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John Farley on His Brother and the Origin of Matt Foley | Fly on the Wall

December 14, 2022 / 02:31

This episode discusses the origins of the character Matt Foley, created by Chris Farley and inspired by real-life figures. The conversation includes insights from Bob Odenkirk about his time at Second City and the development of sketches.

Bob Odenkirk shares anecdotes about his early career and how he became involved with Chris Farley in creating memorable characters. He mentions the influence of a Jesuit priest and rugby player named Matt Foley, who served as a basis for the character.

The episode highlights the collaborative nature of sketch writing at Second City, with Odenkirk recalling how he and Farley worked together to bring characters to life. They discuss the commitment required in performances and the challenges of getting sketches approved.

Listeners will hear about the creative process behind iconic sketches and the camaraderie among comedians at Second City. Odenkirk reflects on the importance of character development and the humor that comes from unexpected situations.

The episode concludes with a discussion on the evolution of comedy and how characters like Matt Foley continue to resonate with audiences today.

TLDR

Bob Odenkirk discusses the creation of Matt Foley and his experiences at Second City with Chris Farley.

Episode

2:31
00:00:00
pretty sure he said he was uh Matt Foley was a combination of Foghorn Leghorn and
00:00:05
my dad I go what really I don't know I I like uh when he gets his voice high no yeah
00:00:15
Bill Shakespeare I can't see no I can't see too good I hate them rabbits oh my
00:00:24
God what about and Matt Foley was a real guy he was a priest or something Matt bully
00:00:29
was just yeah buddy Marquette uh and they played rugby together and he went off to be uh he went up to be a priest
00:00:36
at uh Jesuit priest there in uh Chicago so Odin Curry he's got one of those hilarious yeah they wrote you know when
00:00:42
you write sketches you put in like someone's name you know and then that name turns into something that's people
00:00:46
know now yeah Odin Kirk was doing a second City with Chris and uh he got hired on there because somebody had left
00:00:55
and so they put Odenkirk in there and I think all the other cat Chris was the only one was like don't worry Bob I got
00:01:00
you and all the other casters somebody said I think Odin Carter goes somebody kicked me when the lights were down in
00:01:06
between scenes oh and Chris is like what God dang it uh but he had brought uh he
00:01:12
had brought Matt Foley to Second City he wrote it he I think we you guys we talked about it yeah you know and he
00:01:20
said it didn't get on right away which is shocking can you believe it didn't
00:01:23
get on right away I know was he full commitment because the air show the one that's famous uh the commitment was it
00:01:30
felt like I've never seen anyone commit harder to any one spot out of Second
00:01:35
City same thing same thing same energy yeah yeah same energy same Odin Kirk and wrote it for himself and he looked at
00:01:42
Chris he was like [ __ ] this is yours oh yeah that was very generous it's hard to
00:01:46
give up so funny we're doing Bob odikirk yeah I everybody you know what they always had to think
00:01:57
of a new hook for Chris like you know when like where the uh I was the elf like they'd always cram me into
00:02:03
something like he's saying and I'm the Elf or whatever motivational Santa
00:02:08
motivational oh yeah but thank you in a motivational prison motivational I like when Phil goes you know they have to
00:02:15
have a new beginning uh we got a motivational Center here he's been down in the basement eating coffee beans the
00:02:21
last three hours made no sense yeah just to make any excuse of why is he so why is he so freaking amped up

Episode Highlights

  • The Origin of Matt Foley
    Matt Foley was inspired by a real person, a priest who played rugby.
    “Matt Foley was a real guy.”
    @ 00m 25s
    December 14, 2022
  • Odenkirk's Generosity
    Bob Odenkirk wrote the iconic character for Chris Farley, showing great generosity.
    “He looked at Chris and was like, 'This is yours.'”
    @ 01m 40s
    December 14, 2022

Episode Quotes

  • Can you believe it didn’t get on right away?
    John Farley on His Brother and the Origin of Matt Foley | Fly on the Wall
  • It’s hard to give up.
    John Farley on His Brother and the Origin of Matt Foley | Fly on the Wall

Key Moments

  • Character Inspiration00:25
  • Sketch Rejection01:20
  • Generosity in Comedy01:44

Words per Minute Over Time

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