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John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
branch of
the Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre o ...
and its '' SCTV'' series, and through his appearances in comedy films, including '' Stripes'' (1981), '' Splash'' (1984), '' Summer Rental'' (1985), ''
Spaceballs ''Spaceballs'' is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including ...
'' (1987), '' Uncle Buck'' (1989) and ''
Cool Runnings ''Cool Runnings'' is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub and starring Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and John Candy. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsleigh team's debut in competiti ...
'' (1993), portraying Chester "Chet" Ripley in ''
She's Having a Baby ''She's Having a Baby'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and written by John Hughes and starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. It tells the story of a young newlywed couple who try to cope with married life and their parent ...
'' and '' The Great Outdoors'' (both 1988), as well as more dramatic roles in '' Only the Lonely'' and '' JFK'' (both 1991). One of his most renowned onscreen performances was as Del Griffith, the talkative shower-curtain ring salesman in the John Hughes comedy film '' Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987). In addition to his work as an actor, Candy was a co-owner of the
Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the CFL East Division, East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based i ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...
(CFL), and the team won the
1991 Grey Cup The 79th Grey Cup was the 1991 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 36–21 in an entertaining ...
under his ownership. Candy died in 1994 at the age of 43. His final two film appearances, ''
Wagons East A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished fro ...
'' and '' Canadian Bacon'', are dedicated to his memory.


Early life

Candy was born on October 31, 1950, in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
and grew up in Newmarket, Ontario. The son of Sidney James Candy (1920–1955) and Evangeline (née Aker; 1916–2009) Candy, he was brought up in a
working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
family. His childhood home was 217 Woodville Ave in East York, Ontario. Candy's mother was of Polish descent. His father died of complications of heart disease at age 35 in 1955 when John was five years old. Candy attended Neil McNeil Catholic High School where he played
Offensive Tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...
on the school’s
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
team. Candy originally aspired to become a professional football player but a knee injury in his high school football career prevented him from pursuing the sport. He later enrolled in Centennial College to study journalism, and then went to
McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
. He started acting while at college.


Career


Early career

In 1971, John Candy was cast in a small part as a Shriner in ''Creeps'' by David E. Freeman, a new Canadian play about
cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...
, in the inaugural season of the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. Candy guest-starred on a Canadian children's television series, ''
Cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Class of '44 ''Class of '44'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher. Directed by Paul Bogart, it is structured as a sequel to the 1971 film '' Summer of '42'' which recounted the events in th ...
'' (1973). He had a small part in '' The ABC Afternoon Playbreak'' ("Last Bride of Salem") and had a regular role on the TV series '' Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins'' (1974–75). In 1975 he played Richie, an accused killer, in the episode "Web of Guilt" on the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
TV show '' Police Surgeon''. He was in ''
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time ''It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time'' is a Canadian comedy film, directed by John Trent and released in 1975. Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 109. One of John Candy's earliest films, he plays the m ...
'' (1975), shot in Canada, as well as the children's sitcom ''
Coming Up Rosie ''Coming Up Rosie'' was a Canadian children's sitcom TV series on CBC Television, aired for three seasons from 1975–1978. Premise The show focused on a group of tenants in an office building located at 99 Sumach Street, Toronto. Rosema ...
'' (1975–78) with
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
. Candy had a small role in '' Tunnel Vision'' (1976). In 1976, Candy played a supporting role (with Rick Moranis) on Peter Gzowski's short-lived late-night television talk show '' 90 Minutes Live''. In 1978, Candy had a small role as a bank employee (with Christopher Plummer and
Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s. Elliott's breakthrough role was in the '' Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination ...
) in the Canadian thriller '' The Silent Partner''.


''SCTV''

Candy became a member of Toronto's branch of
The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre o ...
in 1972. He gained wide North American popularity as a member of the enterprise, which grew when he became a cast member on the influential Toronto-based comedy-variety show ''Second City Television'' (''SCTV''). NBC picked the show up in 1981 and it quickly became a fan favorite. It won
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s for the show's writing in 1981 and 1982. Among Candy's '' SCTV'' characters were unscrupulous street-beat TV personality Johnny LaRue, 3-D horror
auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...
Doctor Tongue, sycophantic and easily amused talk-show sidekick William B. Williams, and Melonville's corrupt Mayor Tommy Shanks. During the series' run he appeared in films such as ''
The Clown Murders ''The Clown Murders'' is a 1976 Canadian horror film directed by Martyn Burke. It was one of the earliest films in which John Candy appears. The Executive Producer was Stephen Stohn, who later produced the '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' TV ...
'' (1976) and had a lead in a low-budget comedy, '' Find the Lady'' (1976). He guest starred on such shows as ''
The David Steinberg Show ''The David Steinberg Show'' is the title of two separate shows which featured stand-up comedian David Steinberg. The David Steinberg Show (1972) The first iteration of ''The David Steinberg Show'' ran on CBS television in the United States for fi ...
'' and '' King of Kensington'' and had a small role in the thriller '' The Silent Partner'' (1978).


Early Hollywood roles

In 1979, Candy took a short
hiatus Hiatus may refer to: * Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure * Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy *''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes'' * G ...
from ''SCTV'' and began a more active film career, appearing in a minor role in '' Lost and Found'' (1979) and playing a U.S. Army soldier in
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
's big-budget comedy ''
1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...
''. He returned to Canada for roles in '' The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog'' (1980) and the action thriller ''
Double Negative A double negative is a construction occurring when two forms of grammatical negation are used in the same sentence. Multiple negation is the more general term referring to the occurrence of more than one negative in a clause. In some languages, ...
'' (1980). He had a supporting role as easygoing parole officer Burton Mercer in ''
The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...
'' (1980), starring Aykroyd, and did an episode of ''Tales of the Klondike'' (1981) for Canadian TV. In 1980, Candy hosted a short-lived NBC television program,
Roadshow
', described by The Washington Post as "improvisational journalism." Appearing as himself, Candy and a video crew travelled in a tour bus to Baton Rouge, LA (home of Louisiana State University), and Carbondale, IL (home of Southern Illinois University), and interviewed college students amid party atmospheres such as the latter's Halloween street celebration. He also obtained backstage access to interview Midge Ure, the lead singer of the UK electronic band Ultravox, which performed a concert on the SIU campus the evening of 10/31/80. It's unknown if more than two episodes aired.


Rising fame

Candy played the lovable, mild-mannered Army recruit Dewey Oxberger in '' Stripes'' (1981), directed by Canadian
Ivan Reitman Ivan Reitman (; October 27, 1946February 12, 2022) was a Czechoslovak-born Canadian filmmaker. He was best known for his comedy work, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 1998. Film ...
, which was one of the most successful films of the year. He provided voices for multiple characters in the animated film '' Heavy Metal'' (1981), most notably as the title character in the "
Den Den may refer to: * Den (room), a small room in a house * Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth Media and entertainment * ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler * Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita ...
" segment, which was well-received, including by the character's creator, Richard Corben, who singled out Candy's humorously lighthearted interpretation of the title character as excellent. From 1981 to 1983, Candy appeared in ''
SCTV Network ''Second City Television'', commonly shortened to ''SCTV'' and later known as ''SCTV Network'' and ''SCTV Channel'', is a Canadian television sketch comedy show that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984. It was created as an offshoot from T ...
'' on television. He made a cameo appearance in Harold Ramis's '' National Lampoon's Vacation'' (1983), his first collaboration with John Hughes, who wrote the script. Candy appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' twice (hosting in 1983) while still appearing on ''SCTV''. According to writer-comedian
Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off '' Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has ...
, Candy was reputedly the "most-burned potential host" of ''SNL'', in that he was asked to host many times, only for plans to be changed by the ''SNL'' staff at the last minute. Candy headlined in the Canadian film '' Going Berserk'' (1983). He was approached to play the character of accountant Louis Tully in '' Ghostbusters'' (1984), starring Aykroyd and directed by Reitman, but ultimately did not get the role because of his conflicting ideas of how to play the character; the part went instead to SCTV colleague Rick Moranis, whose ideas were better received. However, Candy did make a contribution to the franchise, as one of the many people chanting "Ghostbusters" in the video for Ray Parker Jr.'s hit single for the film.


Stardom

Candy played
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
's womanizing brother in the hit romantic comedy'' Splash'', generally considered his break-out role. Following the success of the film, he had signed a three-picture development and producing deal with
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit ...
, and he would develop and executive produce various theatricals as planned starring vehicles for himself. Candy went back to Canada to star in '' The Last Polka'' (1985), which he also wrote with co-star
Eugene Levy Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. From 1976 until 1984, he appeared in the Canadian television sketch comedy series '' SCTV''. He has also appeared in the '' American Pie'' series of films and the Canadian ...
. He was
Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...
's best friend on ''
Brewster's Millions ''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from a ...
'' (1985) and had a cameo in the ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...
'' film '' Follow That Bird'' (1985). Candy's first lead role in a Hollywood film came with '' Summer Rental'' (1985), directed by
Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...
. He was reunited with Hanks in ''
Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
'' (1985), though the film did not do as well as ''Splash''. He had a cameo in ''
The Canadian Conspiracy ''The Canadian Conspiracy'' is a 1985 HBO/ CBC mockumentary, co-written and directed by Robert Boyd, about the way the Government of Canada is subverting the United States by taking over its entertainment industry. The film features many Cana ...
'' (1985) and appeared alongside Martin Short in ''Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood'' (1985) in Canada. Candy's second starring role in a Hollywood film was '' Armed and Dangerous'' (1986) with Levy and Meg Ryan. He had a cameo in ''
Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * ''The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptati ...
'' (1986) and appeared in ''Really Weird Tales'' (1987). He also had a supporting role in
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...
's ''
Spaceballs ''Spaceballs'' is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including ...
'' (1987).


Collaboration with John Hughes and beyond

Candy had a hit film when he starred in ''
Planes, Trains & Automobiles ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' is a 1987 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy with supporting roles by Laila Robins and Michael McKean. It tells the story of a high-str ...
'' (1987) with Steve Martin, written and directed by John Hughes. He appeared in a cameo role in
Hughes Hughes may refer to: People * Hughes (surname) * Hughes (given name) Places Antarctica * Hughes Range (Antarctica), Ross Dependency * Mount Hughes, Oates Land * Hughes Basin, Oates Land * Hughes Bay, Graham Land * Hughes Bluff, Victoria La ...
's ''
She's Having a Baby ''She's Having a Baby'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and written by John Hughes and starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. It tells the story of a young newlywed couple who try to cope with married life and their parent ...
'' (1988) and then starred in a film written by Hughes, '' The Great Outdoors'' (1988), co starring Aykroyd. Candy provided the voice for Don the horse in '' Hot to Trot'' (1988) and starred in a flop comedy, considered by some to be a cult classic, ''
Who's Harry Crumb? ''Who's Harry Crumb?'' is a 1989 American comedy- mystery film featuring John Candy as the title character. Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith. An uncredited cameo appearance is made by J ...
'' (1989), which he also produced. He was one of several names in '' Cannonball Fever'' (1989) and had another hit film with Hughes in '' Uncle Buck'' (1989). Candy also produced and starred in a Saturday-morning animated series on NBC titled ''
Camp Candy ''Camp Candy'' is a 1989-1992 animated television series produced by DIC Animation City, Saban Entertainment and Worldvision Enterprises, in association with Frostbacks Productions, with comedian John Candy providing the voice for an animated vers ...
'' in 1989. The show was set in a fictional summer camp run by Candy, featured his two children in supporting roles, and also spawned a brief comic book series published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
' Star Comics imprint. Candy made ''The Rocket Boy'' (1989) in Canada and had a cameo in two more films written by Hughes, the blockbuster hit film ''
Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Hea ...
'' (1990) and the box office flop '' Career Opportunities'' (1991). He provided the voice of Wilbur the Albatross in Disney's ''
The Rescuers Down Under ''The Rescuers Down Under'' is a 1990 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 29th Disney animated feature film and the second movie to be produced during the Disne ...
'' (1990) and had a supporting role in '' Nothing But Trouble'' (1991), Dan Aykroyd's notorious box office flop. During this time, Candy played a dramatic role as Dean Andrews Jr., a shady Southern lawyer in
Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...
's '' JFK'' (1991). In 1991,
Bruce McNall Bruce Patrick McNall (born April 17, 1950) is an American former Thoroughbred racehorse owner, sports executive, and convicted felon who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canad ...
,
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, and Candy became owners of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...
's
Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the CFL East Division, East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based i ...
. The celebrity ownership group attracted attention in Canada, and the team spent a significant amount of money, even signing some highly touted
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
prospects such as wide receiver Raghib Ismail. The Argonauts took home the
1991 Grey Cup The 79th Grey Cup was the 1991 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 36–21 in an entertaining ...
, beating Calgary 36–21 in the final. Only McNall's name was etched onto the
Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
trophy as an owner of the team, but the CFL corrected the error in 2007 and added Candy's and Gretzky's names as well. From 1988 to 1990, Candy hosted "Radio Kandy," a
hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
radio music countdown syndicated by
Premiere Networks Premiere Networks (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American media company, a wholly owned subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. ...
.


Later career

Chris Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer born in Genoa, Italy. Christopher Columbus or Chris Columbus may also refer to: People * Chris Columbus (musician) (1902–2002), American jazz drummer * Chris Columbus (filmmaker) (born 1958), American direc ...
wrote and directed '' Only the Lonely'' (1991) starring Candy and
Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for pl ...
, which was well reviewed but not a big hit. Also unsuccessful were the comedies ''
Delirious Delirious may refer to: * A state of delirium Film and television * ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy * ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an American comedy-drama directed by Tom DiCillo, sta ...
'' (1991) and '' Once Upon a Crime...'' (1992). He had a cameo in '' Boris and Natasha: The Movie'' (1992) and the successful '' Rookie of the Year'' (1993). Candy starred in his first comedic hit in a number of years with ''
Cool Runnings ''Cool Runnings'' is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub and starring Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and John Candy. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsleigh team's debut in competiti ...
'' (1993). He made his directorial debut in the 1994 comedy '' Hostage for a Day''. His last appearances were in '' Canadian Bacon'' (1995) and ''Wagons East''.


Unfinished projects

Candy was in talks to portray Ignatius J. Reilly in a now-shelved film adaptation of John Kennedy Toole's
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...
–winning novel '' A Confederacy of Dunces''. He had also expressed interest in portraying Atuk in a film adaptation of
Mordecai Richler Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and '' Barney's Version'' (1997). His 1970 novel '' St. Urbain's Horseman'' and 1989 novel ...
's ''
The Incomparable Atuk ''The Incomparable Atuk'' is a satirical novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler. It was first published in 1963, by McClelland and Stewart. The novel was published as ''Stick Your Neck Out'' in the United States. ''The Incomparable Atuk'' tells ...
'' and
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...
in a biopic based on the
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
comedian's life. These three shelved projects have been alleged as cursed because Candy, John Belushi, Sam Kinison, and
Chris Farley Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. Farley was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the ...
were each attached to all three roles, and they all died before they could make any of these films. Candy was originally considered to play
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...
's role in the
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...
of the 1950 film '' Last Holiday'', with
Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...
directing. Eventually the role was played by
Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...
in a loose remake released in 2006. Candy was also slated to collaborate with John Hughes again in a comedy opposite
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
, titled ''Bartholomew vs. Neff''. Candy and Stallone were to have portrayed feuding neighbors. In the animated Disney film ''
Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
'', the role of Redfeather the turkey was written for him but was subsequently cut from the film after his death.


Personal life

Candy and his wife, Rosemary Hobor, had two children, Christopher Michael and Jennifer Anne. Candy publicly admitted that he suffered from severe
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
and
panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...
s.


Sports

In addition to his work as an actor, Candy was a co-owner of the
Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the CFL East Division, East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based i ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...
(CFL) with
Bruce McNall Bruce Patrick McNall (born April 17, 1950) is an American former Thoroughbred racehorse owner, sports executive, and convicted felon who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canad ...
and
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
. The team won the
1991 Grey Cup The 79th Grey Cup was the 1991 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Argonauts defeated the Stampeders 36–21 in an entertaining ...
under his co-ownership.


Death

Candy died on March 4, 1994, while filming ''
Wagons East A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished fro ...
''; a spokeswoman said that his cause of death was a heart attack in his sleep. He was 43 years old. In addition to his obesity, he tended to binge eat in response to professional struggles and weighed in excess of at some points in his life. Candy had a number of risk factors for heart attack, including a strong family history (his father had died prematurely of a heart attack, although his children say he was unaware of his genetic risk), smoking a pack of
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
s a day,
obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...
, heavy alcohol use, and use of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
. Candy was concerned about his weight. He once lost 100 pounds over a summer while preparing for a new film role with
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...
. He frequently dieted and exercised with trainers because of his family history."Autopsy: The Last Hours of John Candy." ''Autopsy: The Last Hours of...''. Nar. Eric Meyers.
Executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
s Suzy Davis and Michael Kelpie. Reelz, March 3, 2019. Television.


Legacy

Candy's funeral was held at
St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church is a Catholic church in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region. The church is located on Sunset Boulevard in the affluent Brentwood section of Los Angeles, California. History The ...
in Los Angeles. Candy was entombed in the mausoleum at
Holy Cross Cemetery Holy Cross Cemetery may refer to: United States California * Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California) *Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California * Holy Cross Cemetery (Menlo Park, California) * Holy Cross Cemetery (Pomona, California) *Holy ...
in Culver City. His crypt lies just above that of fellow actor
Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...
. On March 18, 1994, a special memorial service for Candy, produced by his former improvisation troupe the Second City, was broadcast across Canada. ''Wagons East'' was completed using a stunt double and special effects and released five months after Candy's death. His final completed film was ''Canadian Bacon'', a satirical comedy by
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
that was released a year after Candy's death. Candy played American sheriff Bud Boomer, who led an "invasion" of Canada. Candy recorded a voice for the TV film ''
The Magic 7 ''The Magic 7'' is an animated television film written and directed by Roger Holzberg. It was slated to air on Earth Day (April 22) in 1997, but was postponed. After later plans for a 2005 release, the film was again suspended. Plot The film c ...
'' in the early 1990s. The film remained in production for years owing to animation difficulties and production delays, and it was eventually shelved. Candy was posthumously inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998. In May 2006, Candy became one of the first four entertainers ever honored by
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operat ...
by being featured on a postage stamp. On October 31, 2020, Toronto Mayor John Tory proclaimed "John Candy Day" in honour of what would have been John Candy's 70th birthday. ''
Blues Brothers 2000 ''Blues Brothers 2000'' is a 1998 American musical comedy film directed by John Landis from a screenplay written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were also producers. The film, starring Aykroyd and John Goodman, is a sequel to the 1980 fi ...
'' is dedicated to three people, including Candy, who played a supporting role in the original ''Blues Brothers''. A tribute to Candy was hosted by
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
at the
2007 Grey Cup The 95th Grey Cup was held in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on November 25, 2007. The Grey Cup, first awarded in 1909, is the championship game of the Canadian Football League. It was played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnip ...
festivities in Toronto in November 2007.
Experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...
band
Ween Ween is an American Rock music, rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Gene Ween, Aaron Freeman and Dean Ween, Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an al ...
's album '' Chocolate and Cheese'', released in 1994, is "dedicated in loving memory to John Candy (1950–1994)". At the time, lead singer Gene Ween remarked, "There was so much going on about
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
of] Kurt Cobain, and nobody mentioned John Candy at all. I have a special little spot in my heart for him." The John Candy Visual Arts Studio at Neil McNeil Catholic High School in Toronto was dedicated in his honour after his death. Candy, one of the school's most famous alumni, said during one of his annual visits to the school, "My success is simply rooted in the values and discipline and respect for others that I was taught at Neil McNeil." It has been suggested, among others, that the Canadian Screen Awards be given the official nickname "The Candys," both in honour of the actor and because the name suggests Canada.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Accolades


References


External links


JohnCandy.com – The home of everything John Candy
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Candy, John 1950 births 1994 deaths 20th-century Canadian male actors Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States Canadian impressionists (entertainers) Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian people of Polish descent Canadian Roman Catholics Canadian male comedians Canadian sketch comedians Canadian television personalities Canadian television writers Centennial College alumni Male actors from Ontario People from Newmarket, Ontario Primetime Emmy Award winners Toronto Argonauts owners Writers from Ontario 20th-century Canadian comedians 20th-century Canadian screenwriters Comedians from Ontario Canadian Comedy Award winners