Matt Foley

History

The character's concept was first created by Bob Odenkirk. Farley had performed the character in other comedy groups before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live. Farley named the character after one of his Marquette University rugby union teammates, who is now a Catholic priest in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights.

Matt Foley appeared in eight Saturday Night Live sketches. Each sketch typically started with Foley brought into a specific situation by someone to speak to a group. In addition to his disheveled, overweight, and unstylish appearance, he exhibits poor social skills, frequently loses his temper, disparages and insults his audience, wallows in cynicism and self-pity, and presents a negative motivational message. Foley's trademark line is warning his audience that they could end up, like himself, being "35 years old, eating a steady diet of government cheese, thrice divorced, and living in a van down by the river!" In most sketches, whenever a member of his audience announces a personal accomplishment, Foley responds with mockery or belligerence: "Well, la-dee-frickin-da!", "Whoop-dee-frickin-doo!", or a similarly dismissive remark. The sketches usually feature Farley's physical comedy, such as the over-caffeinated Foley gesticulating wildly and leaping around, often breaking furniture.

In the character's debut, David Spade and Christina Applegate, who were playing teens supposedly in need of Foley's help, were visibly trying to stifle their laughter. Spade, in particular, spent most of the sketch with his hand covering his face. In the sketch, Farley's portrayal of Foley was so intense that he ended up falling onto the table in front of him, crushing it. The blooper was so popular that Farley turned it into one of his best-known routines and one which he would repeat many times, both as Foley and as other characters on SNL and in film during the remainder of his life and career, sometimes injuring himself in the process.

At the end of each sketch, he is usually rushed out of his speaking location, where the people left behind huddle together and comment on him, usually bemused and frightened. Though his intended message is always ruined by his bizarre presentation, his audience typically benefits from the experience, as they all don't want to be associated with Foley again. One departure sketch had George Foreman considering that he was too old and weak to continue boxing, and happening to walk by the river, where he comes across Foley's van. Foley does not go into his usual tirades, instead ordering Foreman to do all sorts of chores for him, such as grilling hamburgers, claiming the work is "for dexterity". When Foreman determines Foley is using him, he punches Foley, causing Foreman to realize he can still fight and ultimately going on to win the world championship. Foreman then recites this tale to Tim Meadows, who wonders aloud why he is cooking burgers for Foreman, only to be barked at, "You know why! For dexterity!"

Being a Wisconsin native, Farley was asked to portray the Matt Foley character at the 1994 Rose Bowl banquet. He delivered a comedic "motivational speech" to the Wisconsin Badgers football team, who were to face the UCLA Bruins that year and won the game, 21–16.

Plans for a film version with Spade in a supporting role were shelved after Farley's death in 1997.

Physical appearance

Typically the outfit of choice for Matt is a blue-and-white plaid sport coat, a white dress shirt, a solid green necktie, black Horn-rimmed glasses, too-tight khakis, a wrist watch, dress shoes and has well-groomed blond hair. In prison, he dons blue jeans and a denim shirt with the inmate number "3307" while retaining his watch, glasses and a crucifix necklace (he also mentions a "homemade tattoo of a van down by the river"). While working as a mall Santa, he wears a stereotypical Santa outfit, complete with black snow boots.

Personality

While he is well meaning and very good-natured, he has a very violent temper, usually yelling at his audience and making a fool of himself.

He seems to have somewhat of a sense of self-pity and anger about his own poor life choices. Despite this, he has a passion for his career as a motivational speaker, going as far as to travel to Venezuela to speak to teens, or move in with teenagers to watch over them after they were caught with a bag of pot (although this was partially because he got tired of living in his van down by the river). While in prison, he seems to be respected, and to have a good friendship with his cellmate Deshawn Powers, who refers to Foley as "The OG of cell block C".

He is fond of coffee and caffeine-based products. In almost every appearance, he mentions drinking espresso or coffee, and he even brings a duffel bag with a pot of coffee to the gym to teach a spinning class.

He also seems to be a strong believer in "PMA" (Positive Mental Attitude).

Notable appearances

The character's debut performance (May 8, 1993) has been called one of the best segments in SNL history. The reception of the audience combined with visible stifled laughter from the performers on stage added to the popularity of the skit. Notable physical gestures from Farley included what Spade referred to as “the thing with the glasses” when Farley lifted his glasses on and off of his face commenting, “Hey Dad, I can’t see real good, is that Bill Shakespeare over there?” and perhaps the most defining gesture was one that Farley saved for the live performance when he alternated hands adjusting his trousers, grabbing the hilt of his belt with one hand and the back of his pants with the other. In the skit itself, Foley attempts to motivate two teens, played by David Spade and Christina Applegate, to get themselves “back on the right track” after the family’s cleaning lady finds a bag of marijuana in their dresser. Foley’s attempt to motivate them falls short when he constantly reminds them that the only thing they will ever amount to is “living in a van down by the river!” The skit ends with Foley offering that the only solution to solve the family's problems is for him to move in with them; he leaves the house to get his things from his van and the family locks him out, finally reconciling and admitting to how much they love each other.

A later performance (February 19, 1994) features Foley in prison attempting to motivate troubled teens in a scared straight program; he was imprisoned for three to five years for non-payment of alimony (consistent with him being “thrice divorced”). Before entering the skit, Foley is introduced by his cellmate Deshawn Powers (Martin Lawrence) as “just finished a week in solitary, eating nothing but coffee beans.” Foley attempts to scare the juvenile delinquents by commenting in a slightly different manner that he “wished to dear God, that he was living in a van down by the river!” The skit followed the usual Foley routine with him falling through the prison wall instead of a coffee table, which eventually led to his and the other inmates' escape.

In the only cold open featuring Foley (April 15, 1995), the character attempts to motivate a pair of Venezuelan teens. Foley attempts to get through to them by motivating them in their native Spanish, saying “¡Yo vivo en van circa de un rio!” However the teenagers father (Michael McKean) informs Matt that he and his children are fluent in English causing Foley to response "¡Padre, dame un favor, y cállate su grande YAPPER!" The skit again features Foley mocking his audience, breaking household objects, and somehow succeeding in his motivational goals.

The character returned in the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special, with Melissa McCarthy replacing the deceased Farley. Foley appears in a Weekend Update segment with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, telling them that "being a Weekend Update anchor will not bring to you, or you, jack squat!" and breaking part of the set's desk by falling on it.

List of SNL episodes featured