As readers with Amazon Prime subscriptions prepare for the release of John Candy: I Like Me, stories about the iconic comedic actor continue to hit the internet. One of which was with someone who had a chance encounter with the actor in his youth, Conan O’Brien. The late-night talk show legend discussed meeting Candy at Harvard College when he visited there decades ago.
Candy received a tour of the school from then Harvard Lampoon President, Conan O’Brien, who was debating whether or not he was serious about pursuing comedy after school was over. In the documentary, the late-night host recalled what the actor told him, noting that he had a big decision ahead of him (via The Boston Globe):
I’ll never forget this, he looked me square in the eye and he said, ‘You don’t try it. You either do it or you don’t do it. You don’t try it, kid.’ And that spoke to me, like, ‘All in kid. All in or not at all.’
Conan took that advice to heart, moving out to Los Angeles to work on the HBO comedy series Not Necessarily The News, and spinning that into writing gigs on Saturday Night Live and later The Simpsons. Of course, he’d then go on to be a late-night television host and be considered a legend worthy of commenting on the current state of the industry.
Would Conan have had as successful a career if it weren’t for the wise words of John Candy back in college? Obviously, we’ll never know for sure, but as O’Brien mentioned, it resonated with him, and he went on to become a major face in Hollywood, much like the late actor.
John Candy: I Like Me is a documentary about the Canadian actor told through personal home videos, never-before-seen on-set footage, and interviews with some of the most beloved names in Hollywood comedy from his era. Expect to see interviews from Steve Martin recalling stories from Planes, Trains, And Automobiles, Macaulay Culkin talking about Uncle Buck, and so many other celebrities he worked with over the years.
As someone who had the opportunity to see the movie in advance, I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated that the Colin Hanks-directed feature didn’t shy away from some of the struggles John Candy had in his life. I certainly resonated with the anxiety that came from his fame and some of the issues that arose from coping with that anxiety. I think the movie does a great job of showing the reality of fame and how there is a trade-off for people to live the dream of being a celebrity.
John Candy: I Like Me premieres on Prime Video on October 10th. Watch that, and also treat yourself to a collection of the actor’s movies, many of which also happen to be on the platform as well.