Bobby Farrelly

Bobby Farrelly
Farrelly in 2025
Born
Robert Thomas Farrelly

(1958-06-17) June 17, 1958
Cumberland, Rhode Island, U.S.
EducationRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
OccupationsFilm director, producer
Years active1994–present
Known forThere's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber
Spouses
Nancy Farrelly
​
​
(m. 1990; div. 2022)​
Lana Cheng Farrelly
​
(m. 2025)​
Relatives

Robert Thomas Farrelly (born June 17, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is one of the Farrelly brothers, alongside his brother Peter, who together are known for directing and producing successful box-office comedy films, including Dumb and Dumber (1994), There's Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself and Irene (2000), Shallow Hal (2001), and the 2007 remake of The Heartbreak Kid.[1][2] He made his solo directorial debut in 2023 with Champions.[3]

Early life

Farrelly was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, to Mariann, a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Robert Leo Farrelly.[4] His grandparents were Irish immigrants, and he also has Polish ancestry.[5][6] Farrelly is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he entered the school on a hockey scholarship.[7][8]

Career

Film

Farrelly co-wrote the comedy film Dumb and Dumber (1994), which was directed by his brother Peter. In the film, two dimwitted friends, played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, embark on a road trip to return a lost briefcase full of cash to a business woman, played by Lauren Holly. The film was a large success at the box office.[9][10] Farrelly's co-directorial debut was Kingpin (1996), starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Bill Murray. A sports comedy, the film chronicles competitors in the world of professional bowlers as they compete in a high-stakes tournament.[11][12] He then co-directed There's Something About Mary (1998), which became the fourth highest-grossing film of 1998, as well as the highest-grossing film of his career.[13][14] The film stars Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz.[15]

Farrelly co-produced and co-wrote Outside Providence (1999), which was an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.[16] Farrelly next co-directed Me, Myself & Irene (2000), a slapstick dark comedy about a state trooper in Rhode Island, played by Jim Carrey, whose years of suppressed rage results in a psychotic break and split personality.[17] The film also stars Renée Zellweger and Chris Cooper. In 2001, Farrelly co-directed Osmosis Jones, a blend of live-action and animation, starring Bill Murray and Chris Rock.[18] The Farrelly brothers wrote, directed and produced the romantic comedy Shallow Hal (2001), starring Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow. The film is about a superficial man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman after being hypnotized into only seeing a person's inner beauty.[19] Their next project was Stuck on You (2003), a comedy film starring Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Eva Mendes and Meryl Streep about conjoined twins who move to Hollywood so one can pursue a career as an actor.[20]

Peter Farrelly (left) and Bobby Farrelly (right) at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

In 2005, Farrelly co-directed Fever Pitch, a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon about a schoolteacher and Red Sox fanatic who falls in love with a business consultant.[21] The film is an American remake of the 1997 British film of the same name, based on the novel by Nick Hornby.[22] Also in 2005, he co-produced the controversial sports comedy film The Ringer.[23] In 2007, he co-wrote and co-directed the romantic dark comedy film The Heartbreak Kid, which stars Ben Stiller and is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name.[24]

In 2011, he co-directed Hall Pass, which tells the story of two friends, played by Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson, whose wives give them the titular hall pass from their marriage for a week.[25][26] In 2012, he co-wrote and co-directed The Three Stooges, based on the 20th-century comedy trio of the same name. The film stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso as the titular characters.[27] In 2014, he co-wrote and co-directed Dumb and Dumber To, the sequel to Dumb and Dumber.[28][29] Set 20 years after the events of the first film, the sequel follows Jim Carrey's Lloyd and Jeff Daniels' Harry on a cross-country road trip to find Harry's adopted daughter.[30]

In 2023, Farrelly made his solo directorial debut with the sports comedy-drama film Champions, about a basketball coach who must coach a team of players with learning disabilities after being sentenced to community service. Woody Harrelson, the feature actor of the film who worked with Farrelly in Kingpin, personally recommended Farrelly to direct the film, saying "he's a deep person and he's got the most amazing sense of humor".[31] In 2024, he directed the Christmas comedy Dear Santa, which stars Jack Black. The film is about a boy who, while attempting to write a letter to Santa, accidentally misspells his name as Satan, which summons Satan to Earth, who offers him three wishes in exchange for his soul.[32][33]

Television

In 1992, the Farrelly brothers conceived the Seinfeld episode "The Virgin" (4.10), in which Jerry dates a woman, played by Jane Leeves, who has not lost her virginity.[34] In 2016, Farrelly directed several episodes of Season 10 of the Canadian cult mockumentary TV series Trailer Park Boys.[35] Between 2018 and 2020, Farrelly directed several episodes of the show Loudermilk, created by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Mort.[36] In 2020, Bobby and Peter directed the Quibi comedy series The Now.[37]

Awards

In 1999, the Farrelly brothers won the MTV Movie of the Year award for There's Something About Mary.[38] In 2020, the Farrelly brothers received the Morton E. Ruderman Award for their sensitive and inclusive depictions of people with differing abilities in Champions.[39][40] In 2023, Global Down Syndrome Foundation honored Farrelly as a Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Awardee.[41][42]

References

  1. ↑ "Farrelly Brothers Movies: The Ultimate Ranking". UPROXX. November 13, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ Staff, SlashFilm (November 11, 2023). "The Farrelly Brothers' 5 Best Movies Ranked". SlashFilm. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  3. ↑ Walsh, Katie (March 9, 2023). "Review: The inspiring if formulaic 'Champions' translates into a winner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Bobby Farrelly". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Q&A with Writer/Director Bobby Farrelly | the Irish Film & Television Network".
  6. ↑ "Peter Farrelly Returns to 'Green Book's Toronto Awards Launch Pad for 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' with Zac Efron, Bill Murray & Russell Crowe: Q&A". September 9, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ebertfest | Home". ebertfest.media.illinois.edu. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Rensselaer Magazine, September 2001: Why Is This Man Smiling? (Page 2)". June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ Alexander, Bryan. "'Dumb and Dumber' at 30: Jim Carrey helped Jeff Daniels' fears over infamous toilet scene". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  10. ↑ Horn, Shawn Van (April 27, 2024). "Jeff Daniels Was Begged Not To Do 'Dumb and Dumber,' But That Didn't Stop Him". Collider. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Kingpin movie review & film summary (1996) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  12. ↑ London, Rob (September 4, 2024). "This Forgotten Farrelly Brothers Movie Starring Bill Murray Has a New Streaming Home". Collider. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ "'There's Something About Mary': Farrelly Brothers on Its Problematic, Jizz-Soaked Legacy". The Daily Beast. September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ Liebenson, Donald (August 16, 2018). "'There's Something About Mary' at 20: Its creators and actors share memories of risky scenes (hello, hair gel)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Ebertfest | Home". www.ebertfest.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  16. ↑ "The Farrelly Brothers: What I've Learned". Esquire. December 23, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Me, Myself and Irene (2000) Review". CULT FOLLOWING. April 6, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  18. ↑ "With Osmosis Jones, the Farrelly brothers invent a new genre: the body-cop comedy". AV Club. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Shallow Hal". EW.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  20. ↑ Knibbs, Kate (January 10, 2017). "Can We Talk About 'Stuck on You' for a Minute?". The Ringer. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  21. ↑ Gonzalez, Ed (September 2, 2005). "DVD Review: Bobby and Peter Farrelly's Fever Pitch on Fox Home Entertainment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  22. ↑ Admin, C. M. S. (April 8, 2005). "Fever Pitch". Christianity Today. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  23. ↑ "The Special Olympics approve of 'The Ringer'". TODAY.com. December 8, 2005. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  24. ↑ LaPorte, Nicole (June 1, 2005). "Brotherly 'Heartbreak'". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  25. ↑ Star-Telegram, Christopher Kelly | Fort Worth (February 23, 2011). "Film review: the Farrelly Brothers' 'Hall Pass'". The Mercury News. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  26. ↑ MacIntyre, Ian (February 25, 2011). "Hall Pass Review". That Shelf. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  27. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (April 12, 2012). "Wry and Subtle Jesting? Not Here, Knucklehead". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  28. ↑ Bentz, Adam (May 23, 2024). "Jim Carrey's Critically Panned Comedy Sequel Enters Netflix's US Top 10 Chart 10 Years Later". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  29. ↑ Appelo, Tim (November 10, 2014). "Farrelly Brothers Talk 'Dumb and Dumber To,' Jennifer Lawrence's Missing Scene, Jim Carrey's Big Payday". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  30. ↑ Lund, Anthony (May 18, 2024). "Panned Jim Carrey Sequel to '90s Hit Breaks into Netflix Top 3 a Decade After Its Release". MovieWeb. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  31. ↑ "How Filmmaker Bobby Farrelly Mixed Heart and Humor While Directing Champions". www.focusfeatures.com. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  32. ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 15, 2023). "Jack Black & The Farrelly Brothers Reunite For Christmas Comedy 'Dear Santa' At Paramount". Deadline. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Jack Black to Star in Christmas Comedy Dear Santa From His Shallow Hal Directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly | Above the Line". March 15, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  34. ↑ Lind-Westbrook, Jennifer (May 31, 2022). "The Iconic Seinfeld Episode You Might Not Know Was Pitched By The Farrelly Brothers". Looper. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  35. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 10, 2024). "Amazon MGM Lands Family Vacation Comedy Spec 'Sporkinfeesten' From Aaron & Will Eisenberg; Bobby Farrelly Directing, Counterbalance Producing". Deadline. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  36. ↑ "With Loudermilk, Ron Livingston and the Farrelly Brothers Rethink the Misanthropic Comedy". Paste Magazine. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  37. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 11, 2019). "Quibi Comedy 'The Now' Sets O'Shea Jackson, Daryl Hannah, And Jimmy Tatro In Lead Roles; Alyssa Milano, Rob Yang And Lex Scott Davis To Recur". Deadline. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  38. ↑ "The Farrelly Brothers are too tasteless for MTV". EW.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Morton E. Ruderman Award Ceremony honoring the Farrelly Brothers - March 3, 2020". Ruderman Family Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Morton E. Ruderman Award". Ruderman Family Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  41. ↑ "Bobby Farrelly". Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  42. ↑ Wilkes, Cole (October 26, 2023). "Hollywood Celebrities Join Forces for the Largest Down Syndrome Fundraiser in The World". Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
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