Chris Rock says he will never forget the last time he spoke with his Saturday Night Live cast member, Chris Farley. The beloved comedian, who was 33, died in 1997 of a drug overdose.
Speaking with Esquire for their summer cover, Rock recalled the final time he saw his friend alive.
During the interview’s “Explain This” segment, he was presented a picture of him, David Spade and Farley at the since-closed Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. The Grown Ups star recalls the photo was taken during his first major comedy tour and noted just how many A-list friends turned out in support his big break.
However, the memory is now bittersweet, as Rock revealed, “This looks like one of the last times I saw Chris alive.”
“I would see him one more time when I did a gig in Chicago,” the 56-year-old actor continued. “We tried to hang out afterwards, but… I don’t know if you’ve ever really hung out with an addict. Towards the end, anything that isn’t the drug is a chore.”
Rock says he somehow knew that his friend’s time was up during their last meeting.
“I remember I was at his apartment,” the Emmy winner shared, “He was showing me his apartment. I leave, I see him out the window, and I was like, ‘That’s probably the last time I’m going to see him.’ I knew.”
Despite nearly 24 years passing since the tragedy, Rock says he will never forget the good times the two shared on Saturday Night Live.
“Me, [Adam] Sandler, Spade, and Farley—we shared an office at Saturday Night Live,” he grinned. “We called it a dorm. We’re friends to this day. I love those guys.”
Farley, who was 33, died December 18.
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