John Franklin Candy (born October 31, 1950 – died March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in such comedy films as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, Summer Rental, Home Alone, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle Buck, as well as more dramatic roles in Only the Lonely and JFK.
One of his most renowned onscreen performances was as Del Griffith, the talkative shower-curtain ring salesman in the John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles. In addition to his work as an actor, Candy was a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League from 1991 until his death, and the team won the 1991 Grey Cup under his ownership.
In 1994, while on vacation from film production (Wagons East) in Durango City, Mexico, Candy called his friends, including Canadian Football League commissioner Larry Smith, and told them that he had just let go of his team and was putting it up for sale. He then called his assistant, who invited Candy to play golf with him in the spring when he returned to Toronto. After cooking a late night lasagne dinner for friends, Candy turned in for what would be his final rest. Some time after midnight, on March 4, 1994, Candy was found dead from a presumed myocardial infarction. The exact cause is uncertain, as no autopsy was performed. He was 43 years old.
Candy had struggled for many years with weight-related health issues, frequently dieting and exercising in light of his family history. He was also a heavy smoker and drinker, and he had allegedly used cocaine in his past, though his family denied any drug usage. Candy also had a family history of heart attacks suffered by relatively young men, and the actor was under a significant degree of stress throughout the making of the Wagons East feature film. In 2019, documentary-style television series Autopsy: The Last Hours of… covered a storyline on Candy’s death. Candy and his wife, Rosemary Hobor, had two children, Christopher Michael and Jennifer Anne. His final two films, Wagons East and Canadian Bacon, are dedicated to his memory.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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