As Ryan Reynolds gives the late John Candy‘s life and career the documentary treatment, he’s learning a lot about the Canadian comedy legend.
The Golden Globe nominee recently shared an update on the doc he’s making with Colin Hanks through Reynolds’ Maximum Effort production company, which he announced back in October 2022, calling Candy “as resonant now as he was” before his death at age 43 in 1994.
“I get to meet heroes,” he said this week on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “There was a group of eight to ten people that really were generation-defining creators, and it’s wonderful to talk to storytellers about a beautiful man, who was a beautiful storyteller, who passed at 43, way too young.”
Reynolds added of Candy, “He was so generous with people, and he was a good person when no one was watching. And I think that’s really important.”
The Deadpool & Wolverine star announced the documentary on Twitter in 2022. “With John Candy trending, I’ll just say I love him. So much so, @maximumeffort is working on a documentary on his life with @colinhanks. Expect tears,” he wrote at the time.
John Candy’s son Christopher confirmed the news in a quote tweet, as his daughter Jennifer wrote, “Boom! So looking forward to working on this with them and our family. This project is in great hands.”
Reynolds previously paid tribute to Candy on the 25th anniversary of his death in 2022, sharing a reel of some of his most memorable onscreen moments. “It’s the 25th anniversary of John Candy’s passing,” he wrote. “We cooked up a small tribute to a comedic genius and Canadian hero. If you haven’t seen much of his work, take a look at his films. He was a treasure.”
On March 4, 1994, Candy died in his sleep after suffering a heart attack, while filming Wagons East in Durango, Mexico.
