Beginning in the '70s, comedian and actor John Candy became famous for his work with Second City Television (SCTV), appearances on Saturday Night Live, and roles in movies including Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and JFK. But, to his children, who were still young when he died in 1994, he was also an amazing dad.
John died of a heart attack when he was only 43 years old. His legacy lives on through his work but also through his kids, who have been outspoken about their father and his career and have also both followed in his footsteps as actors. Keep reading to find out more about Jennifer and Chris Candy, their experiences in the entertainment industry, and their memories of their late father.
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John welcomed his children with wife Rosemary Candy.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesJohn married Rosemary Candy in 1979. They welcomed a daughter, Jennifer, in 1980, and a son, Christopher, in 1984, and they were still together when John passed. In a joint interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer and Chris said that their mom likes to talk about their father with her friends and family but isn't a fan of speaking to the media. "It’s just not her thing," Chris told THR. "My father was the one who was in front of the cameras." The publication noted that Rosemary is a ceramicist and abstract painter.
Jennifer is an actor, host, and comedian.
Eugene Powers / Shutterstock.comJennifer has appeared on shows, including According to Jim, Liv and Maddie: Cali Style, and One Day at a Time. The 41-year-old hosts the talk show "Couch Candy" at the Hollywood location of Second City in which she interviews her comedian "aunts and uncles". She has also performed standup comedy. "When I was little, he was like, 'No, don’t go into the business,'" Jennifer said of her father on Entertainment Tonight Canada. "I really think my dad now would embrace it."
As noted in her Instagram bio, Jennifer's husband is name Bryan, and they have a son named Finley.
Chris is an actor and musician.
Eugene Powers / Shutterstock.comLike his sister and dad, Chris, 36, is an actor. He's played roles on Private Eyes, Rosewood, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. He's also a musician in the band Chotto Ghetto and hosts the radio show "Neuz Pollution." In the THR interview, Chris shared that while casting directors sometimes want to chat about his dad, he never gets cast just because he's John Candy's son.
"On my end, there is no interest in taking part in a reboot of one of his films, but I know the desire is there," he said. "Still, not one person who I have met has been like, ‘Oh, let’s put John Candy’s son in something.’ It doesn’t happen. You have to do it the way everyone else does it.”
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They both look a lot like their dad.
"Both my brother and I look like my dad at different times,” Jennifer told THR. “If you look at him when he was younger, that’s Chris. And my dad slightly older, it’s my face. For me, it was being in touch with my feminine side when people would say, ‘You look just like your dad,’ and I was like, ‘Thank you …?’ And then they would say, ‘But you’re much prettier than your dad!'"
Chris said that he wasn't always comfortable looking so much like his father, but he's grown to accept it. "It would bother me because people would call me ‘John’ all the time on accident," he said. "It will still happen now, and I don’t mind at all. I accepted it. We look like our parents. We all do."
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