‘Saturday Night Live’: Chris Farley Wore John Belushi’s Pants Under All His Costumes
Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley admired original cast member John Belushi. Unfortunately, Farley embodied his role model too closely and indulged in the same sort of drug addiction that cost both comedians their lives. But, in happier times on the set of SNL, cast member David Spade remembered Farley’s habit of wearing Belushi’s pants… no matter what.
Spade now co-hosts the podcast Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey. When head writer Jim Downey was their guest on May 11, the hosts reminisced about working with Farley. Spade would continue to work with Farley after SNL in the movies Tommy Boy and Black Sheep.
‘Saturday Night Live’ wardrobe department gave Chris Farley John Belushi’s pants
Belushi would pioneer recurring sketch characters like the Samurai and The Blues Brothers. Farley would do motivational speaker Matt Foley or a flustered, nervous version of himself on The Chris Farley Show. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of overlap there, but considering the myriad of sketch characters they each could play in ensemble sketches, then the wardrobe may start to overlap.
“When he found Belushi’s pants in wardrobe, the wardrobe was so extensive there and they would give him pants,” Spade said on Fly on the Wall. “For his size, they would dig back and he would just look in and see in there written ‘Belushi’. And he’d go, ‘Oh my God, these are f****** Belushi’s!’”
Chris Farley wore John Belushi’s pants under other ‘Saturday Night Live’ wardrobe
Eventually, the Saturday Night Live wardrobe department would make costumes specifically for Farley as the sketches demanded. Even then, that didn’t stop Farley from wearing Belushi’s pants. No matter the sketch, Farley would wear Belushi’s pants under the costume.
“Then he’d put them on and then even if they gave him different pants,” Spade said. “He would put them under his pants because it was like good luck. He loved Belushi.”
Other Chris Farley shenanigans
Farley was a wild man behind the scenes of Saturday Night Live. Imagine what you saw on camera, with cast members breaking during Farley’s outrageous pratfalls. He went even harder behind the scenes. Many recognized that Farley could be self-destructive and SNL creator Lorne Michaels tried to get him help. But Carvey and Spade recalled funnier moments of Farley shenanigans in the week leading up to a live show.
“He did wipe his butt with a USA Today once,” Spade said. “I guess it was right before readthrough.”
Carvey said the pedestrians walking by below 30 Rockefeller Center needed to watch their step with Farley around. Considering SNL writers would pee into jars, Farley took the prank to the next disgusting level.
“He would only s*** the window for fun,” Carvey said. “We love Chris. He’s the greatest.”
