CHICAGO — Chris Farley, the blubbery Saturday Night Live comic whose specialty was sweaty, tightly wound characters who erupted in vein-popping frenzies, was found dead Thursday, in hjs apartment. He was 33. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Farley died young like his comic idol, John Belushi. Both had a hearty appetite for food, drink and drugs. Police said Farley's brother John called 911 after finding his brother in his 60th-floor apartment in the 100-story John Hancock Building on a stretch of Michigan Avenue known as the Magnificent Mile. There was no sign of foul play. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said Farley's body, clad in pajama bottoms, was found on the floor in the entranceway to the apartment. An autopsy was planned for today.

In an interview with Steppin' Out magazine, Farley's co-star David Spade said he worried for the 290-pound, size-54 comic. "I mean, the fact that he cut out drugs and alcohol is the biggest thing" Spade said "But he's my friend and I'm just concerned... He needs to watch his weight, he drinks too much coffee, he smokes."

On Saturday Night Live, Farley's characters were clearly inspired by Belushi, who also became a star on SNL and died of a drug overdose in 1982. He, too, was 33.

Farley's characters included the motivational speaker Matt Foley, who ended his speeches by smashing through the furniture in a froth, his blond hair mussed and his garish plaid sports jacket bursting at the seams. In another recurring SNL skit, Farley downed beers and bratwurstas a fan of "Da Bears," Chicago's beloved NFL team. He did an impersonation of Newt Gingrich on the floor of Congress in 1995, with Gingrich himself looking on.

"Although I love this kind of comedy, sometimes I feel trapped by always having to be the most outrageous guy in the room " Farley said in 1996. "In particular, I'm working on trying not to be that guy in my private life" Saturday Night Live creator Lome Michaels "told me that that's what killed Belushi "more than anything else," Farley said

The Associated Press: Actor Chris Farley, right, poses with House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Farley performed an impersonation of Gingrich in April 1995 on the floor of Congress.