Why David Spade And Chris Farley Fought On The Set Of Tommy Boy

Tommy Boy is one of the comedy classics from the 90’s that everybody remembers. David Spade and Chris Farley spun their success on Saturday Night Live into a feature film comedy duo. However, there was a big star in that film as well. An uncredited Rob Lowe also appeared, and he was so popular that Spade and Farley actually got into a physical altercation because of his cameo.

Both Spade and Lowe were on The Late Late Show with James Corden and discussed the fight between the friends. Lowe vividly remembers the two arguing over who got to spend time with him in the Jacuzzi during filming. But as Spade tells the story, Farley wasn’t feeling well when they arrived in Toronto for filming, so he went to bed early. Spade and Lowe then went for a drink together while Farley slept. Somehow Farley found out about it, it’s not clear how, and he was far from happy about being left out. Spade recalls:

Next day he’s in make-up staring at me in the mirror...I know this look and it makes me nervous, he goes ‘How’s Rob Lowe?’

Spade tried to brush it off, but Farley kept the grudge throughout the morning’s filming. Later in the day the Joe Dirt star was trying to eat a sandwich while sitting on the ground. This is when Farley made it physical. Spade said:

He comes over and he crunches my hand...with his boot. And then I got up and I threw my Diet Coke on him. It was straight out of Atlanta Housewives.. Then he threw me down the stairs and then they said ‘Action.’.

So, that escalated quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fairly certain any human being alive regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation would happily beat the crap out of somebody if they missed a chance to hang out with Rob Lowe. I mean, he is Rob Lowe after all. No, just me? Ok.

Farley, whose career was cut tragically short when he passed away in 1997, just two years after filming Tommy Boy, was a guy who seemed to get really excited over meeting celebrities. His character on SNL’s "The Chris Farley Show" was really just an over exaggerated version of the way he actually acted around the celebrities who hosted the show. The idea that he missed a chance to hang out with Rob Lowe apparently really got to him. Though we don’t condone throwing people down stairs. Check out the full story below.

Is there a celebrity you would throw one of your dear friends down the stairs for a chance to meet? Let us know who below.

Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.