John Candy

(1989), and Cool Runnings (1993). Candy also had supporting roles in comedy films such as The Blues Brothers (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Home Alone (1990), Nothing but Trouble (1991), and Rookie of the Year (1993). He co-owned the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, who won the 1991 Grey Cup under his ownership. Candy died of a heart attack in 1994 at age 43 while filming Wagons East (1994); it and the already completed Canadian Bacon (1995) were released posthumously and dedicated to his memory.

John Candy studied at McMaster University, Centennial College and Neil McNeil High School. Training under Del Close is recorded. The recorded working language is English. David Steinberg is recorded as an influence. Distinctions recorded are Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Earle Grey Award, Canada's Walk of Fame and Canadian Comedy Awards.

• Name — John Candy • Birth Name — John Franklin Candy • Born — 31 October 1950 • Birthplace — Newmarket, Ontario, Canada • Died — 4 March 1994 • Place of death — Durango, Mexico • Resting Place — Holy Cross Cemetery Culver City, California, U.S. • Occupation — * Actor • comedian • Years Active — 1971–1994 • Children — 2

John Franklin Candy was born in Newmarket, Ontario, on October 31, 1950, the youngest of two sons of Evangeline Valeria (née Aker; 1916–2009) and Sidney James Candy (1920–1955), a World War II veteran. His paternal grandparents were English immigrants who had moved to Canada in 1913, while his mother had Polish and Ukrainian ancestry. Candy was raised in a working class Catholic family in Toronto, where his childhood home was at 217 Woodville Avenue. On October 31, 1955Candy's fifth birthdayhis father died from complications of heart disease at age 35. Candy attended Neil McNeil Catholic High School, where he was the treasurer of the student council, a star offensive tackle on the football team, and a member of the drama club. Before considering acting, Candy dreamed of becoming a professional football player, which he was forced to abandon after a career ending knee injury in high school. During this time, Candy also worked as a sales associate in Toronto's flagship department store Eaton's. He later studied journalism at Centennial College before joining McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Candy started acting while in university.

In 1971, Candy was cast in a small part as a Shriner in Creeps by David E. Freeman, a new Canadian play about cerebral palsy, in the inaugural season of the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. Candy guest-starred on a Canadian children's television series, Cucumber, and made a brief, uncredited appearance in Class of '44 (1973) as his feature film debut. 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). Candy played the role of Wally Wypyzypywchuk in the CBC children's show Coming Up Rosie (1975). Candy became a member of Toronto's branch of The Second City in 1972. He gained wide North American popularity 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 favourite. The show won Emmy Awards for its writing in 1981 and 1982. Among Candy's SCTV characters were unscrupulous street-beat TV personality Johnny LaRue, 3-D horror auteur Doctor Tongue, sycophantic and easily amused talk-show sidekick William B. Williams, and Melonville's corrupt Mayor Tommy Shanks. In 1974, Candy made his TV debut when he appeared on the Canadian TV show Police Surgeon, playing street gang and heist member Ramone in "Target: Ms. Blue", and in a later episode the same season as Richie, an accused killer, in the episode "Web of Guilt". He was in It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975), shot in Canada, as well as the children's sitcom Coming Up Rosie (1975–78) with Dan Aykroyd. Candy had a small role in Tunnel Vision (1976). During the series's run, Candy appeared in films such as The Clown Murders (1976) and had a lead in a low-budget comedy, Find the Lady (1976) (both co-starring fellow Canadian actor Lawrence Dane). In 1976, he played a supporting role (with Rick Moranis) on Peter Gzowski's short-lived late-night television talk show 90 Minutes Live. Two years later, Candy had a small role as a bank employee (with Christopher Plummer and Elliott Gould) in the Canadian thriller The Silent Partner. He guest starred on such shows as The David Steinberg Show and King of Kensington.

In 1979, Candy took a brief hiatus from SCTV, which moved to Edmonton for a time. He stayed in Toronto and headlined his own short-lived sketch show Big City Comedy. Candy also 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's big-budget comedy 1941. He returned to Canada for roles in The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog (1980) and the action thriller Double Negative (1980). Candy had a supporting role as easygoing parole officer Burton Mercer in The Blues Brothers (1980), 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". Candy played the lovable, mild-mannered Army recruit Dewey Oxberger in Stripes (1981), directed by Canadian Ivan Reitman, 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" 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 returned to SCTV Network on television. Still based in Edmonton for Candy's first few episodes after returning, the show returned to Toronto in 1982. He made a cameo appearance in Harold Ramis' National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), his first collaboration with John Hughes, who wrote the script. Candy appeared on Saturday Night Live twice (hosting in 1983) while still appearing on SCTV. According to writer-comedian Bob Odenkirk, 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). Candy once again left SCTV in 1983, prior to its final season, to concentrate on his film career. Candy 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. Candy played Tom Hanks's womanizing brother in the hit romantic comedy Splash, generally considered his break-out role. After the success of the film, Candy had signed a three-picture development and producing deal with Walt Disney Pictures, 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. Candy was Richard Pryor's best friend in Brewster's Millions (1985) and had a cameo in the Sesame Street film Follow That Bird (1985). Candy's first lead role in a Hollywood film came with Summer Rental (1985), directed by Carl Reiner. Candy was reunited with Hanks in Volunteers (1985), though the film did not do as well as Splash. He had a cameo in The Canadian Conspiracy (1985) and appeared alongside Martin Short in Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood (1985) in Canada. Candy's next starring role in a Hollywood film was the box office disappointment Armed and Dangerous (1986) with Levy and Meg Ryan. He had a cameo in Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and appeared in Really Weird Tales (1987). Candy also had a supporting role in Mel Brooks's Spaceballs (1987).

• Illustration — Candy in 1993 Candy was in talks to portray Ignatius J. Reilly in a now-shelved film adaptation of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces. He had also expressed interest in portraying Atuk in a film adaptation of Mordecai Richler's The Incomparable Atuk and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in a biopic based on the silent film comedian's life. These three shelved projects have been alleged as cursed because Candy, John Belushi, Sam Kinison, and Chris Farley were each attached to all three films; they all died before they could make any of these movies. Candy was originally considered to play Alec Guinness' role in the remake of the 1950 film Last Holiday, with Carl Reiner directing. Eventually, the role was played by Queen Latifah in a loose remake released in 2006. Candy was also slated to collaborate with John Hughes again in a comedy opposite Sylvester Stallone, titled Bartholomew vs. Neff. Candy and Stallone were to have portrayed feuding neighbors. In the animated Disney film Pocahontas, the role of Redfeather the Turkey was written for him, but was subsequently cut from the film after his death. Stephen King reportedly wanted Candy to portray Billy Halleck in the film adaptation of his novel Thinner.

Candy, Bruce McNall, and Wayne Gretzky became co-owners of the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts in 1991 whom Candy was a lifelong fan of. 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 prospects such as Raghib Ismail. The Argonauts took home the 1991 Grey Cup, beating Calgary 36–21 in the final. McNall's name was the only one originally etched onto the Grey Cup trophy as an owner of the team, with Candy's and Gretzky's names finally added to the trophy in 2007.

Candy married Rosemary Hobor in 1979. They had two children together, Jennifer (born 1980) and Christopher (born 1984), and lived in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles for many years. Candy was a Catholic. He was open about his experiences with severe anxiety and panic attacks.

• Illustration — Candy's crypt in the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery On March 4, 1994, while filming Wagons East in the Mexican city of Durango, Candy suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep and died at the age of 43. Candy had a number of risk factors for a heart attack: obesity, a strong family history (his father had died of a heart attack at age 35 on Candy's fifth birthday, though Candy's own children said that he was unaware of his genetic risk), his habit of smoking a pack of cigarettes per day, and his abuse of alcohol and cocaine. Candy had long struggled with his weight, weighing over 375 lb (170 kg) at some points in his life. He once lost 100 lb (45 kg) over a summer while preparing to film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Candy frequently dieted and exercised with personal trainers.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1972 — Cucumber — Weatherman — Unknown episodes • Dr. Simon Locke — Richie Beck / Ramon — 2 episodes • 1974 — data-sort-value="ABC Afternoon Playbreak, The" | The ABC Afternoon Playbreak — 2nd son — Episode: "Last Bride of Salem" • Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins — Unknown episodes • 1976 — data-sort-value="David Steinberg Show, The" | The David Steinberg Show — Spider Reichman / Spider — 6 episodes • 90 Minutes Live — (various) — TV series • 1976–1977 — Coming Up Rosie — Wally Wypyzypychwk — TV series (with Rosemary Radcliffe, Dan Aykroyd and Catherine O'Hara) • 1976–1979 — Second City TV — Johnny LaRue Various — 50 episodes • 1977 — King of Kensington — Bandit — Episode: "The Hero" • 1980 — data-sort-value="Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog, The" | The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog — Pinky — Television film • Big City Comedy — Himself (host) / various — Television series (sketch comedy) • Roadshow — Himself (host) / various — "Improvisational journalism" (at least 2 episodes) • 1981 — Tales of the Klondike — Hans Nelson — Miniseries 1 episode • Saturday Night Live — Juan Gavino — Episode: "George Kennedy/Miles Davis" (uncredited) • 1981–1983 — SCTV Network 90 — Johnny LaRue / Zontar / Dr. Tongue / Yosh Shmenge / Various — 38 episodes • 1982 — data-sort-value="Billy Crystal Comedy Hour, The" | The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour — Orson Welles — 1 episode • 1983 — Saturday Night Live — Host — Episode: "John Candy/Men at Work" • SCTV Channel — Various — Episode: "Maudlin O' the Night" • 1984 — data-sort-value="New Show, The" | The New Show — Luciano Pavarotti / Orson Welles / Various — 5 episodes • 1985 — Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas — Marcel — Television film • data-sort-value="Last Polka, The" | The Last Polka — Yosh Shmenge, Pa Shmenge — Television film • 1986 — Really Weird Tales — Howard Jensen — Episode: "Cursed with Charisma" • The Canadian Conspiracy — (various) — Television film • 1988 — Sesame Street, Special — Yosh Shmenge — Television film • 1989 — data-sort-value="Rocket Boy, The" | The Rocket Boy — The Hawk — Television film • Camp Candy — Himself, Yosh Shmenge, Dr. Tongue, Various — 40 episodes, main voice role • data-sort-value="Wonderful World of Disney, The" | The Wonderful World of Disney — Himself — Episode: "Donald, the Star-Struck Duck" • 1990 — data-sort-value="Dave Thomas Comedy Show, The" | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show — One episode • 1992 — Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories — Narrator — Episode: "Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat/Millions of Cats" • Boris and Natasha: The Movie — Kalishak — Television film • 1994 — Hostage for a Day — Yuri Petrovich — Final television film and only directed film; Uncredited role

• Year — Song title — Artist — Role — Notes • 1984 — "Ghostbusters" — Ray Parker Jr. — Himself — Cameo; uncredited • 1991 — "Wilbury Twist" — Traveling Wilburys — Himself — Cameo; uncredited

• Work — Year — Accolade / Category — Results — Ref • SCTV Network 90 — 1982 — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Tony Bennett") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Christmas Show") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Cycle Two, Show Two") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Moral Majority Show") • 1983 — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Towering Inferno") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Joe Walsh") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "Robin Williams, America") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "The Christmas Show") • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (episode: "The Energy Ball" + "Sweeps Week") • The Last Polka — 1985 — CableACE Award for Performance in a Comedy Special • CableACE Award for Comedy Special (shared with Eugene Levy & Jamie Paul Rock) • Splash — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor • Planes, Trains and Automobiles — 1988 — American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) • 1992 — Banff Television Festival for Sir Peter Ustinov Award • Nothing But Trouble — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress (playing in drag) • Cool Runnings — 1994 — Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor • 1995 — Earle Grey Award (shared with Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin & Martin Short)

• Illustration — Candy with Dan Aykroyd in 1987 In 1987, Candy co-starred in Planes, Trains & Automobiles with Steve Martin, written and directed by John Hughes. The film had positive reviews and grossed $49,530,280 at the US box office. Candy appeared in a cameo role in Hughes's She's Having a Baby (1988) and then starred in a film written by Hughes, The Great Outdoors (1988) which co-starred 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? (1989), which he also produced. He was also in the box office flop Speed Zone aka Cannonball Fever (1989), but had another hit film with Hughes as writer and director in Uncle Buck (1989). Candy also produced and starred in a Saturday-morning animated series on NBC titled Camp Candy in 1989. The show was set in a fictional summer camp run by Candy, featuring his two children in supporting roles, and also spawned a brief comic book series published by Marvel Comics' Star Comics imprint. During this time, Candy also made the television film The Rocket Boy (1989) in Canada. Candy also provided the voice of Wilbur the Albatross in Disney's animated film The Rescuers Down Under (1990) and had cameos in two more films written by Hughes, the blockbuster hit film Home Alone (1990) and the box office flop Career Opportunities (1991). According to Candy's biography, he was in talks to play Bette Midler's working-class husband in the 1990 film Stella. However, when Candy was informed that Midler demanded he do a screen test, Candy was furious proclaiming "Who the (expletive) does she think she is?!" and declined. John Goodman was eventually cast in the role. From 1988 to 1990, Candy hosted "Radio Kandy", a hot adult contemporary radio music countdown syndicated by Premiere Networks. In 1991, Chris Columbus wrote and directed Only the Lonely with John Hughes serving as co-producer, and starring Candy and Maureen O'Hara; it was well reviewed but not a big hit. Candy also had a supporting role in Nothing But Trouble (1991), Dan Aykroyd's notorious box office flop. Also unsuccessful were the comedies Delirious (1991) and Once Upon a Crime... (1992). During this time, Candy played a small dramatic role as Dean Andrews Jr., a shady Southern lawyer in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991), and had a cameo in the television film Boris and Natasha: The Movie (1992). Candy starred in his first comedic hit in a number of years with Cool Runnings (1993), a story of the first Jamaican national bobsleigh team attempting to win the gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Candy also had a cameo in the successful Rookie of the Year (1993). He made his directorial debut in the 1994 comedy television film Hostage for a Day. His last appearances were in Wagons East (1994) and Canadian Bacon (1995).

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1973 — Class of '44 — Paule — Uncredited • 1975 — It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time — Kopek • 1976 — Tunnel Vision — Cooper • data-sort-value="Clown Murders, The" | The Clown Murders — Ollie • Find the Lady — Kopek • 1978 — data-sort-value="Silent Partner, The" | The Silent Partner — Simonsen • 1979 — Lost and Found — Carpentier • 1941 — Pvt. Foley • 1980 — Deadly Companion — John • data-sort-value="Blues Brothers, The" | The Blues Brothers — Parole Officer Burton Mercer • 1981 — Stripes — Dewey "Ox" Oxberger • Heavy Metal — Den / Dan, Desk Sergeant, Robot — Voice roles • 1982 — It Came from Hollywood — Himself • 1983 — National Lampoon's Vacation — Russ Lasky • Going Berserk — John Bourgignon • 1984 — Splash — Freddie Bauer • 1985 — Brewster's Millions — Spike Nolan • Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird — The Policeman • Summer Rental — Jack Chester • Volunteers — Tom Tuttle • 1986 — Armed and Dangerous — Frank Dooley • Little Shop of Horrors — Wink Wilkinson • 1987 — Spaceballs — Barf • Planes, Trains and Automobiles — Del Griffith • 1988 — She's Having a Baby — Chet (from The Great Outdoors) — Uncredited • data-sort-value="Great Outdoors, The" | The Great Outdoors — Chester "Chet" Ripley • Hot to Trot — Don — Voice role • 1989 — Who's Harry Crumb? — Harry Crumb — Also executive producer • Speed Zone — Charlie Cronan — Cannonball Fever • Uncle Buck — Buck Russell • 1990 — Masters of Menace — Beer Truck Driver • Home Alone — Gus Polinski • data-sort-value="Rescuers Down Under, The" | The Rescuers Down Under — Wilbur — Voice role • 1991 — Nothing but Trouble — Dennis Valkenheiser, Eldona Valkenheiser • Career Opportunities — C. D. Marsh — Uncredited • Only the Lonely — Danny Muldoon • Delirious — Jack Gable • JFK — Dean Andrews Jr. • 1992 — Once Upon a Crime — Augie Morosco • 1993 — Rookie of the Year — Cliff Murdoch (announcer) — Uncredited • Cool Runnings — Irving "Irv" Blitzer • 1994 — Wagons East — James Harlow — Released posthumously • 1995 — Canadian Bacon — Sheriff Bud Boomer — Filmed in 1993; released posthumously • 2025 — John Candy: I Like Me — Himself — Documentary; archival footage • You Had to Be There — Himself