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• Burly comedian and actor John Candy starred on the Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV along with fellow members of the Toronto branch of the Second City comedy troupe. After leaving the show in 1979, he took on a variety of film roles, mainly in comedies, until his death from a heart attack on March 4, 1994 at the age of 43.

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: October 31, 1950
  2. Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  3. Died: March 4, 1994
  4. Given Name: John Franklin Candy
  5. Father died at age 35 of heart attack
  6. Wife: Rosemary Candy
  7. 2 Children: Jennifer and Christopher Candy
  8. Won 2 Emmy Awards
  9. Co-owner of Toronto Argonauts with Wayne Gretzky
  10. Pictured on 51¢ Canadian commemorative postage stamps
  11. Buried at Holy Cross Cemetery

• Early Career and SCTV

  Candy's first TV appearances were on the late-night chat series Ninety Minutes Live. He was then cast (along with Ninety Minutes co-star Rick Moranis) on the Toronto-based SCTV series, which showcased his ability to do impressions and to create quirky, original characters.

• Film Career

  Candy was cast in Steven Spielberg's World War II comedy 1941 in 1979, the same year the actor left SCTV. This kicked off a busy career that would last until the actor's death, 15 years later. Candy frequently worked with writer/director John Hughes on films, appearing in Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, Home Alone and Career Opportunities.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Splash | Spaceballs | Planes, Trains and Automobiles | Home Alone | The Rescuers Down Under | Tom Hanks | Ron Howard | Mel Brooks | Steve Martin | Richard Pryor | Bill Murray | Chevy Chase | Kevin McDonald | Whos Harry Crumb

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