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Adam Sandler's Chris Farley tribute: 'Most moving' SNL sketch ever

The late comedian's classic skits, including roles as a wannabe Chippendale, Lunch Lady, and as a Chicago Bears superfan were all remembered.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read

The cast of Saturday Night Live and host Adam Sandler produced some funny skits Saturday night, but perhaps the best event of the night was more tearful than joke-filled. Sandler closed the night by performing a poignant tribute to his friend and former fellow SNL cast member, the late Chris Farley.

This wasn't the first time Sandler has performed the tribute -- it's part of his recent Netflix special, Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh. But viewers and Sandler himself seemed to really feel the loss as the comic performed it on the same stage where he and Farley worked together in the 1990s.

Sandler's song recalled some of Farley's most memorable SNL sketches while photos and video clips played in the background.

"He loved the Bears and Ditka, danced at Chippendales with Swayze, when they replaced his coffee with Folger's he went full-on crazy," Sandler sang. "The sexiest Gap girl and Meat Loaf in the band, without him there'd be no Lunch Lady in Lunch Lady Land."

The song traveled through Sandler and Farley's friendship, from their first days on set to Sandler attending Farley's funeral after he died in 1997 of a drug overdose.

"We'd tell him, 'Slow down, you'll end up like (John) Belushi and (John) Candy,''' Sandler sang, at times choking up. "He said, 'Those guys are my heroes, that's all fine and dandy.'''

Fans appreciated the emotional tribute.

"Most moving thing I've ever seen on SNL," wrote one Twitter user.

Emma Thompson will host SNL on May 11, with The Jonas Brothers as musical guests.