Chris Farley may no longer be with us, but the work he accumulated during his lifetime continues to earn the beloved comedian recognition. His performance in Tommy Boy had the most significant impact on pop culture history. Speaking of, David Spade recently sat down to recap the making of one of Tommy Boy's funniest scenes. What is now known as the Housekeeping Scene could've turned out a bit different than the finished product.
According to the film's director, Peter Segal, he gave Farley a couple of instructions for the sequence. Segal told Farley to perform one take with a sheet covering his behind, then another in just his underpants, and finally one with his bare bottom exposed. Bear in mind that Segal preemptively told his Tommy Boy star not to turn around during the final take. But, of course, Farley couldn't resist dancing for the camera, with his appendage flopping every which way.
When Farley answers the hotel door in the theatrical cut, he's wearing a pair of underpants that don't warrant notice. However, they're tiny and ill-fitting for the full-figured actor. Perhaps the director intended to make Tommy Boy's clothes ill-fitting.
For anyone who doesn't know, the Housekeeping Scene struck a chord with audiences more than anyone could've anticipated. Millennials who still remember the film fondly will quote Spade's character while knocking on a friend's door. It's a deep callback, but anyone familiar with Tommy Boy knows how popular the saying is.
Not The Only One
The Housekeeping Scene wasn't the only moment that could've turned out differently in the final cut of the film. In the scene of Tommy and Paul stopping by a gas station, it plays out a bit differently. Instead of singing Michael Sembello's Maniac—dancing along with it—Tommy asks Paul to continue washing off the mud. He simply repeats the same thing over and over to his newfound stepbrother. In any case, Farley's impromptu dance was more entertaining.
One scene couldn't come out the way it was intended due to logistical challenges. The scene in which Tommy and Richard hit a deer on the road was supposed to feature an actual animal. Unfortunately, Peter Segal learned while on the Tommy Boy set that deer are very difficult to train. To capture a single shot of the animal standing atop a destroyed convertible, the crew spent weeks setting up the scene. They had to feed the deer, let it make a home out of the car, just to capture it atop. Ironically, the single shot didn't cut it. Production wound up using an animatronic head for certain portions with a crew member moving it from the inside.
Tommy Boy is currently streaming on Tubi.