1971–1978: Early career and SCTV In 1971, Candy was cast in a small part as a
Shriner in
Creeps by David E. Freeman, a new Canadian play about
cerebral palsy, in the inaugural season of the
Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. Candy guest-starred on a Canadian children's television series,
Cucumber, and made a brief, uncredited appearance in ''
Class of '44 (1973) as his feature film debut. He had a small part in The ABC Afternoon Playbreak ("Last Bride of Salem") and had a regular role on the TV series Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins'' (1974–75). Candy played the role of Wally Wypyzypywchuk in the CBC children's show
Coming Up Rosie (1975). Candy became a member of Toronto's branch of
The Second City in 1972. He gained wide
North American popularity when he became a cast member on the influential Toronto-based comedy-variety show
Second City Television (
SCTV).
NBC picked the show up in 1981 and it quickly became a fan favourite. The show won
Emmy Awards for its writing in 1981 and 1982. Among Candy's
SCTV characters were unscrupulous street-beat TV personality Johnny LaRue, 3-D horror
auteur Doctor Tongue,
sycophantic and easily amused talk-show sidekick William B. Williams, and Melonville's corrupt Mayor Tommy Shanks. In 1974, Candy made his TV debut when he appeared on the
Canadian TV show
Police Surgeon, playing street gang and heist member Ramone in "Target: Ms. Blue", and in a later episode the same season as Richie, an accused killer, in the episode "Web of Guilt". He was in
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975), shot in Canada, as well as the children's sitcom
Coming Up Rosie (1975–78) with
Dan Aykroyd. Candy had a small role in
Tunnel Vision (1976). During the series's run, Candy appeared in films such as
The Clown Murders (1976) and had a lead in a low-budget comedy,
Find the Lady (1976) (both co-starring fellow Canadian actor
Lawrence Dane). In 1976, he played a supporting role (with
Rick Moranis) on
Peter Gzowski's short-lived late-night television talk show
90 Minutes Live. Two years later, Candy had a small role as a bank employee (with
Christopher Plummer and
Elliott Gould) in the Canadian thriller
The Silent Partner. He guest starred on such shows as
The David Steinberg Show and
King of Kensington.
1979–1987: Hollywood breakthrough In 1979, Candy took a brief
hiatus from
SCTV, which moved to
Edmonton for a time. He stayed in Toronto and headlined his own short-lived sketch show
Big City Comedy. Candy also began a more active film career, appearing in a minor role in
Lost and Found (1979) and playing a
U.S. Army soldier in
Steven Spielberg's big-budget comedy
1941. He returned to
Canada for roles in
The Courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog (1980) and the action thriller
Double Negative (1980). Candy had a supporting role as easygoing parole officer Burton Mercer in
The Blues Brothers (1980), and did an episode of
Tales of the Klondike (1981) for Canadian TV. In 1980, Candy hosted a short-lived NBC television program,
Roadshow, described by The Washington Post as "improvisational journalism". Candy played the lovable, mild-mannered Army recruit Dewey Oxberger in
Stripes (1981), directed by Canadian
Ivan Reitman, which was one of the most successful films of the year. He provided voices for multiple characters in the animated film
Heavy Metal (1981), most notably as the title character in the "
Den" segment, which was well-received, including by the character's creator,
Richard Corben, who singled out Candy's humorously lighthearted interpretation of the title character as excellent. From 1981 to 1983, Candy returned to
SCTV Network on television. Still based in Edmonton for Candy's first few episodes after returning, the show returned to Toronto in 1982. He made a cameo appearance in
Harold Ramis' ''
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), his first collaboration with John Hughes, who wrote the script. Candy appeared on Saturday Night Live twice (hosting in 1983) while still appearing on SCTV
. According to writer-comedian Bob Odenkirk, Candy was reputedly the "most-burned potential host" of SNL
, in that he was asked to host many times, only for plans to be changed by the SNL
staff at the last minute. Candy headlined in the Canadian film Going Berserk'' (1983). Candy once again left
SCTV in 1983, prior to its final season, to concentrate on his film career. Candy was approached to play the character of accountant Louis Tully in
Ghostbusters (1984), starring Aykroyd and directed by Reitman, but ultimately did not get the role because of his conflicting ideas of how to play the character; the part went instead to SCTV colleague
Rick Moranis, whose ideas were better received. However, Candy did make a contribution to the franchise, as one of the many people chanting "Ghostbusters" in the video for
Ray Parker Jr.'s hit
single for the film. Candy played
Tom Hanks's womanizing brother in the hit romantic comedy
Splash, generally considered his break-out role. After the success of the film, Candy had signed a three-picture development and producing deal with
Walt Disney Pictures, and he would develop and executive produce various theatricals as planned starring vehicles for himself. Candy went back to Canada to star in
The Last Polka (1985), which he also wrote with co-star
Eugene Levy. Candy was
Richard Pryor's best friend in ''
Brewster's Millions (1985) and had a cameo in the Sesame Street film Follow That Bird'' (1985). Candy's first lead role in a Hollywood film came with
Summer Rental (1985), directed by
Carl Reiner. Candy was reunited with Hanks in
Volunteers (1985), though the film did not do as well as
Splash. He had a cameo in
The Canadian Conspiracy (1985) and appeared alongside Martin Short in
Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood (1985) in Canada. Candy's next starring role in a Hollywood film was the box office disappointment
Armed and Dangerous (1986) with Levy and
Meg Ryan. He had a cameo in
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and appeared in
Really Weird Tales (1987). Candy also had a supporting role in
Mel Brooks's
Spaceballs (1987).
1987–1994: John Hughes films and final roles in 1987 In 1987, Candy co-starred in
Planes, Trains & Automobiles with
Steve Martin, written and directed by
John Hughes. The film had positive reviews and grossed $49,530,280 at the US box office. Candy appeared in a cameo role in
Hughes's ''
She's Having a Baby (1988) and then starred in a film written by Hughes, The Great Outdoors'' (1988) which co-starred Aykroyd. Candy provided the voice for Don the Horse in
Hot to Trot (1988) and starred in a flop comedy, considered by some to be a cult classic, ''
Who's Harry Crumb? (1989), which he also produced. He was also in the box office flop Speed Zone aka Cannonball Fever
(1989), but had another hit film with Hughes as writer and director in Uncle Buck (1989). Candy also produced and starred in a Saturday-morning animated series on NBC titled Camp Candy'' in 1989. The show was set in a fictional summer camp run by Candy, featuring his two children in supporting roles, and also spawned a brief comic book series published by
Marvel Comics'
Star Comics imprint. During this time, Candy also made the television film
The Rocket Boy (1989) in Canada. Candy also provided the voice of Wilbur the Albatross in Disney's animated film
The Rescuers Down Under (1990) and had cameos in two more films written by Hughes, the blockbuster hit film
Home Alone (1990) and the box office flop
Career Opportunities (1991). According to Candy's biography, he was in talks to play Bette Midler's working-class husband in the 1990 film
Stella. However, when Candy was informed that Midler demanded he do a screen test, Candy became incredulous proclaiming "Who the (expletive) does she think she is?!" and declined.
John Goodman was eventually cast in the role. From 1988 to 1990, Candy hosted "Radio Kandy", a
hot adult contemporary radio music countdown syndicated by
Premiere Networks. In 1991,
Chris Columbus wrote and directed
Only the Lonely with John Hughes serving as co-producer, and starring Candy and
Maureen O'Hara; it was well reviewed but not a big hit. Candy also had a supporting role in
Nothing But Trouble (1991), Dan Aykroyd's notorious box office flop. Also unsuccessful were the comedies
Delirious (1991) and
Once Upon a Crime... (1992). During this time, Candy played a small dramatic role as
Dean Andrews Jr., a shady Southern lawyer in
Oliver Stone's
JFK (1991), and had a cameo in the television film
Boris and Natasha: The Movie (1992). Candy starred in his first comedic hit in a number of years with
Cool Runnings (1993), a story of the first
Jamaican national bobsleigh team attempting to win the gold medal at the
1988 Winter Olympics. Candy also had a cameo in the successful
Rookie of the Year (1993). He made his directorial debut in the 1994 comedy television film
Hostage for a Day. His last appearances were in
Wagons East (1994) and
Canadian Bacon (1995).
Unfinished projects Candy was in talks to portray Ignatius J. Reilly in a now-shelved film adaptation of
John Kennedy Toole's
Pulitzer Prize–winning novel
A Confederacy of Dunces. 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 biopic based on the
silent film comedian's life. These three shelved projects have been alleged as cursed because Candy,
John Belushi,
Sam Kinison, and
Chris Farley were each attached to all three films; they all died before they could make any of these movies. Candy was originally considered to play
Alec Guinness' role in the
remake of the 1950 film
Last Holiday, with
Carl Reiner directing. Eventually, the role was played by
Queen Latifah in a
loose remake released in 2006. Candy was also slated to collaborate with John Hughes again in a comedy opposite
Sylvester Stallone, titled
Bartholomew vs. Neff. Candy and Stallone were to have portrayed feuding neighbors. In the animated
Disney film
Pocahontas, the role of Redfeather the Turkey was written for him, but was subsequently cut from the film after his death.
Stephen King reportedly wanted Candy to portray Billy Halleck in the
film adaptation of his novel
Thinner. == Other ventures ==