Bobby Farrelly
One half of the boundary-pushing Farrelly brothers, who injected heart and outrageous, taboo-shattering humor into the American studio comedy of the 1990s.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American filmmaker·Birthday: June 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bobby Farrelly, alongside his brother Peter, didn't just make comedies; they launched cultural touchstones that blended slapstick with surprising sweetness. After breaking through with the absurdist road trip 'Dumb and Dumber,' the brothers hit their stride with 'There's Something About Mary,' a film that rewrote the rules of romantic comedy by embracing cringe and bodily fluids with genuine affection for its characters. Their filmography, including 'Kingpin' and 'Shallow Hal,' often found humor in places others avoided, but always with an underlying humanity that made their outcasts lovable. While Peter often took the directorial lead, Bobby was the co-writer and producer, essential to their unique alchemy. His solo directorial debut decades later with 'Champions' proved the brothers' foundational ethos—finding laughs and heart in unexpected places—was always his own as well.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bobby was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and co-produced the landmark comedy 'There's Something About Mary,' which defined the genre in the late 1990s.
- Co-created the hit film 'Dumb and Dumber,' launching the careers of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels into comedy stardom.
- His films have grossed over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
- Made his solo directorial debut with the 2023 film 'Champions,' starring Woody Harrelson.
Did You Know?
Before filmmaking, Bobby was a satellite engineer for the US Department of Defense.
He and his brother Peter are avid golfers and have participated in multiple pro-am tournaments.
The famous 'hair gel' scene in 'There's Something About Mary' was based on a real, embarrassing incident from Bobby's youth.
“The best jokes come from a place of truth, no matter how stupid.”
