When I Asked Brian Dennehy About Comedians Like Chris Farley

The man really liked to hear himself speak, but he did say some interesting things too.

In 2014, I went to an event at my college with the actor Brian Dennehy, and during the Q&A session at the end, I asked him what it was like to work with Chris Farley on the movie “Tommy Boy.”

I specifically asked him how a person like Farley, with so much zany, manic energy, could have put it to good use rather than have a life that ended so tragically the way it did.

I have three sons who are also wildly energetic and I get concerned sometimes about how insanely crazy they are and wonder how to “channel” that energy into something more positive, so I wondered about his perspective on that.

Dennehy’s somewhat rambling response was fairly thoughtful, and he talked about comedians in general in a way that didn’t exactly answer my question but was still interesting and had some nuggets of wisdom.

He mentioned multiple actors and comedians, including Robin Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and even Richard Pryor.

Here’s what he said (warning: language).

He [Chris Farley] was a very sad guy.

It's interesting about Chris: a lot of these guys — I knew a lot of 'em — my best friend for years was Sam Kinison, who was the craziest of all.

And I can't quote any of Sam Kinison any place. But comedians as a group are, they're always on or they're sunk in despair.

Robin Williams was the best example of all: you could not be more talented than Robin Williams. There was no actor... there was no comedian who was ever more talented.

There was no actor who was more talented than Phil [Seymour] Hoffman, and it's not enough. It — it's never enough. Boy, I remember saying to Hoffman…

I remember saying to Richard Griffiths — great, great British actor who won the Tony for “The History Boys.” And he was so excited about knowing he was going to do it. …and I'm saying, “Richard, it doesn't change anything. You gotta understand that.”

All of this stuff: being in the movies, making money, getting awards, doesn't change a goddamn thing. It's not going to bring you what you think it's going to bring you.

It's not going to change what's going on inside you. And you have to protect that if you're trying to be an artist. You have to protect that innocence, that sense of doing it for the right reasons. Even if it's crap, you're doing it for the right reasons.

But comedians never... comic actors never get enough... never find enough appreciation.

That's why they're comedians: they want love, they want to be loved.

They get up, take huge chances on a small piss-ass stage someplace because they need to be loved.

And, as an actor, I'm trying to do something else. I'm trying to, I'm trying to challenge myself in some way to see if I can make it work. And it's all about me. It's about what, how I think, you know, you want other people to get it too. But the tough, fierce critic is me. And it should be that way.

Farley came from a wonderful family. He had a great Wisconsin family, great parents, great brothers, so he can't use that excuse.

Robin had a lousy childhood, where he was kind of unloved and uncared for, which of course made him become what he was.

And a lot of comedians do. I mean, God knows nobody had a worse life than Richard Pryor ever. His mother was a hooker. He lived in a whore house! You gotta really work at it to get past that.

But, uh, the problem is, you know, as psychiatrists say this all the time, people say: “If I can only do this, I'll be happy.”

That has nothing to do with it. Happiness is a decision. It's a decision that you make.

It's not imposed upon you or given to you. You know, there are things that can make you happy, like having a lot of money, but it's, it's all temporary.

It's… it's a decision: “Am I going to be satisfied and relatively pleased by what I've done over the years, or am I not?”

That's a choice that you make.

Good advice for all artistic professionals, I think, coming from a two-time Tony Award winner.

Thank you, Brian, for your perspective. You were a great actor.