The Real Matt Foley, an Arlington Heights Pastor, Interviewed for Chris Farley Documentary

The name Matt Foley is forever ingrained in many Saturday Night Live fans’ heads as the motivational speaker played by Chris Farley who lives in a van down by the river.

But the real Matt Foley, a long-time friend of Farley’s, is the head pastor at St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights and was recently interviewed for a documentary on Farley, I Am Chris Farley, which is playing at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago until Thursday and will play on the Spike TV cable channel on Aug. 10, the Daily Herald reports.

The two met 30 years ago while playing rugby at Marquette University and their friendship continued over the years with Foley visiting the SNL set, supporting Farley during his struggle with alcoholism and eventually, presiding over Farley’s funeral after the 33-year-old comedian died of a drug overdose in December 1997, according to the newspaper.

The documentary, Foley said, shows a gentler side to Farley that is truer to his character than the often rowdy portrayal given to his long-time friend, according to the article.

The motivational speaker character was first introduced while Farley was at Second City. Farley would change the name of the character, naming him after a friend in the audience. One night, when Foley was in the audience, Farley started off his skit by saying, “My name is Matt Foley, and I’m a motivational speaker,” according to the Daily Herald article.

After the show, Farley told Foley he would like to continue referring to the character as Matt Foley, the newspaper reports. Matt Foley the motivational speaker made his SNL debut in 1993.

Here is snippet posted on the I Am Chris Farley website, which describes the documentary:

Chris Farley lived his life full speed and committed to make everyone around him laugh out loud, and I Am Chris Farley will tell his hilarious, touching and wildly entertaining story for the first time ever - from his early days in Madison, Wisconsin, and at Marquette University, through his work at the legendary Second City to his rapid rise to the top of the comedy world on “Saturday Night Live” and in hit films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep.

The film showcases the performer’s most memorable characters and skits from television and film, paired with iconic photographs, home movies and family snapshots, to fully round out the story of this comedy legend – a bear of a man who nevertheless had remarkable grace and physicality. Clips from Farley’s most memorable performances fill the documentary, from his breathtaking Chippendales audition alongside Patrick Swayze, to his comically ill-fated salesman in Tommy Boy, to his diatribes as Matt Foley, the motivational speaker who “lives in a van down by the river!”

Read more on the Daily Herald