John Candy
Encyclopedia
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto
branch of The Second City
and its related Second City Television
series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes
, Splash
, Cool Runnings
, The Great Outdoors
, Spaceballs
, and Uncle Buck
. One of his most renowned onscreen performances was as Del Griffith, the loquacious, on-the-move shower-curtain ring salesman in the John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
, son of Sidney James Candy and his wife Evangeline (Aker) Candy. He was raised in a working-class Roman Catholic family. His grandmother was Polish. Candy graduated from Neil McNeil High School
, an all-boys Catholic public school in Toronto
, where he played football
.
Candy's first movie role was a small uncredited appearance in the 1973 film Class of '44
. He appeared in several other low-budget films during the 1970s, including the bank-robbery thriller The Silent Partner
with Christopher Plummer
and Elliott Gould
.
In 1976, Candy played a supporting role (with Rick Moranis
) on Peter Gzowski
's short-lived, late-night television talk show, Ninety Minutes Live. That same year, as a member of Toronto's branch of The Second City
, he gained wide North America
n popularity, 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.
were unscrupulous street-beat TV personality Johnny LaRue, 3-D horror auteur Doctor Tongue, sycophant
ic and easily amused talk-show sidekick William B. Williams, and Melonville's corrupt Mayor Tommy Shanks. Other characters included Morgy, from Morgy and Shoo, the cheerful Leutonian clarinetist Yosh Shmenge, who was half of the Happy Wanderers
and the subject of the mockumentary
The Last Polka
, folksy fishin' musician Gil Fisher, handsome if accent-challenged TV actor Steve Roman, hapless children's entertainer Mr. Messenger, corrupt soap opera doctor William Wainwright, smut
merchant Harry, "the Guy With the Snake on His Face", and Giorgy, everyone's favourite Cossack.
Mimicry was one of Candy's talents, which he used often at SCTV. Celebrities impersonated by Candy include Jerry Mathers
, Divine (Glen Milstead)
, Orson Welles
, Julia Child
, Richard Burton
, Darryl Sittler
, Luciano Pavarotti
, Jimmy the Greek, Andrew Sarris
, Tip O'Neill
, Don Rickles
, Curly Howard
, Merlin Olsen
, Jackie Gleason
, Tom Selleck
, Gordon Pinsent
, Ed Asner
, Gertrude Stein
, Morgy Kneele, Doug McGrath, and Hervé Villechaize
.
By 1980, he began a more active film career having appeared as a soldier in Steven Spielberg
's big-budget comedy 1941
and had a supporting role as Burton Mercer, "Joliet" Jake's probation/parole officer in The Blues Brothers
. A year later, Candy played the lovable, mild-mannered Army recruit Dewey Oxberger in 1981's Stripes
, one of the most successful films of the year. In the next two years, Candy did a small cameo in Harold Ramis's National Lampoon's Vacation
and appeared on Saturday Night Live
twice (hosting in 1983) while still appearing on SCTV.
In 1983, Candy headlined in the film Going Berserk
, and was also approached to play the character of accountant Louis Tully in Ghostbusters
(completed and released in 1984), but ultimately did not get the role because of his conflicting ideas of how to play the character; the part went instead to Rick Moranis
. Candy was one of the many celebrities who appeared chanting "Ghostbusters" in Ray Parker, Jr.
's hit "single
" for the movie. In 1984, Candy played Tom Hanks
's womanizing brother in the hit romantic comedy Splash
, generally considered his breakout role.
Throughout the latter half of the 1980s, Candy often took roles in substandard films (even performing the voice of a talking horse in the Bobcat Goldthwait
comedy Hot to Trot
). While continuing to play supporting roles in films like Spaceballs
, Candy was awarded the opportunity to headline or co-star in such comedy films as Volunteers
; Planes, Trains & Automobiles
; Brewster's Millions
; The Great Outdoors
; Armed and Dangerous; Who's Harry Crumb?
, Summer Rental
and Uncle Buck
.
He also continued to provide memorable bit roles, including a "weird" disc jockey
in the comic musical film
Little Shop of Horrors and a state trooper in the Sesame Street
film Follow That Bird.
Candy also produced and starred in a Saturday-morning animated series on NBC entitled Camp Candy
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
' Star Comics
imprint.
, although he did appear in major successes such as Rookie of the Year
(uncredited), The Rescuers Down Under
, and Home Alone.
Candy attempted to reinvigorate his acting career by broadening his range and playing more dramatic roles. In 1991, Candy appeared in a light romantic comedy-drama, Only the Lonely
which saw him as a Chicago cop torn between his overbearing mother (Maureen O'Hara
) and his new girlfriend (Ally Sheedy
). The same year and in rare form, Candy played a dramatic role as Dean Andrews Jr.
, a shady Southern lawyer in Oliver Stone
's JFK
.
In 1991, Bruce McNall
, Wayne Gretzky
, and Candy became co-owners of the Canadian Football League
's Toronto Argonauts
. The celebrity ownership group attracted a lot of attention in Canada and the team spent a significant amount of money, even signing some highly touted National Football League
players. John and the Argonauts took home the 1991 Grey Cup beating Calgary 36–21 in the final.
, Mexico
, Candy called his friends, including Canadian Football League
commissioner Larry Smith, and told them that he had just let go of his team and was putting it up for sale. He then called his assistant, who invited him to play golf with him in the spring when he came back to Toronto. After cooking a late lasagna dinner for his assistants, Candy called his co-stars from his hotel, then went to sleep. After midnight, on March 4, Candy died in his sleep from a heart attack
at age 43. His funeral was held at St. Martin of Tours Church. Candy was interred in the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery
in Culver City, California
.
On March 18, 1994, a special memorial service for Candy, produced by his former improv troupe The Second City
, was broadcast across Canada.
Candy's final completed movie was Canadian Bacon
, a satirical comedy by Michael Moore
that was released the 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
in the early-1990s. The film remained in production for years due to animation difficulties and production delays, and it was shelved. Candy was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
. In May 2006, Candy became one of the first four entertainers ever honoured by Canada Post
by being featured on a postage stamp. Blues Brothers 2000
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
at the 2007 Grey Cup festivities in Toronto in November 2007. Ween
's Chocolate and Cheese
album released in 1994 is "dedicated in loving memory to John Candy (1950-1994)".
The John Candy Visual Arts Studio at Neil McNeil Catholic High School, in Toronto, Ontario was dedicated in his honour after his death. John 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.”
Candy's daughter, Jennifer Candy
, is an actress and television producer, having production credits for the television series Prom Queen and Sam Has 7 Friends.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
branch of The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
and its related Second City Television
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
, Splash
Splash (film)
Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge...
, Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings is a 1993 comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut in the bobsleigh competition of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. It stars Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and Rawle D...
, The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors (1988 film)
The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. Annette Bening and Stephanie Faracy co-star. Robert Prosky and Lewis Arquette have supporting roles...
, Spaceballs
Spaceballs
Spaceballs is a 1987 American science fiction comedy parody film co-written by, directed by, Mel Brooks and starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Mel Brooks & Rick Moranis. It also features, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, and the voice of Joan Rivers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on...
, and Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
. One of his most renowned onscreen performances was as Del Griffith, the loquacious, on-the-move shower-curtain ring salesman in the John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Early life and career
Candy was born in the suburban town of Newmarket, OntarioNewmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
, son of Sidney James Candy and his wife Evangeline (Aker) Candy. He was raised in a working-class Roman Catholic family. His grandmother was Polish. Candy graduated from Neil McNeil High School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic secondary school of the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Neil McNeil is one of 31 high schools run by the TCDSB and one of four all-boys schools, and currently has an enrollment of 811...
, an all-boys Catholic public school in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where he played football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
.
Candy's first movie role was a small uncredited appearance in the 1973 film Class of '44
Class of '44
Class Of '44 is the 1973 sequel to Summer of '42.The film is a slice-of-life style autobiography of sorts, depicting Herman Raucher's first year in college, where he falls in love with Julie under the shadow of the growing threat of WW II...
. He appeared in several other low-budget films during the 1970s, including the bank-robbery thriller The Silent Partner
The Silent Partner
The Silent Partner is a 1978 Canadian crime film directed by Daryl Duke. It stars Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer and Susannah York....
with Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
and Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...
.
In 1976, Candy played a supporting role (with Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
) on Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski, was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to understand...
's short-lived, late-night television talk show, Ninety Minutes Live. That same year, as a member of Toronto's branch of The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
, he gained wide North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n popularity, which grew when he became a cast member on the influential Toronto-based comedy-variety show Second City Television
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
(SCTV). NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
picked the show up in 1981 and it quickly became a fan favorite.
1980s
Among Candy's memorable characterizations for SCTVSecond City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
were unscrupulous street-beat TV personality Johnny LaRue, 3-D horror auteur Doctor Tongue, sycophant
Sycophant
Sycophancy means:# Obsequious flattery; servility.# The character or characteristic of a sycophant.Alternative phrases are often used such as:-Etymology:...
ic and easily amused talk-show sidekick William B. Williams, and Melonville's corrupt Mayor Tommy Shanks. Other characters included Morgy, from Morgy and Shoo, the cheerful Leutonian clarinetist Yosh Shmenge, who was half of the Happy Wanderers
Happy Wanderers
thumb|right|250px|Yosh Shmenge and Stan Shmenge The Shmenge Brothers were a fictional polka duo who, along with their band The Happy Wanderers, featured on the SCTV television comedy program in 1982-1983. They were played by John Candy as clarinetist Yosh Shmenge and Eugene Levy as accordionist...
and the subject of the mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
The Last Polka
The Last Polka
The Last Polka is a 1985 comedy television film, and one of the first Mockumentaries. It was written by and starred John Candy and Eugene Levy, and directed by John Blanchard....
, folksy fishin' musician Gil Fisher, handsome if accent-challenged TV actor Steve Roman, hapless children's entertainer Mr. Messenger, corrupt soap opera doctor William Wainwright, smut
Smut (comics)
Smut was a British adult comic that was launched in the late 1980s."Smut" is a slang word - most common in Britain - for any form of media that is considered profane or offensive, particularly with regards to sexual content...
merchant Harry, "the Guy With the Snake on His Face", and Giorgy, everyone's favourite Cossack.
Mimicry was one of Candy's talents, which he used often at SCTV. Celebrities impersonated by Candy include Jerry Mathers
Jerry Mathers
Gerald Patrick "Jerry" Mathers is an American television, film, and stage actor. Mathers is best known for his role in the television sitcom series Leave It to Beaver , in which he played Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, the younger son of archetypal suburban couple June and Ward Cleaver , and the brother...
, Divine (Glen Milstead)
Divine (Glen Milstead)
Divine , born Harris Glenn Milstead, was an American actor, singer and drag queen. Described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century", Divine often performed female roles in both cinema and theater and also appeared in women's clothing in musical performances...
, Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
, Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
, Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler
Darryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Jimmy the Greek, Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris is an American film critic and a leading proponent of the auteur theory of criticism.-Career:Sarris is generally credited with popularizing the auteur theory in the U.S...
, Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. was an American politician. O'Neill was an outspoken liberal Democrat and influential member of the U.S. Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for 34 years and representing two congressional districts in Massachusetts...
, Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
, Curly Howard
Curly Howard
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz , better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and vaudevillian. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, along with his older brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine...
, Merlin Olsen
Merlin Olsen
Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
, Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
, Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
, Gordon Pinsent
Gordon Pinsent
Gordon Edward Pinsent, CC, FRSC is a Canadian television, theatre and film actor.-Early life:Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, the son of Flossie ; originally from Clifton, Newfoundland, and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, a papermill worker and cobbler;...
, Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
, Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
, Morgy Kneele, Doug McGrath, and Hervé Villechaize
Hervé Villechaize
Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize was a French actor who achieved worldwide recognition for his role as Mr. Roarke's assistant, Tattoo, in the television series Fantasy Island...
.
By 1980, he began a more active film career having appeared as a soldier in Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's big-budget comedy 1941
1941 (film)
1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd...
and had a supporting role as Burton Mercer, "Joliet" Jake's probation/parole officer in The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
. A year later, Candy played the lovable, mild-mannered Army recruit Dewey Oxberger in 1981's Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
, one of the most successful films of the year. In the next two years, Candy did a small cameo in Harold Ramis's National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
and appeared on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
twice (hosting in 1983) while still appearing on SCTV.
In 1983, Candy headlined in the film Going Berserk
Going Berserk
Going Berserk is a 1983 comedy film starring John Candy, Joe Flaherty, and Eugene Levy and directed by David Steinberg.- Plot :John Bourgignon is an amiable chauffeur and would-be drummer who is engaged to the daughter of an extremely disapproving United States senator...
, and was also approached to play the character of accountant Louis Tully in Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
(completed and released in 1984), but ultimately did not get the role because of his conflicting ideas of how to play the character; the part went instead to Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
. Candy was one of the many celebrities who appeared chanting "Ghostbusters" in Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
's hit "single
Ghostbusters (song)
"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11 in 1984, and stayed there for three weeks...
" for the movie. In 1984, Candy played Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
's womanizing brother in the hit romantic comedy Splash
Splash (film)
Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge...
, generally considered his breakout role.
Throughout the latter half of the 1980s, Candy often took roles in substandard films (even performing the voice of a talking horse in the Bobcat Goldthwait
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
comedy Hot to Trot
Hot to Trot
Hot to Trot is a 1988 comedy film released by Warner Bros. It stars Bobcat Goldthwait as an investment broker, Dabney Coleman as the head of the company Bobcat works for and John Candy as the voice of a horse that helps Bobcat's character make smart decisions in investing. The original music score...
). While continuing to play supporting roles in films like Spaceballs
Spaceballs
Spaceballs is a 1987 American science fiction comedy parody film co-written by, directed by, Mel Brooks and starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Mel Brooks & Rick Moranis. It also features, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, and the voice of Joan Rivers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on...
, Candy was awarded the opportunity to headline or co-star in such comedy films as Volunteers
Volunteers (film)
Volunteers is a 1985 comedy directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Tom Hanks and John Candy.-Plot:Lawrence Bourne III is a spoiled rich kid with a large gambling debt in the 1960s. After his father, Lawrence Bourne Jr...
; Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 American comedy film released by Paramount Pictures. It was written, produced and directed by John Hughes...
; Brewster's Millions
Brewster's Millions (1985 film)
Brewster's Millions is a 1985 comedy film starring Richard Pryor and John Candy based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. It is the seventh film based on the story, with a screenplay by Herschel Weingrod & Timothy Harris...
; The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors (1988 film)
The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. Annette Bening and Stephanie Faracy co-star. Robert Prosky and Lewis Arquette have supporting roles...
; Armed and Dangerous; Who's Harry Crumb?
Who's Harry Crumb?
Who's Harry Crumb? is a 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...
, Summer Rental
Summer Rental
Summer Rental is a 1985 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner, starring John Candy. The screenplay is written by Mark Reisman and Jeremy Stevens. The original music score is composed by Alan Silvestri. It was filmed in St. Pete Beach near St. Petersburg, Florida. Several area landmarks can be seen...
and Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
.
He also continued to provide memorable bit roles, including a "weird" disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in the comic musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Little Shop of Horrors and a state trooper in the Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
film Follow That Bird.
Candy also produced and starred in a Saturday-morning animated series on NBC entitled Camp Candy
Camp Candy
Camp Candy was a 1989-1992 animated television series produced by DiC Entertainment, with comedian John Candy providing the voice for an animated version of himself.-Overview:The show was set in a fictional summer camp run by Candy...
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
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Star Comics
Star Comics
Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and continued to publish comic books until early 1988. Titles published by the imprint were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys...
imprint.
1990s
In the early 1990s, Candy's career went into decline after he appeared in a string of critical and commercial failures, including Nothing But Trouble (for which he was nominated for a Razzie as "worst supporting actress", playing a woman), Delirious, and Once Upon A CrimeOnce Upon A Crime
Once Upon a Crime is a 1992 ensemble comedy film starring, among others; Richard Lewis, John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young and Ornella Muti. The film was directed by Eugene Levy.- Plot :...
, although he did appear in major successes such as Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year (film)
Rookie of the Year is a 1993 American film comedy with a baseball theme starring Thomas Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey.The cast also includes Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya, Eddie Bracken, Amy Morton, Bruce Altman, John Gegenhuber, Neil Flynn, Daniel Stern and John Candy.-Plot:Henry Rowengartner ,...
(uncredited), The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
, and Home Alone.
Candy attempted to reinvigorate his acting career by broadening his range and playing more dramatic roles. In 1991, Candy appeared in a light romantic comedy-drama, Only the Lonely
Only the Lonely (film)
Only the Lonely is a 1991 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Columbus. It starred John Candy, Ally Sheedy, Maureen O’Hara and Anthony Quinn. The plot is similar to the earlier award-winning film Marty.-Plot:...
which saw him as a Chicago cop torn between his overbearing mother (Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara
Maureen O'Hara is an Irish film actress and singer. The famously red-headed O'Hara has been noted for playing fiercely passionate heroines with a highly sensible attitude. She often worked with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne...
) and his new girlfriend (Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
). The same year and in rare form, Candy played a dramatic role as Dean Andrews Jr.
Dean Andrews Jr.
Dean Adams Andrews Jr. was an attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was questioned by Jim Garrison in regards to his Warren Commission testimony in which he had mentioned a man named "Clay Bertrand" having called him shortly after John F. Kennedy's assassination to represent Lee Harvey Oswald in...
, a shady Southern lawyer in Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's JFK
JFK (film)
JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay...
.
In 1991, Bruce McNall
Bruce McNall
Bruce Patrick McNall is a former Thoroughbred racehorse owner, and a sports executive who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League .McNall claimed to have made his initial fortune as a coin collector, though...
, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, and Candy became co-owners of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. The celebrity ownership group attracted a lot of attention in Canada and the team spent a significant amount of money, even signing some highly touted National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
players. John and the Argonauts took home the 1991 Grey Cup beating Calgary 36–21 in the final.
Death
Candy struggled with obesity throughout his adult life. During the late 1980s and early 1990s he put on additional weight, although he made a significant effort to improve his overall health in the last year of his life. However, in 1994 while filming Wagons East! on location in DurangoDurango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Candy called his friends, including Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
commissioner Larry Smith, and told them that he had just let go of his team and was putting it up for sale. He then called his assistant, who invited him to play golf with him in the spring when he came back to Toronto. After cooking a late lasagna dinner for his assistants, Candy called his co-stars from his hotel, then went to sleep. After midnight, on March 4, Candy died in his sleep from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at age 43. His funeral was held at St. Martin of Tours Church. Candy was interred in the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles....
in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.
On March 18, 1994, a special memorial service for Candy, produced by his former improv troupe The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
, was broadcast across Canada.
Legacy
Wagons East! was released in the summer of 1994, completed using a body double in Candy's place.Candy's final completed movie was Canadian Bacon
Canadian bacon
Canadian bacon can mean:* Canadian bacon, a US name for two different pork products - back bacon and a smoked ham* Canadian Bacon, a 1995 comedy film* Canadian Bacon , a peak in the US state of Washington...
, a satirical comedy by Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
that was released the 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
The Magic 7 is an animated TV movie written and directed by Roger Holzberg. It centers on the adventures of two children and a dragon as they fight the arch-enemies of Earth. It was originally slated to air on Earth Day in 1997, but was postponed...
in the early-1990s. The film remained in production for years due to animation difficulties and production delays, and it was shelved. Candy was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
. In May 2006, Candy became one of the first four entertainers ever honoured by Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
by being featured on a postage stamp. Blues Brothers 2000
Blues Brothers 2000
Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 American musical comedy film that is a sequel to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Directed by John Landis, the film featured Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman, with cameos by many musicians.-Plot:...
is dedicated to three people, including Candy, who played a supporting role in the original Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
. A tribute to Candy was hosted by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
at the 2007 Grey Cup festivities in Toronto in November 2007. Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...
's Chocolate and Cheese
Chocolate and Cheese
Chocolate and Cheese is Ween's fourth studio album, originally released by Elektra Records in 1994. It was the first Ween album to eschew the crude four-track home recordings of their first three albums and utilize a professional recording studio...
album released in 1994 is "dedicated in loving memory to John Candy (1950-1994)".
The John Candy Visual Arts Studio at Neil McNeil Catholic High School, in Toronto, Ontario was dedicated in his honour after his death. John 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.”
Candy's daughter, Jennifer Candy
Jennifer Candy
Jennifer Candy is a Canadian-American producer and actress. She is the daughter of late actor John Candy. Jennifer attended and graduated from the Loyola Marymount University in 2002. In the fall of 2002, she directed a stage version of Little Shop of Horrors for the Del Rey Players theatre group...
, is an actress and television producer, having production credits for the television series Prom Queen and Sam Has 7 Friends.
Movies
| Year | Movie | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Hercules in New York Hercules in New York Hercules in New York is a 1969 fantasy adventure film. It is known for being the first feature film to star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was about 22 years old when the film was produced... |
Dock Fighter | Uncredited |
| 1973 | Class of '44 Class of '44 Class Of '44 is the 1973 sequel to Summer of '42.The film is a slice-of-life style autobiography of sorts, depicting Herman Raucher's first year in college, where he falls in love with Julie under the shadow of the growing threat of WW II... |
Paule | Uncredited |
| 1975 | It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time is a comedy film that was released in 1975. It was one of John Candy's earlier films before he came to the attention of the mainstream. He plays the minor role of an investigating police officer.-Plot:... |
Kopek | |
| 1976 | Tunnel Vision Tunnel Vision (film) Tunnel Vision is 1976 comedy anthology film featuring Roger Bowen, Chevy Chase, John Candy, Howard Hesseman, Joe Flaherty, Laraine Newman, Betty Thomas, Phil Proctor, Al Franken, Ron Silver, Tom Davis, Michael Overly. It was directed by Neal Israel and Bradley R... |
Cooper | |
| The Clown Murders The Clown Murders The Clown Murders is a 1976 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 now produces the Degrassi: The Next Generation TV series.-Plot:... |
Ollie | ||
| Find the Lady | Kopek | ||
| 1978 | The Silent Partner The Silent Partner (1978 film) The Silent Partner is a 1978 Canadian crime film directed by Daryl Duke. It stars Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer and Susannah York.... |
Simonsen | |
| 1979 | Lost and Found Lost and Found (1979 film) Lost and Found is a 1979 film starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson, featuring John Candy. The film is about a couple and their constant meeting and clashing with each other. In some respects, the film is almost a 'companion' film to A Touch Of Class, a 1972 movie which featured much of the... |
Carpentier | |
| 1941 1941 (film) 1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd... |
Pvt. Foley | ||
| 1980 | Deadly Companion Deadly Companion Deadly Companion is a 1980 Canadian mystery film based on the novel The Three Roads by Ross Macdonald.-Plot:... |
John | Alternative Title: Double Negative |
| The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers (film) The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James... |
Burton Mercer | ||
| 1981 | Stripes Stripes (film) Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one... |
Dewey "Ox" Oxberger | |
| Heavy Metal Heavy Metal (film) Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine.... |
Desk Sergeant, Dan/Den, Robot | Voice Only | |
| 1982 | It Came from Hollywood It Came From Hollywood It Came from Hollywood is a 1982 comedy film compiling clips from various B movies. Written by Dana Olsen and directed by Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt, the film features wraparound segments and narration by several famous comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Cheech and Chong... |
Himself | |
| 1983 | National Lampoon's Vacation National Lampoon's Vacation Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall... |
Lasky (Guard at 'Walleyworld') | |
| Going Berserk Going Berserk Going Berserk is a 1983 comedy film starring John Candy, Joe Flaherty, and Eugene Levy and directed by David Steinberg.- Plot :John Bourgignon is an amiable chauffeur and would-be drummer who is engaged to the daughter of an extremely disapproving United States senator... |
John Bourgignon | ||
| 1984 | Splash Splash (film) Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge... |
Freddie Bauer | |
| 1985 | Brewster's Millions Brewster's Millions (1985 film) Brewster's Millions is a 1985 comedy film starring Richard Pryor and John Candy based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. It is the seventh film based on the story, with a screenplay by Herschel Weingrod & Timothy Harris... |
Spike Nolan | |
| Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird | State Trooper | ||
| Summer Rental Summer Rental Summer Rental is a 1985 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner, starring John Candy. The screenplay is written by Mark Reisman and Jeremy Stevens. The original music score is composed by Alan Silvestri. It was filmed in St. Pete Beach near St. Petersburg, Florida. Several area landmarks can be seen... |
Jack Chester | ||
| Volunteers Volunteers (film) Volunteers is a 1985 comedy directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Tom Hanks and John Candy.-Plot:Lawrence Bourne III is a spoiled rich kid with a large gambling debt in the 1960s. After his father, Lawrence Bourne Jr... |
Tom Tuttle | ||
| 1986 | Armed and Dangerous | Frank Dooley | |
| Little Shop of Horrors | Wink Wilkinson | ||
| 1987 | Spaceballs Spaceballs Spaceballs is a 1987 American science fiction comedy parody film co-written by, directed by, Mel Brooks and starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Mel Brooks & Rick Moranis. It also features, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, and the voice of Joan Rivers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on... |
Barf | |
| Planes, Trains and Automobiles | Del Griffith | ||
| 1988 | The Great Outdoors | Chet Ripley | |
| She's Having a Baby She's Having a Baby She's Having a Baby is a 1988 American romance film directed by John Hughes.The film portrays a young newlywed couple, Kristy and Jake Briggs played by Elizabeth McGovern and Kevin Bacon, who try to cope with being married and what is expected of them by their parents. Jake must also deal with the... |
Chet from 'The Great Outdoors' | Uncredited | |
| Hot to Trot Hot to Trot Hot to Trot is a 1988 comedy film released by Warner Bros. It stars Bobcat Goldthwait as an investment broker, Dabney Coleman as the head of the company Bobcat works for and John Candy as the voice of a horse that helps Bobcat's character make smart decisions in investing. The original music score... |
Don | Voice Only | |
| 1989 | Who's Harry Crumb? Who's Harry Crumb? Who's Harry Crumb? is a 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... |
Harry Crumb | Also Executive Producer |
| Speed Zone! Speed Zone! Speed Zone!, also known as Cannonball Run III or simply Cannonball Fever, released in 1989, is the third and final installment of the Cannonball Run series of movies. Like the first two films, it is a comedy set around an illegal cross-country race... |
Charlie Cronan | ||
| Uncle Buck Uncle Buck Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby... |
Buck Russell | ||
| 1990 | Masters of Menace Masters of Menace -Plot:The Masters of Menace are a motorcycle club. When one of their own dies while testing his top fuel Harley, they decide to cross the country to go bury him... |
Beer Truck Driver | |
| Home Alone | Gus Polinski – Polka King of the MidWest | ||
| The Rescuers Down Under The Rescuers Down Under The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990... |
Wilbur | Voice Only | |
| 1991 | Nothing But Trouble | Deputy Dennis / Eldona | |
| Career Opportunities Career Opportunities (film) Career Opportunities is a 1991 American romantic comedy film starring Frank Whaley in his first lead role and co-starred Jennifer Connelly in one of her first. It was written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Bryan Gordon.-Plot:... |
C.D. Marsh | Uncredited | |
| Only the Lonely Only the Lonely (film) Only the Lonely is a 1991 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Columbus. It starred John Candy, Ally Sheedy, Maureen O’Hara and Anthony Quinn. The plot is similar to the earlier award-winning film Marty.-Plot:... |
Danny Muldoon | ||
| Delirious Delirious (film) Delirious is a romantic comedy film starring John Candy, Mariel Hemingway, Emma Samms and Raymond Burr . It was released in 1991, but it did not achieve commercial success at the box offices.-Plot:... |
Jack Gable | ||
| JFK JFK (film) JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay... |
Dean Andrews Jr. Dean Andrews Jr. Dean Adams Andrews Jr. was an attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was questioned by Jim Garrison in regards to his Warren Commission testimony in which he had mentioned a man named "Clay Bertrand" having called him shortly after John F. Kennedy's assassination to represent Lee Harvey Oswald in... |
||
| 1992 | Once Upon a Crime... Once Upon A Crime Once Upon a Crime is a 1992 ensemble comedy film starring, among others; Richard Lewis, John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young and Ornella Muti. The film was directed by Eugene Levy.- Plot :... |
Augie Morosco | |
| Boris and Natasha: The Movie Boris and Natasha: The Movie Boris and Natasha is a 1992 comedy film that was loosely based on the animated television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. It was shot in New York City. The actors did not attempt to copy the accents of their animated counterparts, and although Rocky and Bullwinkle do not appear in this film,... |
Kalishak | ||
| 1993 | Rookie of the Year Rookie of the Year (film) Rookie of the Year is a 1993 American film comedy with a baseball theme starring Thomas Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey.The cast also includes Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya, Eddie Bracken, Amy Morton, Bruce Altman, John Gegenhuber, Neil Flynn, Daniel Stern and John Candy.-Plot:Henry Rowengartner ,... |
Cliff Murdoch (Announcer) | Uncredited |
| Cool Runnings Cool Runnings Cool Runnings is a 1993 comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut in the bobsleigh competition of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. It stars Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and Rawle D... |
Irving 'Irv' Blitzer | ||
| 1994 | Wagons East! | James Harlow | Final role; died during filming |
| 1995 | Canadian Bacon Canadian bacon Canadian bacon can mean:* Canadian bacon, a US name for two different pork products - back bacon and a smoked ham* Canadian Bacon, a 1995 comedy film* Canadian Bacon , a peak in the US state of Washington... |
Sheriff Bud Boomer | Filmed in 1993; posthumous release |
| - | The Magic 7 The Magic 7 The Magic 7 is an animated TV movie written and directed by Roger Holzberg. It centers on the adventures of two children and a dragon as they fight the arch-enemies of Earth. It was originally slated to air on Earth Day in 1997, but was postponed... |
Smokestack Sam | Voice; Produced in 1990-1993; Movie never released |
Television
| Year | Television | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Cucumber Cucumber (TV series) Children's Underground Club of United Moose and Beaver for Enthusiastic Reporters or Cucumber, was a TV show produced by TVOntario in the 1970s, and repeated in the 1980s during TVOntario's daytime kids' programming.... |
Weatherman | (unknown episodes) |
| Dr. Simon Locke Dr. Simon Locke Dr. Simon Locke was a Canadian medical drama that was syndicated to television stations in the United States from 1971 to 1974 through the sponsorship of Colgate-Palmolive.... |
Richie | Episode: "Death Holds the Scale" | |
| 1974 | The ABC Afternoon Playbreak The ABC Afternoon Playbreak The ABC Afternoon Playbreak is an American television anthology series that was broadcast on ABC from 1973 to 1975. The ninety-minute dramas aired once a month and featured some of the more popular television and film stars of the 1970s .-Episodes:Season 1#"The Things I Never Said" #"A... |
2nd Son | Episode: "Last Bride of Salem" |
| Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins was a CBC children's television series which ran three afternoons a week from 23 September 1974 to 14 April 1975.... |
(unknown episodes) | ||
| 1976 | The David Steinberg Show | Spider Reichman | Episode one Episode two |
| 90 Minutes Live 90 Minutes Live 90 Minutes Live was a Canadian television late-night talk show, which aired on CBC Television from 1976 to 1978. The program aired weekday evenings at 11:30 p.m.... |
(Various) | TV series | |
| 1976–1977 | Coming Up Rosie 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. The title character, Rosie Tucker, was played by Rosemary Radcliffe... |
Wally Wypyzypychwk | TV series |
| 1976–1979 | Second City TV | (Various) | 50 episodes |
| 1977 | King of Kensington King of Kensington King of Kensington was a Canadian television sitcom which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1980.The show starred Al Waxman as Larry King, a convenience store owner in Toronto's Kensington Market who was known for helping friends and neighbours solve problems. His multicultural group of friends... |
Bandit | Episode: "The Hero" |
| 1980 | The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog | Pinky | TV film |
| Big City Comedy | Himself (host) / Various | TV series (sketch comedy) | |
| 1981 | Tales of the Klondike | TV mini-series | |
| Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
Juan Gavino | Episode: "George Kennedy/Miles Davis" (uncredited) |
|
| 1981–1983 | SCTV Network 90 | (Various) | 38 episodes |
| 1983 | SCTV Channel | (Various) | Episode: "Maudlin O' the Night" |
| 1984 | The New Show The New Show The New Show was a NBC sketch comedy show produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, which ran for only one season from January 6 to March 23, 1984. Apart from being 60 minutes in length and entirely pre-recorded, the show is similar in format to SNL... |
(Various) | Five episodes |
| 1985 | Martin Short: Concert for the North Americas | Marcel | TV film |
| The Canadian Conspiracy The Canadian Conspiracy The Canadian Conspiracy is a 1985 HBO/CBC mockumentary, co-written and directed by Robert Boyd, about the way the Canadian government is subverting the United States by taking over its entertainment industry... |
(Various) | TV film | |
| The Last Polka The Last Polka The Last Polka is a 1985 comedy television film, and one of the first Mockumentaries. It was written by and starred John Candy and Eugene Levy, and directed by John Blanchard.... |
Yosh Shmenge/Pa Shmenge | TV film | |
| 1987 | Really Weird Tales | Howard Jensen ('Cursed with Charisma') | TV film |
| 1989 | The Rocket Boy | The Hawk | TV film |
| Camp Candy Camp Candy Camp Candy was a 1989-1992 animated television series produced by DiC Entertainment, with comedian John Candy providing the voice for an animated version of himself.-Overview:The show was set in a fictional summer camp run by Candy... |
Himself | Voice | |
| 1990 | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show The Dave Thomas Comedy Show The Dave Thomas Comedy Show was a sketch-based, half-hour, five-week summer replacement series, which aired on CBS in the summer of 1990. The show starred Canadian comedian Dave Thomas, who is best known for an earlier sketch comedy series, SCTV... |
One episode | |
| 1992 | Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories | Narrator | Episode: "Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat/Millions of Cats" |
| 1994 | Hostage for a Day Hostage for a Day Hostage for a Day is a 1994 comedic film starring and directed by Canadian comedian and actor John Candy. Though the film is billed as "starring" Candy, it in fact only features him as a minor character, as a Russian hostage taker.... |
Yuri Petrovich | TV film |