John Candy’s Children Share Which Role Reminds Them The Most Of Him In Real Life

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The new documentary, *John Candy: I Like Me*, is reminding people of the beloved comedian’s life and career. Available on Amazon Prime, the film explores Candy’s personal life, his rise to fame, and the challenges he faced along the way. It includes interviews with friends and colleagues who share insights into the man behind the characters he played.

Before the documentary came out, I spoke with Candy’s children, Jennifer and Christopher, and asked them which of his famous characters best reflected his true personality. Jennifer told me he wasn’t much like his character from “Uncle Buck,” but was more similar to someone from another one of his well-known films.

I always think of ‘Summer Rental’ when it comes to relatable dad moments. The character is a frustrated, exhausted, but loving father, and there’s a scene where he’s running late for work and tries to peel a hard-boiled egg, ending up smashing it all over the car dashboard. He then says, ‘My bad, I should have told them they needed to be hard-boiled.’ That whole moment perfectly captures the experience of being a parent, and it reminds me so much of my own dad throughout the entire movie.

Jennifer Candy-Sullivan explained that her father, John Candy, was much like his character Jack Chester from the movie *Summer Rental* even when he wasn’t acting. This didn’t surprise me, as other actors – like Macaulay Culkin – have often described John Candy as a genuinely kind person on set.

Christopher Candy explained that his father, John Candy, showed both his warm, fatherly side and his natural comedic talent in his films. Steve Martin, who worked with him on *Planes, Trains, and Automobiles*, noted that Candy was hilarious even without a script. Christopher also highlighted *The Great Outdoors* as a movie that showcased his father’s best qualities, while emphasizing that his on-screen persona wasn’t always how he was in real life.

I’ve mentioned this before, but seeing him at Great Outdoors, he really excelled at bringing people together and keeping things lively. He was always organizing gatherings and making sure everyone had a good time. But he also knew when to switch gears and be more focused or just enjoy quiet moments with us. He wasn’t always ‘on’ like a larger-than-life character; he had a good balance.

The documentary *John Candy: I Like Me* covers everything his children talked about, and much more. It doesn’t shy away from the difficult parts of his life, like how his anxiety grew from wanting to stay busy in Hollywood. Ultimately, the film feels like a full and complete look at his life, filled with entertaining stories from fellow celebrities.

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This documentary features stories from a wide range of people who knew John Candy, from close friends like Bill Murray and Catherine O’Hara to those, such as Conan O’Brien, who briefly met him early in their careers. It offers a revealing look at the man behind the comedian.

“John Candy: I Like Me” is a standout biographical documentary and is likely to be one of the best documentaries of the year, even with more films still to come in 2025. It’s a film I’d highly recommend.

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You can watch the film *John Candy: I Like Me* on Prime Video. While you’re there, don’t forget to explore other movies starring the beloved actor! I recently rewatched *Uncle Buck* and, although it doesn’t necessarily show what John Candy was like as a person, I still found it incredibly funny.

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2025-10-15 05:08