While talking with Esquire, Chris Rock recalls the last time he saw his good friend and fellow comedian Chris Farley before his tragic overdose in 1997.

Chris Rock and Chris Farley shared a deep friendship long before Farley’s tragic overdose in 1997. During a conversation with Explain This about an old photo featuring Rock, Farley, Adam Sandler, and David Spade, Rock fondly looked back on his relationship with Farley and the last time they crossed paths. The image in question, captured after Rock’s first major comedy tour following Bring the Pain, serves as a poignant reminder of a time when their friendship was in full swing.

“This looks like one of the last times I saw Chris alive,” Rock reflects. “I’d see him one more time when I did a show in Chicago. We tried to hang out afterwards, but… if you’ve ever been around an addict, you know. Towards the end, anything that’s not the drug becomes a chore.”

Rock goes on to recount the emotional details of that final encounter with Farley, when he was invited to the comedian’s apartment.

“I remember being at his place,” Rock says. “He was showing me around, and then I left. As I looked out the window, I saw him standing there, and something inside me just knew: that was probably the last time I’d ever see him.”

Farley, who had long struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol, passed away in December 1997 from a fatal combination of morphine and cocaine. Rock also reminisced about the close-knit bond he shared with Farley, Sandler, and Spade during their time together at Saturday Night Live, where they formed a tight circle of friendship that lasted well beyond their time on the show.

“Me, Sandler, Spade, and Farley—we all shared an office at SNL,” Rock recalls. “We called it a dorm. Those guys are like family to me. We’re still friends to this day. I love them.”