Born October 31st, 1950 and laid to rest May 4th, 1994
John was not only a brilliant comedian, he was a warm and wonderful human being. I had the opportunity to meet him on several occasions. Everyone in his vacinity was important to him. SCTV brought John to the world’s attention and I was fortunate enough to be a witness. As a performer I had the opportunity to become a regular on the set during the filming of SCTV, appearing as an ongoing Extra. The entire cast was brilliant and no one could have foreseen or believe just how successful it would become. Here we have a Television Show with an opening showing television sets being thrown out of windows. As usual I have copied some biographical material and some wonderful videos of the SVTV Series. John? Thanks this has been fun! ©J.E.Goldie or to you John, just Jen xo
John Candy, actor (b at Toronto, Ont 31 Oct 1950; d at Durango, Mexico 4 Mar 1994), a gifted screen comedian who got his start doing stage work and acting in commercials and low-budget Canadian films in Toronto before moving to Chicago to join the Second City improvisational troupe in 1972. Soon afterwards he returned to Canada to take his place as a regular in Toronto’s Second City company, eventually becoming one of the key players on its spin-off television show, “SCTV.” There he created and played regular characters Johnny LaRue, Doctor Tongue and, along with fellow castmember Eugene Levy, one half of the accordion-playing Schmenge brothers.
Roles in major films soon followed, with the rotund Candy often cast as a lovable slob or loser with a heart of gold, as in Splash(1984). His later films as a supporting player included Spaceballs, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (both 1987) and Home Alone (1990). As his popularity grew, he was increasingly cast in the lead in films such as Uncle Buck (1989), Only the Lonely (1991) and Cool Runnings (1993). In spite of living in Los Angeles, Candy was known for his profound attachment to Canada, which at one point manifested itself with his acquisition of the Toronto Argonauts football team in 1991, along with partners Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall. In 1992 Candy cancelled his appearance as host of the Genie Awards after the CBC promoted the show with a campaign that joked about his size. He died of a heart attack while shooting a film in Mexico in 1994. -The Canadian Encyclopedia-
During the 1970s, John Candy appeared in a number of television and big screen projects including ‘Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins’, ’90 Minutes Live’, ‘Coming Up Rosie’, ‘Second City TV’, ‘Tunnel Vision’, ‘The Clown Murders’, ‘The Silent Partner’ and ‘Lost and Found’. After this, in the 1980s, he was associated with the TV projects ‘Big City Comedy’, ‘SCTV Network 90’, ‘The New Show’, ‘The Canadian Conspiracy’, ‘The Last Polka’ and âCamp Candyâ.
During this time, the actor also got featured in many films, such as ‘The Blues Brothers’, ‘It Came from Hollywood’, ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’, ‘Splash’, ‘Summer Rental’, ‘Armed and Dangerous’, ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ and ‘Uncle Buck’, to name a few. Then in the year 1990, Candy appeared in an episode of ‘The Dave Thomas Comedy Show’ and also acted in the movies ‘Masters of Menace’ and ‘Home Alone’.
In 1991, he was cast in the films âNothing But Troubleâ, âCareer Opportunitiesâ, âOnly the Lonelyâ, âDeliriousâ and âJFKâ. Soon after this, the Canadian artiste made his appearances in the movies âOnce Upon a Crimeâ, âBoris and Natasha: The Movieâ, âRookie of the Yearâ and âCool Runningsâ. In 1994, he did the TV flick âHostage for a Dayâ. That year, his movie âWagons East!â was also released posthumously. -Famous People-
Cya John. đâ€đâ€
Thanks for the Memories………