John Candy life and biography

Born John Franklin Candy on October 31, 1950, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Candy took drama courses at a community college and held various odd jobs before winning his first acting job in a children's theater group in his native Ontario.

After a series of small parts in television commercials and low-budget Canadian films, Candy got his big break when he was offered membership in the Second City comedy troupe. In 1977, he became a regular performer and writer for the group's television show, SCTV, along with Harold Ramis and Eugene Levy. Candy was a featured performer by the time the show came to network television in 1981. He won Emmys for the show's writing in 1981 and 1982.

In 1984, the Ron Howard directed comedy Splash, in which he co-starred with Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, made Candy a movie star. Although he was sometimes criticized for his choice of roles, audiences loved Candy for his roly-poly good nature and wry humor. Some of his most popular films include The Blues Brothers (1980), Spaceballs (1987), featuring Mel Brooks; Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), costarring Steve Martin; Uncle Buck (1989), and the Disney feature Cool Runnings (1993).

The veteran of more than forty films, Candy was also anavid sports fan and co-owner of a Canadian Football League franchise, the Toronto Argonauts. With actors Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi, he owned a chain of blues bars and restaurants called House of Blues.

At 6 feet 3 inches tall, Candy weighed over 250 pounds and often spoke of having a problem controlling his weight. Sadly, on March 4, 1994, while shooting a film (Wagons East) in Durango, Mexico, Candy died in his sleep of a heart attack.

Films

1995 Canadian Bacon
1994 Wagons East
1994 Hostage for a Day
1993 Cool Runnings
1993 Rookie of the Year
1992 Boris and Natasha
1992 Once Upon a Crime...
1991 JFK
1991 Delirious
1991 Only the Lonely
1991 Career Opportunities
1990 1991 Nothing But Trouble
1990 The Rescuers Down Under
1990 Home Alone (1990)
1990 Masters of Menace
1989 Uncle Buck
1989 Speed Zone!
1989 Who's Harry Crumb?
1988 The Great Outdoors
1988 She's Having a Baby
1987 Planes, Trains & Automobiles
1987 Spaceballs
1987 Really Weird Tales
1986 Little Shop of Horrors
1986 Armed and Dangerous
1985 Volunteers
1985 Summer Rental
1985 Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird1985 Brewster's Millions
1984 Splash
1983 Going Berserk
1983 Vacation
1981 Stripes
1980 The Blues Brothers
1980 Double Negative
1979 1941
1979 Lost and Found
1978 The Silent Partner
1976 Find the Lady
1976 The Clown Murders
1976 Tunnel Vision 1975 It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

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