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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 a real person. Guests share anecdotes about Farley and his comedic style, particularly his energetic performances at Second City. The conversation highlights Bob Odenkirk's involvement in the creation of Matt Foley and his generosity in allowing Farley to take the role.

Chris Farley is remembered for his commitment to characters, with specific references to his work at Second City. The guests reflect on the collaborative nature of sketch writing and how names and ideas evolve into iconic characters.

Odenkirk's early days at Second City and his friendship with Farley are discussed, emphasizing the supportive environment among comedians. The humor in their sketches is highlighted, showcasing the absurdity and creativity that defined their work.

Overall, the episode captures the spirit of comedy in the 1990s, focusing on the legacy of Chris Farley and the impact of his characters.

TL;DR

Chris Farley’s Matt Foley character origins and comedic legacy are discussed with insights from Bob Odenkirk and others.

Video

00:00:00
pretty sure he said he was uh Matt Foley
00:00:02
was a combination of Foghorn Leghorn and
00:00:05
my dad
00:00:06
I go what really I don't know I I like
00:00:11
uh when he gets his voice high no yeah
00:00:15
Bill Shakespeare I can't see no I can't
00:00:20
see too good I hate them rabbits oh my
00:00:24
God
00:00:25
what about and Matt Foley was a real guy
00:00:27
he was a priest or something Matt bully
00:00:29
was just yeah buddy Marquette uh and
00:00:32
they played rugby together and he went
00:00:33
off to be uh he went up to be a priest
00:00:36
at uh Jesuit priest there in uh Chicago
00:00:39
so Odin Curry he's got one of those
00:00:40
hilarious yeah they wrote you know when
00:00:42
you write sketches you put in like
00:00:43
someone's name you know and then that
00:00:45
name turns into something that's people
00:00:46
know now yeah Odin Kirk was doing a
00:00:49
second City with Chris and uh he got
00:00:52
hired on there because somebody had left
00:00:55
and so they put Odenkirk in there and I
00:00:58
think all the other cat Chris was the
00:00:59
only one was like don't worry Bob I got
00:01:00
you and all the other casters somebody
00:01:02
said I think Odin Carter goes somebody
00:01:04
kicked me when the lights were down in
00:01:06
between scenes oh and Chris is like what
00:01:08
God dang it uh but he had brought uh he
00:01:12
had brought Matt Foley to Second City he
00:01:15
wrote it he I think we you guys we
00:01:18
talked about it yeah you know and he
00:01:20
said it didn't get on right away which
00:01:22
is shocking can you believe it didn't
00:01:23
get on right away I know was he full
00:01:25
commitment because the air show the one
00:01:27
that's famous uh the commitment was it
00:01:30
felt like I've never seen anyone commit
00:01:33
harder to any one spot out of Second
00:01:35
City same thing same thing same energy
00:01:37
yeah yeah same energy same Odin Kirk and
00:01:40
wrote it for himself and he looked at
00:01:42
Chris he was like [ __ ] this is yours oh
00:01:44
yeah that was very generous it's hard to
00:01:46
give up
00:01:49
so funny
00:01:52
we're doing Bob odikirk yeah I everybody
00:01:56
you know what they always had to think
00:01:57
of a new hook for Chris like you know
00:02:00
when like where the uh I was the elf
00:02:02
like they'd always cram me into
00:02:03
something like he's saying and I'm the
00:02:05
Elf or whatever motivational Santa
00:02:08
motivational oh yeah but thank you in a
00:02:10
motivational prison motivational I like
00:02:12
when Phil goes you know they have to
00:02:15
have a new beginning uh we got a
00:02:17
motivational Center here he's been down
00:02:19
in the basement eating coffee beans the
00:02:21
last three hours made no sense yeah just
00:02:23
to make any excuse of why is he so why
00:02:26
is he so freaking amped up

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 70
    Funniest
  • 70
    Best performance
  • 65
    Best concept / idea
  • 60
    Most iconic

Episode Highlights

  • The Origin of Matt Foley
    Matt Foley was inspired by a real person who became a priest in Chicago.
    “Matt Foley was a real guy.”
    @ 00m 25s
    December 14, 2022
  • Odenkirk's Generosity
    Bob Odenkirk wrote Matt Foley for himself but generously gave it to Chris.
    “This is yours.”
    @ 01m 42s
    December 14, 2022

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Matt Foley's Inspiration00:25
  • Commitment to Comedy01:30
  • Odenkirk's Generosity01:42
  • Motivational Chaos02:12

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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