1991, once told her that Farley 'would be excited to be called into' Michaels' office, despite it often being difficult conversations.
'It was like the kind of thrill of being in the principal's office, but at the same time, you're getting in trouble,' Morrison recalled. 'He couldn't metabolize it, but Lorne had really changed his approach. He would ban Farley from the show for weeks at a time if he was too fucked up. And he sent him to a series of really tough love rehab places. And obviously, it didn't do it for him.'
Farley, who was a castmember on SNL from 1990 to 1995, died of a drug overdose in 1997.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History
A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘And Just Like That' Season 3 Opens With Miranda Sleeping With A Virgin Nun Named Mary — Played By Rosie O'Donnell!
And Just Like That… Season 3 Episode 1 'Outlook Good' never explains exactly what happened to Miranda's (Cynthia Nixon) former flame, Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez). Rather, the MAX show just drops us back into the lesbian lawyer's dating life. In the first episode of And Just Like That… Season 3, Miranda struggles to connect with anyone at a gay bar until she meets Mary (Rosie O'Donnell). While Mary isn't young or cool, she is absolutely enthralled by Miranda's beauty. Miranda happily decides to hook up with Mary, only to regret her decision later, after she learns more about the out-of-towner… **Spoilers for Season 3 Episode 1 'Outlook Good,' now streaming on MAX** When Miranda wakes up next to Mary in the morning, she's taken aback by how hyped the woman is about their one night stand. Mary then reveals that she literally lost her virginity to Miranda! Miranda, understandably, wonders if this just means this was Mary's first lesbian encounter. But no, Mary isn't just 'Mary from Winnipeg.' Mary is a Catholic nun who has never experienced sex in her entire life! Miranda has rocked this woman's world and spends the rest of the episode avoiding her lovesick texts. Now, most people are probably going to latch onto the sensationalism of Rosie O'Donnell popping into And Just Like That… to play a Canadian nun who loses her virginity to none other than Cynthia Nixon's Miranda Hobbes. Both O'Donnell and Nixon are outspoken 'out' celebrities who seem to make headlines every time they open their mouths. Pairing them up onscreen is noteworthy on its own. However, I'm really more fascinated by what this storyline does in moving Miranda's story forward. And Just Like That… Season 1 introduced us to a Miranda Hobbes in the midst of a mid-life crisis. She was back in school, struggling with an alcohol addiction, and unhappy in her marriage to Steve Brady (David Eigenberg). Everything changed for Miranda when she met Che Diaz. The non-binary comedian awakened something in Miranda she had never felt before. Che also inspired habits that we'd never seen in Miranda before. Most notably, Miranda cheated on Steve with Che in Carrie's kitchen all while Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) was recovering from surgery! (I'm still mad about this plot development simply because the Miranda I knew from Sex and the City would never leave an unwell Carrie in the lurch!) Miranda's infatuation with Che subsequently set off an atomic bomb in her personal life. She left Steve, came out as a lesbian, and began to question all of her life choices. In And Just Like That... Season 2, Miranda followed Che to Los Angeles. We watched Miranda Hobbes — the no-nonsense, career-oriented, high-powered attorney — clean beaches for fun and mope around the house without her Che. Eventually, the pair split up and Miranda returned to New York and slowly reclaimed the qualities we all know as undeniably 'Miranda.' Cut to And Just Like That… Season 3 Episode 1 'Outlook Good.' Miranda is just looking for low stakes sex and winds up fundamentally changing Mary's world. Mary is soon texting Miranda like crazy, begging her to meet up at corny New York tourist spots. Miranda understandably has the ick. Like, most New Yorkers don't want to hit up the Central Park carousel without a kid in tow. However, there's something else at play here: Miranda has to realize she is Mary's Che. When Miranda finally confronts Mary outside the M&M store, she cautions Mary that she shouldn't radically change her life just over one night of hot sex. You can hear her almost going back in time, warning her Season 1 and Season 2 self that her fixation on Che would ultimately fizzle out. What's extraordinary is that Sister Mary immediately makes it clear that's not what's going on for her. The nun is not leaving the church. She's not changing who she is overnight. Rather, Miranda, and New York City, have given Mary a glimpse of the life she could have had. She's thankful for the experience and simply wants to express that to Miranda. Again, And Just Like That… never tells us what happened to Che Diaz. The controversial character was simply written off the show. And yet, Miranda's experience with Mary seems to tie a bow on the whole Che Diaz saga. Miranda was Mary once, living decades of her life unable to fully explore her sexuality. Che gave Miranda that opportunity. Che helped Miranda find her truest, happiest self. Regardless of how you feel about Che Diaz, the character served an important role in the overall Sex and the City saga. Because of them, Miranda is now able to pursue joy and romance in a way she couldn't before. Sister Mary is happily returning to her life as a nun in Winnipeg knowing the ecstasy of real passion thanks to Miranda and Miranda is returning to her life as a hot single lawyer searching for sex in the city thanks to Che Diaz.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jonathan Joss: Police Are Investigating Actor's Sexual Orientation as Motive in His Killing
Police investigating the shooting death of actor Jonathan Joss have not ruled out his sexual orientation playing a role in his killing, despite an earlier statement suggesting otherwise. During a dispute Sunday night near his San Antonio, Texas home, Joss was shot and killed; a neighbor, identified by investigators as Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, was taken into custody and charged with murder. More from Rolling Stone 'King of the Hill' Creators Pay Tribute to Jonathan Joss Jonathan Joss, 'King of the Hill' Voice Actor, Fatally Shot at 59 Johnny Hardwick, Voice of Conspiracy Nut Dale Gribble on 'King of the Hill,' Dead at 64 Following Joss' death, the King of the Hill voice actor's husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said on social media that they were approached by the neighbor who began yelling homophobic slurs and fired his gun. 'Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone,' said de Gonzales. 'We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.' The day after Joss' killing, the San Antonio police wrote on social media that 'despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.' However, during a press conference Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that statement was 'premature.' 'I will own that and simply say again that we simply shouldn't have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued,' McManus said, adding that authorities are investigating the actor's sexual orientation as a possible motive. 'The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ+ community,' McManus said (via the Associated Press). 'We gather the facts, and we give those facts to the district attorney's office. And then that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing.' Joss' King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation co-stars and creators paid tribute to the actor following news of his death. King of the Hill's co-creators, Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, and revival showrunner Saladin Patterson shared a post on Instagram alongside images of Joss and his character, John Redcorn. 'Jonathan brought King of the Hill's 'John Redcorn' to life for over a dozen seasons, including in the upcoming revival,' they wrote. 'His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan's friends and family.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dakota Johnson's revealing dress derails 'Tonight Show 'interview: 'Does anyone have a blanket?'
Dakota Johnson could tell her revealing black mini-dress was going to be a problem from the very first moment she sat down on Monday's episode of The Tonight Show. 'Oh God,' the Materialists star exclaimed as she attempted to pull down the dress while also trying to keep its plunging neckline in place. When host Jimmy Fallon checked in to see if she was okay, Johnson promptly declared, 'This is the wrong outfit.' A laughing Fallon tried his best to show support for Johnson and her low-cut look. 'No, no. I think it's perfect, you look great,' he said. 'Just don't move.' Entertainment Weekly Johnson fully leaned into the absurdity of the situation, too. 'My eyes are up here,' she teased, leading a flustered Fallon to throw his head skyward. 'I can't even look there,' he confessed. 'I don't know what to do. I'm confused.' Fallon attempted to get their conversation back on track by reminding Johnson that the last time they saw each other was at the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary special in February, but the Madame Web actress remained fixated on her dress. 'Tell me if there's a problem,' she told Fallon about her outfit. In response, the SNL alum cast a wary eye toward her dress and, with one hand raised, noted, 'Right now, there's not a problem. There's almost a problem, but not quite — it's just… everything is going according to plan.' Johnson added that she'd also 'keep my posture real good' to prevent any potential wardrobe malfunctions before asking, 'Does anyone have like, a blanket I could wear? Just kidding.' With no blankets at the ready, Fallon instead offered Johnson a tissue that she quickly shoved into the front of her dress. 'That's perfect. No one will even know the difference!' he joked. 'You look great!' The host then noted that Johnson looked 'gorgeous' and that he didn't want to 'ruin your outfit' with his gag gift. When he offered to throw the tissue away for her, Johnson teased, 'You want to keep it?' Quick on his feet, Fallon fired that good energy right back at her. 'I'm putting this on eBay this evening!' He teased as Johnson laughed. 'You won't believe where this tissue's [been]! TMZ!' Johnson continued to adjust her dress and place a hand over her chest throughout the interview, which culminated in Fallon later gifting her a green sweater that her father, Don Johnson, once gave him. 'Like the Sisterhood of the…,' Johnson began, with Fallon finishing the sentence: '…The Traveling Cardigan, yes.' Johnson then dramatically threw the sweater across the front of her dress before relaxing deep into her seat and — now protected from any unwanted surprises — pretending to wipe the sweat from her brow. This isn't the first time that Johnson has expertly weathered an awkward outfit moment on a late-night TV show. She previously had to hold up her dress throughout her entire Jimmy Kimmel Live interview last June after its singular strap broke at the beginning of their chat. 'My dress just, it just fell off,' Johnson confessed at the time. 'Well, I'll just hold it.' Watch Johnson and Fallon have some big laughs over her little dress — and prank call some businesses — in the clip above. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
