John Franklin Candy (1950 - 1994)

Born 31 Oct 1950 in Newmarket, Whitchurch, York, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Died 4 Mar 1994 at age 43 in Durango City, Mexico

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Biography

John Candy is Notable.

John Candy lived in Ontario, Canada.

John Candy was a Canadian actor.

Early Life

John Franklin Candy was born October 31, 1950, in Newmarket, Ontario. He was the son of Sidney Candy and Evangeline Aker. His family was working-class, Roman Catholic, and of English, Scottish, Polish, and Ukrainian descent.^[1][2]

John attended Neil McNeil Catholic High School, where he aspired to a career as a football player. An injury ruined that dream, and after graduating, he enrolled at Centennial Community College, where he studied journalism but continuously dabbled in acting. He also attended McMaster University.^[1][2]

John married Rosemary Margery (Margaret) Hobor in 1979, their relationship beginning with a blind date. Rose is a ceramcist and abstract painter. John's two children described him as being as lovable, goofy, and endearing as his characters on-screen were. He was also an animal lover, frequently rescuing orphans he found at shelters and bringing them home to the family farm, despite some allergies in the household. More than anything, his family was his top priority. His children went on to also be actors.^[2]

Career

John's first appearance on the big screen came in the film, Class of '44, followed by several more low-budget films throughout the 1970s. He also made some Canadian television appearances, and was soon a member of Toronto's Second City branch, which helped him gain the notice of American TV. He was known for his lovable characters, and even won Emmys for writing for the show in the early eighties.^[2]

Mimicry was one of John's comedic talents, which he used often at Second City. Some of his better known personalities included Divine, Orson Welles, Julia Child, Richard Burton, Luciano Pavarotti, Tip O'Neill, Don Rickles, Curly Howard, Jackie Gleason, Tom Selleck, Ed Asner, and Gertrude Stein.^[3]

John is remembered primarily for his work in Hollywood films. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of Second City and its related Second City Television series. Some of his most memorable roles were in comedy films including: The Blues Brothers, Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, Summer Rental, Home Alone, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; and Uncle Buck, as well as a few more dramatic roles such as in Only the Lonely and JFK. He made his directorial debut in the 1994 comedy Hostage for a Day, in which he also made a cameo appearance. He was especially fond of working with John Hughes, who later was supportive of John's family after John died.^[1][2]

In 1991, Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky, and John became owners of the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts. The trio of celebrity owners attracted attention in Canada. The team spent a significant amount of money to build the team, and the Argonauts took home the 1991 Grey Cup. By 1994, John sold his stake in the team.^[2][1]

Along with Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi, he was a partial owner of the music-themed restaurant chain, House of Blues.^[1]

John was considering the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in a possible film adaptation of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces when he passed away. He had also expressed interest in portraying Atuk in a film adaptation of Mordecai Richler's The Incomparable Atuk and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in a film about the silent-film comedian's life. All three movie projects have since been deemed "cursed" because John Candy, John Belushi, Sam Kinison, and Chris Farley were all somehow attached to the roles, and all the actors died before the movies were made. All of the films still have yet to be made.^[3]

John was also dedicated to helping others, frequently aiding charities, especially those who helped children.^[2]

Legacy

After cooking a late lasagna dinner for his assistants, John called his co-stars from his hotel and went to sleep. Sometime after midnight on March 4, 1994, John was found dead from a presumed myocardial infarction. No autopsy was performed. John was 43 and had struggled much of his life with his weight. He worked to try to improve his health, but weighed 275 pounds (he was 6'3") at the time of his death. He had a family history of heart trouble (both his father and brother had heart issues).^[1][2]

John is survived by his wife, Rose Hobor, and his two children, Jennifer and Christopher Candy.^[1][2]

John's funeral was held at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Los Angeles. He was entombed in the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. His crypt lies just above fellow actor Fred MacMurray. On March 18, 1994, a special memorial service for John, produced by his former improvisation troupe, the Second City, was broadcast across Canada.^[3]

John's final two films, Wagons East! and Canadian Bacon, as well as Blues Brothers 2000, were dedicated to his memory. Wagons East! was completed using a stunt double and special effects and released five months after John's death. His final completed film was Canadian Bacon, a satirical comedy by Michael Moore that was released a year after John's death. ^[3]

John was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In May 2006, he became one of the first four entertainers ever honoured by being put on a postage stamp by Canada Post. A tribute to Candy was hosted by Dan Aykroyd at the 2007 Grey Cup festivities in Toronto in November 2007.^[3]

The John Candy Visual Arts Studio at Neil McNeil Catholic High School, in Toronto, Ontario, was dedicated in his honour after his death. John was one of the school's most famous alumni.^[3]

Support has been growing for giving the Canadian Screen Awards the official nickname "The Candys", both in honour of the actor and because the name suggests Canada.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} "John Candy, Comedic Film Star, Is Dead of a Heart Attack at 43", Glenn Collins, The New York Times, 5 Mar 1994. Accessed via nytimes.com 28 Feb 2020.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} John Candy Remembered By His Children, The Hollywood Reporter. Ryan Parker, 24 Oct 2016. Accessed via hollywoodreporter.com 28 Feb 2020.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} John Candy Wikipedia page

• This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q218532, en:Wikipedia
• https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductee/john-candy
• John Candy @IMDb.com
• Find A Grave: Memorial #167