The stars turned out and security guards turned reporters away at actor-comedian Chris Farley’s funeral Tuesday.
Among those in attendance at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Madison were current and former members of the “Saturday Night Live” family with whom Farley worked from 1990 to 1995: “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels, Dan Aykroyd, Al Franken, Norm MacDonald, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider.
Also attending were frequent “SNL” guests Tom Arnold, John Goodman and George Wendt, who was a co-conspirator with Farley in their Superfans (“Da Bears”) skits.
“He was the funniest guy on earth,” said a subdued MacDonald. Meadows, who worked with Farley in Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe before they migrated to “SNL,” said somberly, “We all loved (Farley) to death.”
Security, hired by Farley’s family to keep the media away from the private proceedings, was firm but polite in shooing away the uninvited. The family declined to comment.
Presiding over the ceremony was Rev. Matt Foley, whose name Farley used for one of his better-known characters, a motivational speaker.
Farley was found dead Thursday in his Chicago condominium. The Cook County medical examiner’s office is awaiting results of a toxicology report before announcing the cause of death.