Buzz
Few actors have the universal appeal of John Candy (1950-1994), a comedic genius who charmed audiences throughout the 1980s. From his memorable performances in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) to his iconic role in Uncle Buck (1989), Candy’s unique blend of humor and warmth made him one of the most beloved stars of his era. Discover intriguing details about his career, including a near-miss with a Sylvester Stallone project and his contribution to a Saturday morning cartoon.
1. John Candy was honored with an Emmy Award.
John Candy alongside Joel Grey at the American Comedy Awards. | Photo by Joan Adlen/Getty ImagesJohn Candy, born on October 31, 1950, in Toronto, Canada, faced the loss of his father, Sidney, at just 35 years old when John was only 4. Alongside his older brother Jim, he was raised by their mother Evangeline, with support from his aunt and grandparents. As a child, Candy stood out in football, leveraging his size to dominate the field. However, his passion shifted when he discovered acting. After leaving Centennial Community College, he followed the advice of his friend Dan Aykroyd and joined Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe in 1971. By 1974, he returned to Toronto to perform with Second City’s Canadian branch. The troupe’s TV series, SCTV, became a Canadian sensation by 1977, with Candy gaining acclaim for his portrayals of figures like Orson Welles and Luciano Pavarotti. When SCTV debuted in the U.S. in 1981, Candy won two Emmys for his writing. His success led to minor roles in Hollywood films such as The Blues Brothers (1980) and Stripes (1981).
2. John Candy was approached for a role in Ghostbusters.
By 1983, when Ghostbusters began production, Candy had established himself as a beloved supporting actor in comedies. Naturally, the film’s producers, including his friend Dan Aykroyd—who co-wrote the script and starred as paranormal investigator Ray Stantz—considered him for a part. Director Ivan Reitman sent Candy a treatment, offering him the role of curious neighbor Louis Tully. To Reitman’s surprise, Candy declined the offer.
“He didn’t like the treatment I had sent,” Reitman recalled in 2014. “He didn’t get it. He said, ‘Maybe if I played him as a German guy with a pack of German shepherd dogs.’” Reitman felt the role didn’t need such complexity. Ultimately, the part went to Rick Moranis
3. Splash marked John Candy’s breakthrough into Hollywood.
Tom Hanks and John Candy in Splash (1984). | Courtesy of Buena VistaIn the 1984 film Splash, Candy portrayed Freddy Bauer, the brother of Allen (Tom Hanks), who falls in love with a mermaid named Madison (Daryl Hannah). The movie was a commercial success, and Candy’s performance as the comedic sidekick received critical praise. (Interestingly, Hanks initially auditioned for Freddy Bauer but was cast as the lead instead.) This success paved the way for Candy’s first leading role in 1985’s Summer Rental, one of three films he starred in that year, alongside Brewster’s Millions and Volunteers. Despite their lackluster box office performance, Candy regained momentum with John Hughes’s holiday classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, where he starred opposite Steve Martin.
4. John Candy avoided watching his own performances on screen.
Film premieres were a source of anxiety for Candy, who struggled with watching himself on screen. His son, Chris, revealed that Candy often avoided his own movies. “He poured his heart into every role, but he hated attending premieres,” Chris shared with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. “He found it difficult to watch the finished films.” Instead, Candy would send his wife, Rosemary, to screenings and rely on her to report which scenes elicited the most laughter from the audience.
5. John Candy worked nonstop for 24 hours on the set of Home Alone.
Candy and John Hughes, the director and writer, frequently collaborated on projects like Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) and Uncle Buck (1989). When Hughes asked Candy to film a cameo for 1990’s Home Alone, he gladly accepted. Candy played Gus Polinski, a polka musician who assists Kate McCallister (Catherine O'Hara) in returning to her son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin). Despite having only one day scheduled for filming, Candy improvised with director Chris Columbus for almost 24 hours straight. He was reportedly paid the minimum wage for the role as a favor to Hughes. O’Hara, Candy’s former SCTV co-star, told Chicago magazine in 2015 that much of the footage was unusable. “[Chris] joked, ‘You’re supposed to be searching for your kid, but you’re just enjoying yourself with these guys in a truck.’”
6. John Candy nearly starred in a film with Sylvester Stallone.
Every actor has projects that slip away, and one of the most fascinating near-misses in Candy’s career was Bartholomew vs. Neff, a comedy where he was set to play a neighbor in a feud with Sylvester Stallone. Announced in 1990 with John Hughes as director, the film never materialized.
7. John Candy starred in his own animated TV series.
During his peak fame in the late 1980s, Candy agreed to lend his name and voice to Camp Candy, a Saturday morning cartoon that premiered on NBC in 1989. He voiced a camp counselor at a children’s summer camp and appeared in live-action segments at the start and end of each episode. Candy also involved his kids, Jen and Chris, in the show by having them contribute voiceovers. The series ran for three seasons.
8. John Candy was a co-owner of a football team.
Despite not playing since childhood, Candy maintained a passion for football. In 1991, he acquired a minority stake in the Toronto Argonauts, a Canadian Football League (CFL) team. Alongside fellow investor Wayne Gretzky, Candy contributed 10 percent of the $5 million purchase price and used his celebrity status to boost the team’s visibility.
Thanks largely to Candy’s influence, the team saw increased attendance and improved morale. He was overjoyed when the Argonauts clinched the 1991 Grey Cup, Canada’s equivalent of the Super Bowl. The team was sold by its primary owners in 1994, the same year Candy tragically died of a heart attack at the age of 43.
