Editing Matt Foley (section)

== Notable appearances ==
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The character's debut performance (May 8, 1993) has been called one of the best segments in ''SNL'' history.<ref>{{cite magazine | date=February 3, 2014 | title=50 Greatest 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches of All Time | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/pictures/50-greatest-saturday-night-live-sketches-of-all-time-20140203/matt-foley-motivational-speaker-0010123 | access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> The reception of the audience combined with visible [[Corpsing|stifled laughter]] from [[David Spade]] and [[Christina Applegate]] on stage added to the popularity of the sketch. Notable physical gestures from Farley included what Spade referred to as "the thing with the glasses" when Farley lifted his glasses on and off his face commenting, "Hey Dad, I can’t see real good; is that [[William Shakespeare|Bill Shakespeare]] over there?" and perhaps the most defining gesture was one that Farley saved for the live performance when he alternated hands adjusting his trousers, grabbing the hilt of his belt with one hand and the back of his pants with the other.

In the sketch itself, Foley is hired by the father and mother ([[Phil Hartman]] and [[Julia Sweeney]]) to attempt to motivate their two teenage children, played by Spade and Applegate, to "get themselves back on the right track" after the family's cleaning lady finds a bag of [[marijuana]] in their home. Foley's attempt to motivate them falls short when he repeatedly insists that they're "not going to amount to jack squat" and will end up "living in a van down by the river!" Foley attempts to endear himself to Spade's character by telling him they're "gonna be buddies" and that everywhere he goes, Foley will follow. Comparing himself to Spade's shadow, Foley jumps about where he is standing and then dives into the coffee table, though he picks himself up moments later. None of the other cast members knew that Farley was going to do this and their startled reactions are genuine. The sketch ends with Foley offering that the only solution to solve the family's problems is for him to move in with them. Horrified, Applegate begs him not to, vowing never to smoke pot again. Even so, Foley leaves the house to get his "gear" from his van; Hartman leads him out the door and then, the moment Foley leaves, immediately slams it shut and locks him out, the family then reconciling and admitting to how much they love each other.

A later performance on February 19, 1994, features Matt in prison attempting to motivate troubled teens in a scared straight program; he was imprisoned for three to five years for non-payment of alimony (consistent with him being "thrice divorced"). Before entering the sketch, Matt is introduced by his cellmate Deshawn Powers ([[Martin Lawrence]]) as "just finished a week in solitary, eating nothing but coffee beans." Matt attempts to scare the juvenile delinquents by commenting in a slightly different manner that he "wished to dear God, that he was living in a van down by the river!" The sketch followed the usual Foley routine with him falling through the prison wall instead of a coffee table, which eventually led to his and the other inmates' escape.

In a notable departure for the character, a sketch featured [[George Foreman]] contemplating that he was too old and weak to continue boxing. During a walk by the river, he stumbles upon Foley's van. Foley, rather than engaging in his usual tirades, orders Foreman to perform a series of tasks for him, such as grilling hamburgers, claiming the work is "for [[dexterity]]". When Foreman eventually determines Foley is taking advantage of him, he punches Foley, causing Foreman to realize he can still fight, and he goes on to win the world championship. Foreman then is shown reciting the story of these events to [[Tim Meadows]], who wonders aloud why he is cooking hamburgers for Foreman, only to be told, "You know why! For dexterity!"

In the only [[cold open]] featuring Foley (April 15, 1995), the character attempts to motivate a pair of Venezuelan teens. Matt attempts to get through to them by motivating them in their native Spanish, saying "¡Yo vivo en van cerca de un rio!" However, the teenagers' father ([[Michael McKean]]) informs Matt that he and his children are fluent in English, to which Foley responds "¡Padre, dame un favor, y cállate su grande YAPPER!" The sketch again features Foley mocking his audience, breaking household objects, and, somehow, succeeding in his motivational goals. Foley voices the episode's "Live from New York" intro in garbled Spanish as well, referring to the show as ''Sábado Noche''. 

Farley also appeared as Matt Foley on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' on January 14, 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfqIjqCbYUk  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/MfqIjqCbYUk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Chris Farley - Matt Foley Motivational Speaker |publisher=YouTube |date=2013-10-22 |access-date=2020-05-23}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Farley would reprise the character when he returned to host on October 25, 1997, this time in a fitness setting. Farley is noticeably hoarse from blowing out his voice in rehearsal. This would be his last appearance on the show. 

In a 1997 guest appearance on ''[[All That]]'', Farley appeared as Chef Farley opposite future SNL cast member [[Kenan Thompson]] in a "Cooking with Randy" sketch. He used many of Foley's mannerisms.<ref>{{cite news |last1=November 17 |first1=Christian Holub |title=Kenan Thompson talks working with Chris Farley |url=https://ew.com/tv/snl-kenan-thompson-chris-farley-nickelodeon-all-that-podcast/ |access-date=4 November 2022 |work=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Parodies===
In the third episode of [[Family Guy (season 20)|season 20]] of ''[[Family Guy]]'', [[Peter Griffin]] dresses up very similar to the character on Halloween. When two children remark this, Peter claims he doesn't know him and is merely getting home from work. He heads inside and states he has "to do a dangerous [[speedball (drug)|speedball]] and become the least surprising death in Hollywood history,"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNmzMZTqEuw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/MNmzMZTqEuw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Is That Matt Foley? - Season 20 Ep. 3 - FAMILY GUY|date=2021-10-08|access-date=2021-10-08|website=[[YouTube]]|publisher=[[Fox Broadcasting Company]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> referencing Chris Farley's death.