A new documentary about one of John Candy’s blockbuster films is in the works, meaning that his life and work will be rediscoverable to a whole new generation of fans.
The life and legacy of the late Canadian comedian will be explored in a new documentary series produced by Utopia Originals in association with Blues Brothers co-star Dan Aykroyd and Belushi’s estate.
John’s other notable film roles include Uncle Buck, Splash, and Cool Runnings.
The actor, who had battled health problems for a long time, went away in 1994 at the age of 43, leaving behind a wife, children, and a body of work that included several roles that stole the show in movies.
The late comedian, who would have turned 71 years old this weekend, is remembered here with a look back at his life and career.
The Beginnings
John Candy was born on October 31, 1950, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in this central Canadian province before relocating to Toronto for high school.
The future star’s foray into acting began during his time at college in Toronto and university in Hamilton, at McMaster University; his first theatrical performance was in 1971 in Toronto.
He went on to have minor TV and film parts in the 1970s, during which he met and worked with future Hollywood A-listers like Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters) and Rick Moranis (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids).
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Legs For Comedy
John’s acting career veered toward the comic genre in the late 1970s, when he joined the improv stand-up troupe The Second City, which has served as a proving ground for the likes of Mike Myers, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Bill Murray over the years.
John was invited to join the cast of a comedy variety show in Toronto called Second City Television, which went on to win multiple Emmys in the early 1980s.
The 1980 film The Blues Brothers, starring John Belushi as Jake ‘Joliet Jake’ Blues and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood J. Blues, marked his transition to the world of big-screen comedy.
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Successful Breakthrough And Other Roles
Most comedy fans had heard of John by the early 1980s, but he didn’t really break through until 1984, when he played Freddie Bauer, the womanizing younger brother of Tom Hanks’ Allen Bauer, in Splash.
His career took off after that with parts in films like Spaceballs, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, and Who’s Harry Cumb? (where he was reunited with Rick Moranis), among others.
In 1989, he played Buck Russell in the feel-good comedy Uncle Buck, in 1990 he played Gus Polinski in the box office hit
Home Alone, and in 1993 he played Irving “Irv” Blitzer in the sports comedy Cool Runnings, which was loosely based on the journey of the real-life Jamaican bobsleigh team to the 1988 Winter Olympics.
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John Married A Fellow Canadian, Rosemary Hobor, On April 28, 1979 In A Ceremony Held In Toronto, Canada.
The couple remained married until John’s untimely death in 1994.
With each other, they brought into the world a daughter, Jennifer, in February 1980, and a boy, Chris, in September 1984.
Jennifer followed her father into the performing industry, appearing in films like Camp Candy and Prom Queen, and Cockpit, while Chris appeared in a number of TV and short films, including the 2019 original, Chowchilla.
