John Candy Lecture Notes

Early Life and Education

• Birth: John Franklin Candy, October 31, 1950, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
• Family Background:
  • Raised in a working-class Catholic family
  • Father: Sidney James Candy, of English descent, died of heart disease at age 35
  • Mother: Evangeline Valeria, of Polish descent
• Education:
  • Attended Neil McNeil Catholic High School
  • Star offensive tackle in football, participated in drama club
  • Dreamed of becoming a professional football player; knee injury ended this dream
  • Studied journalism at Centennial College, later attended McMaster University
  • Began acting in college

Early Career and Rise to Fame (1971-1978)

• Theater and TV
  • 1971: Cast in a play at Tarragon Theatre, Toronto
  • Guest-starred on Cucumber TV series
  • Regular role in Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins (1974-75)
• Second City and SCTV
  • Joined Toronto's Second City troupe in 1972
  • Became a cast member of Second City Television (SCTV)
  • Notable characters: Johnny LaRue, Dr. Tongue, William B. Williams, Mayor Tommy Shanks
  • SCTV won Emmy Awards for writing in 1981 and 1982

Hollywood Breakthrough (1979-1987)

• Film Roles
  • 1979: Minor role in Lost and Found
  • 1980: Supporting role in The Blues Brothers
  • Voice roles in Heavy Metal (1981)
  • Breakthrough role in Splash (1984) as Tom Hanks' brother
• Other Notable Works
  • Stripes (1981), Brewster's Millions (1985), Summer Rental (1985), Armed and Dangerous (1986)
  • Spaceballs (1987)

John Hughes Films and Final Roles (1987-1995)

• Collaboration with John Hughes
  • Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) with Steve Martin
  • The Great Outdoors (1988), Uncle Buck (1989)
• Other Roles
  • Voice in The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
  • Home Alone (1990)
  • Cool Runnings (1993)
• Final Films
  • Wagons East (1994), Canadian Bacon (1995)

Personal Life and Interests

• Family: Married to Rosemary Margaret Hobor, two children
• Ownership: Co-owner of Toronto Argonauts, won the 1991 Grey Cup

Health Issues and Death

• Health Problems
  • Suffered from severe anxiety, panic attacks
  • Struggled with obesity, smoking, alcohol, and cocaine use
• Death: Died of a heart attack on March 4, 1994, in Durango, Mexico

Legacy

• Posthumously honored with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998
• Toronto Mayor declared October 31, 2020, as "John Candy Day"
• Known for his influence in comedy, remembered in television and films

Awards and Honors

• Multiple Emmy nominations and wins for SCTV writing
• Nominated for Saturn and American Comedy Awards

These notes summarize John Candy's life, career, and legacy as a beloved Canadian actor and comedian.