John Candy's Birthday

Candy is Dandy

It’s Halloween! A day traditionally associated with candy and its giving out to children. Which is extra spooky as today in the birthday of comedy genius and Planes, Trains and Automobiles star John Candy. After meeting Dan Aykroyd at a college in Toronto, Candy was encouraged to try out for the city’s legendary improv troupe Second City. This led to him making his name in the innovative and influential Canadian sketch comedy TV show SCTV alongside Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Harold Ramis and Eugene Levy, where he played a number of larger than life characters.He soon moved to Hollywood and appeared in such films as Splash, The Blues Brothers, Uncle Buck, Stripes, Home Alone, Cool Runnings and National Lampoon's Vacation. After a string of hits and memorable performances, Candy had just finished the film Wagons East on location in Durango, Mexico, when he suffered a heart attack as he slept and died aged just 43.