If you have working eyes, you’ve probably seen Siobhan Fallon Hogan’s face.
But before she went on to star in some of cinema’s greatest films of the past 30 years on the big screen, she could be seen on the small screen as a cast member of the late-night live sketch comedy variety show, “Saturday Night Live.”
Fallon Hogan — who was on Lorne Michaels’ long-lasting show in the early ’90s during one of its golden eras — performed alongside the likes of Dana Carvey, Tim Meadows, Kevin Nealon, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade, just to name a few.
But perhaps her most enigmatic castmate was none other than the legendary Chris Farley.
Ahead of “SNL’s” 50th anniversary special, Fallon Hogan spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital about her time at 30 Rock and her relationship with the late Farley — who, alongside Meadows, Rock, Sandler, Schneider and Spade, came to be known as a “bad boy of SNL.”
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Farley, who battled drug and alcohol addiction for much of his short life, personified the character of Matt Foley, an over-the-top motivational speaker created by actor Bob Odenkirk. The popular character’s name had been inspired by a longtime friend of Farley’s, who went on to become a Catholic priest.
But while the character of Foley was meant to parody the performance of preachers, Fallon Hogan revealed Farley’s own faith wasn’t an act.
“We went to Holy Trinity on the Upper West Side. And, you know, everything [at SNL] is nocturnal. The shows would get out at like 1:30 in the morning, and you go to the parties, and then we’d be at Mass together [the next morning] and he’d look up at heaven and be like, ‘Sorry. Sorry about that.'”
Farley also introduced Fallon Hogan to the clown’s prayer, a poem that comedians tend to use for inspiration.
“He was really a fabulous Catholic. Such an amazing guy,” Fallon Hogan added.
The actress addressed Farley’s death by overdose at the ripe age of 33, having attended his funeral service.
“I remember his memorial at St Malachy’s in New York. You would expect some famous person to go up and speak. And, instead, there was a shut-in that he had visited quite often, and no one knew that. He was just a fantastic person.”
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Like Farley, Fallon Hogan is an Irish Catholic in her own right — who’s so devout that she’s been known for turning down roles that don’t jibe with her moral code.
With an already-extensive filmography list, she previously told Fox News Digital film buffs would have seen her in even more roles had they only been more reflective of her strong Catholic faith.
“It’s cost me a fortune,” she jested. “But, that being said, I wouldn’t be able to sit with myself.”
Lately, she’s taken to writing her own roles — having penned, produced, and performed in the 2021 independent film, “Rushed,” and the 2023 indie flick, “Shelter in Solitude.” Following a theatrical release, the latter was recently screened at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture as part of their “Horizons of Hope” film series.
Fallon Hogan infused her Catholicism in both movies, having put her “blood, sweat, tears” — and faith — into them.
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Speaking with Fox News Digital, the actress and screenwriter said she believes Catholicism is becoming contagious in Hollywood.
“I think people, after a while, they’re just thirsting for the truth and searching for something of substance, for a higher power,” she said. “And some of the people who already are strong Catholics no longer have to hide because they don’t want to, because it’s not worth it to hide. It’s like, ‘you know what? I’m going to tell you who I am and this is what I believe in, because this is what’s important to me.’ And then, when other actors see how happy those Catholics are, it’s attractive. They say, ‘Hey, tell me a little about this.’”
“It inspires beauty and happiness,” she added.
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Though she wasn’t able to offer much detail on the subject yet, the “Forrest Gump,” “Men In Black,” and “Holes” star said she has been tapped by Lionsgate to act in an upcoming film. She referred to the premise as a “page-turner” and called it “a really beautiful gift from God.”
“Thank God I have this part in this movie because I’m going to this,” she jested, referring to the SNL 50 reunion party this weekend. “It’s like a high school reunion on steroids. It’s just kind of fabulous. You feel like you’re a part of history.”
Commenting on whether she believes “SNL” is as culturally relevant today as it once was, Fallon Hogan told Fox News Digital she doesn’t watch it.
“I think I was [on] in the glory days. I mean, that’s for sure. And, you know, I think when Dana Carvey comes back as Biden, they really shine. I mean, these were really top, top shelf hilarious people that I was on with. And obviously… the two years before that were as superb as the beginning of it was, [when I was] growing up… you just lived to watch ‘SNL.’ I don’t know if it’s that way anymore.”
The former cast member pointed to an over-saturation of content as a possible explanation for the drop-off in ratings.
“I think part of it is because there are so many options. You know, it’s like there’s so much content. If you do watch, you just watch little clips. Do you watch the whole show like it used to be? You know, the show would come out, and you discussed the show for the whole week.”
“That said, for Lorne Michaels to run the show for 50 years and do what he’s done is unbelievable. It’s phenomenal. Really, he’s a genius. It’s never been done. I mean, the longevity is so far beyond any long-running show. It’s really a fantastic feat that he’s accomplished.”
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