We’ve known for quite a while Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks are putting together a documentary about the late, great John Candy. But there’s a biography coming down the pipeline too, written by Paul Myers, yes the brother of famous Canadian and fellow comedian Mike. As part of that upcoming venture, Myers wrote about Candy’s past, the future he could have had if he hadn’t died too young, and the memories his friends still talk about.
This book, John Candy: A Life In Comedy, is set to publish later this year. In it, he discusses how popular the Uncle Buck and Canadian Bacon actor still is decades after his death in 1994, despite occasionally being a mess on sets. He said through his research it was hard to find anyone who would even consider saying a bad word about Candy, writing,
I found Candy’s journey especially compelling because he was such a big star, then died so young but everyone still loves him, and to this day, it’s virtually impossible to find anyone who didn’t.
Fondly remembered, Candy’s legacy has lasted for decades after his death and his movies are still oft-quoted today. Myers spoke to a lot of people who knew Candy before his death, and one story crops up with his friends over and over again.
On How Dan Aykroyd’s Eulogy For John Candy Still Comes Up
While Candy was never officially a part of the SNL cast, he did host in 1983, and notably was “burned” the most of a lot of other comedians out there in the years subsequent. In Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller’s Live From New York, Bob Odenkirk talks about how the show often has several names on the SNL backburner who get “burned” if a bigger star came along. Per the Breaking Bad star, Candy was asked by Lorne to do the show all the time, and “supposedly John Candy was like the most-burned potential host” by the time of his death.
Still, this didn’t stop John Candy from being friends with alums, including Dan Aykroyd, whom he starred with in the 1988 movie Great Outdoor Friends. Aykroyd famously spoke out at his funeral and recited the lyrics to “O Canada.’ According to Myers’ book (via People):
Ultimately, at Candy’s funeral, it was Dan’s eulogy that the mourners still talk about to this day. He’s such a constant and recurring character in Candy’s life, that we asked him to write our foreword, and he graciously and eloquently stepped up 'for Johnny' once again. That’s love.
His other pal Catherine O’Hara once recounted Candy’s funeral, confirming the “O Canada” moment, but also revealing that when John died, the LAPD literally shut down the 405 – one of the busiest highways in the country – so that the funeral could proceed in peace. That’s how much Candy mattered to people.
On How John Candy Could Have Won An Oscar If Things Would Be Different
Candy might have been “burned” a bunch by Saturday Night Live, but he was a versatile and prolific actor during his time on Hollywood. He was a part of the popular Canadian series SCTV, where he’d met the likes of Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis and more. He appeared in a wide swathe of roles, starring in his own movies like Uncle Buck (which his daughter has said matched his own personality closest) and taking memorable turns in movies like Home Alone and Rookie of the Year.
Per Myers, if he had lived longer, her truly feels he would be destined for greatness.
He wasn’t just a great comedian, he was a gifted actor, who could have won on Oscar someday, had he lived.
We’ll never know. While alive, Candy and his fellow SCTV cast members landed Emmy nods and a few wins, but the Oscars never beckoned. Still, he left behind a memorable body of work and bother professionally (and sometimes personally) touched fans of different ages and from different generations. It’s not a bad legacy to leave behind.
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