About John Candy
John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his work in Hollywood comedy films. Candy first rose to prominence in Canada during the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its sketch comedy series Second City Television. He achieved international fame in the 1980s with starring roles in comedy films such as Stripes (1981), Splash (1984), Brewster's Millions (1985), Summer Rental (1985), Armed and Dangerous (1986), Spaceballs (1987), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), Uncle Buck (1989), Who's Harry Crumb? (1989), and Cool Runnings (1993). Candy also had supporting roles in comedy films such as The Blues Brothers (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Home Alone (1990), Nothing but Trouble (1991), and Rookie of the Year (1993). He co-owned the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, who won the 1991 Grey Cup under his ownership. Candy died of a heart attack in 1994 at age 43 while filming Wagons East (1994); it and the already completed Canadian Bacon (1995) were released posthumously and dedicated to his memory. Candy became a member of Toronto's branch of The Second City in 1972.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.