I had the opportunity to catch an advanced screening of I Am Chris Farley at the Rio Theatre and thoroughly enjoyed the documentary. Filled with stories from stars like Adam Sandler, Christina Applegate and Mike Myers, the film is an insightful look at the comedy legend almost 20 years after his untimely passing.

Here are the Top 5 Things I learned from watching I Am Chris Farley:

1) Enjoy the people you work with.

Chris loved being a part of an ensemble. He was involved in a lot of team activities growing up, from going to camp as a child to playing rugby at Marquette University. Taking improv classes at the Ark Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin was the logical next step for the burgeoning comedy legend. A running theme of many of the interviews in I Am Chris Farley was how much he liked being in an ensemble.

2) Be generous with the love and it will be returned in kind.

Chris enjoyed making people smile, whether it be with his Fat Guy In A Little Coat routine, doing push-ups in front of girls, or making sure that the new players on SNL felt right at home. From his brothers to his former agent to some of the biggest movie stars in the world: everyone loved Chris.

3) We all get nervous.

Though we all know Chris Farley from the giant characters he played on SNL and in movies like Tommy Boy and Beverley Hills Ninja, he had moments of being a nervous, awestruck fan boy in real life. The Chris Farley Show on SNL was a great example of Chris playing close to his real self.

4) Commit!

No matter the character, Chris Farley committed to bringing the highest amount of energy and intensity to the scene. Whether as a Chippendales’ dancer with Patrick Swayze, or Motivational Speaker Matt Foley, Chris would literally throw himself into a sketch for the highest amounts of laughs.

5) There will never be another Chris Farley.

I Am Chris Farley plays at the Rio Theatre from August 25 – September 1. More information: www.riotheatretickets.ca