John Candy's Co-Stars Speak Out

Bill Pullman wrote an article in 2017.He wrote a piece for The New York Times.The New York Times.Pullman wrote about how John Candy befriended him on the set of his first big Hollywood film, Spaceballs.Spaceballs.Before the 1987 film, Pullman appeared in a small part in one movie. Pullman states Candy watched over him during the production for reasons Pullman did not know.

Candy introduced himself to Pullman by inviting him to lunch. The routine happened during filming. A moment that truly touched Pullman happened during a major scene with writer/director Mel Brooks.Mel Brooks.Pullman wrote:

John felt the funny lines were given to Barf as scripted. He suggested Pullman take one of the jokes. A silence suddenly filled the sound stage. Mel paused...

Mel said, ‘You think Pullman can make the line funny? Pullman? O.K. Back to one.’

They returned to their starting points, running through the three-minute sequence. Crew and cast had many moving parts. After a silence after ‘Cut,’ Mel said, ‘O.K. We are cutting that line. Back to one.’

Pullman felt ashamed and frustrated by Mel’s snap. As they reset for another take, Pullman looked like he was stewing.

Pullman felt the Mog’s arm drape around his shoulders. John leaned in. John asked, ‘Pullman, how about another doughnut?’ He added, ‘You’d better not look so red right now. And don’t go blue on me later.’

John’s chuckle and wink calmed Pullman. Pullman managed to adjust. The next day, Mel hugged him.

Pullman never forgot John Candy’s generosity. Candy showed Pullman how to lead gently. Candy lightened Pullman’s burden.

Candy had Pullman’s back.

Steve Martin appears in 'John Candy's Co-Stars Speak Out'.Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood ForeverNick de Semlyen interviewed Steve Martin about makingPlanes, Trains and Automobiles.Martin said he knew Candy would be a great co-star. The actor said, “We’d look into each other’s eyes and it felt good together. We had great timing.”

During filming, Candy added a line to his character's most emotional moment.De Semlyen writes.:

Martin greatly liked an improv bit from his co-star. During the scene where Del reveals his wife died and explains why he attaches to people, Candy added, ‘But this time I couldn’t let go.’ Long after Candy died, Martin got a tear in his eye remembering it.

In an interview withThe Canadian Press, actress Catherine O'Hara said Candy loved talking to his fans. She said Candy was “just as wonderful and fun and sweet and great as you would imagine he would be.”

He could be playful. If fans started doing something with him, he would notice and throw something back. O'Hara added, “But he would also treat them as an equal.”

In a 2019 interview withThe Canadian Press, Eugene Levy shared some deep feelings about his friend and co-star:

I loved John. We were incredibly close friends. I think I worked with John more than anyone else on TV, and on four or five movies. John was a great man, first of all, who cared deeply about people. He was, I think, one of the most talented comedic actors in the business.

John made a huge impact in his movies; people loved him. John still feels present. That shows the impact he made on your life. You still wait for a call.

Bill Murray spoke to theMinnesota Spokesman-RecorderBill Murray talked about starting in show business. He joined Second City Chicago, a comedy club and improv group. Murray and Candy started around the same time in the 1970s.

John Candy and I began the same week. Other actors hated us. He and I improvised nightly because they avoided us. We didStripestogether, and he was great to work with. He was a good guy.

Rawle D. Lewis played Junior Bevil in the 1993 movieCool RunningsIn an interview with Entertainment Weeklyhe said John Candy knew they made a real hit:

John Candy, we were invited to his room. We listened to reggae and music. He said, ‘Hey listen, I’m from Canada. I was there. They don’t know what they have on their hands. This thing’s going to be huge'... He added, ‘But no one gets it because no one gets how big this is going to be.’ I listened, thinking, ‘I knew I wasn’t crazy. I feel the same way.’

Martin Short spoke to theHudson Union SocietyMartin Short said Candy was "adored. No one didn't love John." The comedian stated Candy's on-screen act mirrored his real life.

John was like you expected him to be. John was how you thought he would be. He was friendly, funny, a brilliant comedian, a brilliant actor... He was always bigger than life, always paying the bill.

Short explained Candy's generosity came before his fame.

I remember driving home with Short's wife, Nancy, after a restaurant visit. I said, 'Wait a second, John picked up the tab again. He earns the same money I do, and we're hanging by a thread.'

The John Candy biography saysLaughing on the OutsideThe comedian faced addictions common in entertainment. Candy started drinking more and using substances while his career grew in the 1980s. This may have led to more self-destruction, except for John Belushi's death in 1982.

Belushi was a friend to Candy and a fellow member of Chicago's Second City troupe. His passingleft Candy so depressedthat he could neither leave his house nor answer the phone for a time.

Actor Dan Hennessey stated Candy took Belushi's death from an overdose "as a message." He told author Martin Knelman, “John knew it was time to go home, clean up, and get his career in order.”

During a 2016retrospective on the movieSplash, Star Daryl Hannah praised Candy's kindness and humor. "I just absolutely adored him," she told journalist Phil de Semlyen. "He was so full of heart and soul, and so hilarious. Tears came out of your eyes, pee-your-pants hilarious."

De Semlyen adds:

The pair became close friends on set. They planned a comedy together later, but Candy’s death cut it short. They even formed an unusual on-set dynamic, like Rod Hull and Emu.

Richard Lewis co-starred with John Candy inOnce Upon a Crimeand Candy's final film,Wagons East!

In aJune 2018 tweet, Lewis wrote, "Working on a film in 1991 with legendary John Candy, was then and still today like a dream. I loved him. A sweet comedic genius. RIP."