John Candy
A Life in Comedy
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3.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
The definitive biography of John Candy—a heartwarming portrait of one of comedy’s most beloved and enduring stars.
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A Globe and Mail and CBC Best Book of 2025
"Reading this book was like reconnecting with an old friend. I laughed, I cried, I didn't want it to end.” —Judd Apatow
“A thoughtful, thorough and entertaining portrait of one of the funniest people ever.” —Marc Maron
From his humble beginnings in sketch comedy with the Toronto branch of Second City, to his rise to fame in SCTV and Hollywood film classics like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, and Uncle Buck, John Candy captivated audiences with his self-deprecating humour, emotional warmth, and gift for improvisation. Now, for the first time since Candy’s tragic death, bestselling biographer Paul Myers tells the full story of the man behind the laughs.
Drawing on extensive research and exclusive interviews with many of Candy’s closest friends and colleagues, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, and many more, John Candy: A Life in Comedy celebrates the comedian’s unparalleled talent, infectious charm, and generosity of spirit. Through ups and downs, successes and failures, and struggles with anxiety and self-doubt, Candy faced the world with a big smile and a warm demeanour that earned him the love and adoration of fans around the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Myers (The Kids in the Hall) examines in this comprehensive biography the life of Canadian actor and comedian John Candy, who died of heart failure at age 43 in 1994. After getting his start in a Colgate toothpaste commercial, Candy was recruited to join the Second City comedy troupe, first in Chicago and then Toronto. A natural improviser and "everyman teddy bear," Candy became a breakout star of the troupe's sketch comedy show, Second City Television. Much of the book focuses on Candy's film career, which reached its peak with his collaboration and friendship with director John Hughes. Together, they made the successful comedies Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Uncle Buck; and Home Alone. In addition to chronicling his subject's career, Myers paints a picture of the 1970s Canadian comedy scene, where Candy became collaborators with Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, and Martin Short, and details the actor's lifelong struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, and body image. Myers, who conducted extensive interviews for the book, found it "virtually impossible to find anyone with a bad word to say about ," a quality that makes for a great life but a rather undramatic biography. Still, this will be catnip for the comedian's fans.
