40 Facts About Steve Martin That Are Leaving Fans With Some Big Questions

Who doesn’t love Steve Martin? With his wide grin, twinkly eyes and snowy hair — not to mention comedic mastery — he just puts a smile on your face, doesn’t he? But what you might not know is the beloved Hollywood funny man has a wealth of talents besides acting and comedy. What’s more, there are a few things about Martin that will surprise and even shock you. Want to know more about the “Wild and Crazy Guy?” Then read on folks!

40. He got into stand-up comedy by accident

Martin was a highly successful stand-up comedian before he became a movie star. But it wasn’t his original plan. The entertainer told Rolling Stone magazine in 1982 that “stand-up comedy was really just an accident. I was figuring out a way to get onstage.” He added, “As I got into the movies, I was reminded, ‘Hey, this is really why I got into show business.’”

39. He was a cheerleader in high school

Back when he was growing up in California, Martin attended Garden Grove High School, where he was a cheerleader. Or as he put it in his yearbook, a “yellleader.” The star told Newsweek that he also made up his own cheers, but one particular chant of “Die, you gravy-sucking pigs,” wasn’t very well received!

38. He is a serious art collector

Martin took an interest in paintings from a young age and bought his first professional piece at just 21. He’s since gone on to build quite the collection. So much so that in 2001 he allowed some of it to be exhibited at a Las Vegas gallery. And proving how seriously he takes his art, the star told Rolling Stone, “I’m not willing to say dumb things about it.”

37. He got his first job thanks to an ex-girlfriend

It was all down to ex-girlfriend Nina Goldblatt that Martin scored his first job in comedy. In the 1960s Goldblatt was a dancer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and passed on some of Martin’s writing to the chief scribe, Mason Williams. He loved the Roxanne star’s stuff so much that he paid him personally. And Martin scored his first Emmy Award for the show’s writing, at just 23 years old. Wow!

36. He once worked at Disneyland

Get this — Martin’s first-ever job was selling guide books at Disneyland! That’s right, and he got to keep two cents for every copy sold. Not exactly a big-money gig. But the good news is he was later promoted to Merlin’s Magical Shop in Fantasyland, where he started working on his comedy skills as well as doing magic tricks. 

35. He holds a Saturday Night Live record

At the height of his fame in the 1970s and 1980s, Martin guest-hosted Saturday Night Live a whopping 15 times! So many, in fact, that people mistakenly thought he was a regular. Martin holds the record for the second-highest number of guest spots on the show. Alec Baldwin only just beats that record, with 19 host appearances.

34. Dick Van Dyke helped him get Emmy-nominated

A glittering career has seen Martin win an impressive bounty of awards over the years. And back in 1976 his writing for Van Dyke and Company also got him an Emmy nomination. One of the most prestigious accolades, though, has to be his Honorary Academy Award. The beloved actor was presented with the gong in 2013 in recognition of his exceptional body of film work, for which he had never previously won an Oscar.

33. His dad was one of his worst critics

Despite getting rave reviews elsewhere, Martin faced negative comments about his Saturday Night Live hosting from an unexpected source — his dad. Yes, Martin’s father wrote of his son in a company newsletter that, “His performance did nothing to further his career.” The comedy actor responded to the harsh words in a 2008 interview with Terry Gross, saying, “I think my father, he couldn’t quite be proud of an unconventional show biz act that he didn’t quite understand.”

32. He nearly became a professor

Imagine if Steve Martin had never become an entertainer. Unthinkable! It was nearly a reality, though, as back in college the Three Amigos! star majored in philosophy. And he loved it so much that he thought about training to be a professor. “It changed what I believe and what I think about everything,” Martin told Rolling Stone magazine in 1982. Thank goodness he changed his mind!

31. He “invented” — geddit? — air quotes

Air quotes are very much in standard use these days. Remember the scene in Friends when Joey hilariously tries — and fails — to get them right? What you probably didn’t know, though, is that Martin is responsible for making them popular. That’s right: The Father of the Bride actor started it all with his trademark use of air quotes on Saturday Night Live.

30. His comedy albums went platinum

There was a time when Martin’s popularity as a stand-up was so huge that he was like a rock star. The comedian sold out stadiums and fans went wild for the albums of his live performances. One such album, “A Wild and Crazy Guy” — Martin’s catchphrase description of himself — sold more than a million copies and hit second place in the U.S. album charts.

29. He did some crazy stuff after shows

Naturally, the “wild and crazy guy” became known for doing some pretty insane stuff after his shows. Like taking the entire audience to McDonald’s or to a swimming pool. As you do! The All of Me star admitted to Rolling Stone, “I stopped going outside because it got too dangerous. I realized if I go out and take 3,000 people, someone’s gonna get run over.”

28. He is a gifted banjo player

In addition to his acting, comedy, and juggling abilities, Martin happens to be a darned good banjo player too! He started strumming at the age of 17, aided by his friend John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. And the star still performs today with his bluegrass band the Steep Canyon Rangers.

27. Bill Nye has Martin to thank for kick-starting his career

Everybody’s favorite “Science Guy” found his way into entertainment thanks to Martin. You see, Bill Nye was working as an aircraft engineer when he visited a comedy club one night. The club just happened to be hosting a Steve Martin lookalike competition, which Nye entered and won. It would prove to be the catalyst for the science fan finding his way into comedy and entertainment. So there you go.

26. The “real” Steve Martin is completely different

Martin’s entire career has been built around his gift for comedy. So you might be surprised to learn that the legendary comedian is very different in private. When Rolling Stone put it to him that he was kind of serious and distant, Martin responded, “That’s what my close friends say, too, you know.” He went on to admit, “I’ve probably always been distant.”

25. He used to hand out pre-autographed cards to fans

At one time Martin was so popular that he couldn’t go anywhere without being accosted by fans. To save time on signing autographs, he would hand out cards already bearing his signature. But according to the Ranker website, the actor stopped the practice because he “realized that when people ask for an autograph, what they really kind of want is a little encounter.”

24. Laurel and Hardy are his greatest influences

As well as Charlie Chaplin and Jerry Lewis, Laurel and Hardy are often cited by the comedian as his greatest influences. In a comedy teaching video for the MasterClass website, Martin described Laurel and Hardy as “comedy geniuses.” He added, “[They’re] still revered in the comedy world.”

23. He has colonoscopy parties with Tom Hanks and Martin Short

There’s so much that we love about this story. Firstly, the fact that the comedian is still good buddies with his Three Amigos! co-star Martin Short. Secondly, that the pair are also pals with another beloved actor, Tom Hanks. And finally, that all three get together for movie or poker nights — what they call “colonoscopy parties” — before the procedure, to add some fun to an otherwise unpleasant experience. Brilliant!

22. He ranks among the all-time greats

There’s no doubt that Martin is in the pantheon of the greatest comedy performers. Proof of that is Comedy Central placing him sixth in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians. Plus, his memorable turn as Navin Johnson in The Jerk earned him a place on Premiere magazine’s 2006 list of the 100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time.

21. He loves Monty Python

Martin likes a very British brand of comedy, too. Yes, the Planes, Trains and Automobiles star is a Monty Python fan. And he was invited to introduce the legendary comedy group’s 20th anniversary special in 1989. Our favorite part of the special, Parrot Sketch Not Included, was when Martin opened a cupboard door to reveal the Pythons “stored” inside. Classic!

20. He was a contestant on The Dating Game

Back in 1968 when he was a little-known comedian, Martin appeared on love match show The Dating Game. And the lady he impressed with his witty responses? None other than swing legend Dean Martin’s daughter Deana. In answer to her question, “What’s wrong with dating?,” Martin displayed his trademark offbeat wit. “Dating’s wrong with dating. […] You should meet like on a street corner or at a flat tire or in a sewer.” 

19. He can juggle — well

Yes, the multi-talented entertainer has many strings to his bow — one of them being juggling. Martin used to show off the skill during his live shows and would goof around pretending to drop the balls before wowing the crowd. He also displayed the talent during a memorable scene in The Jerk, when we saw him juggle cats. Don’t worry — the felines were stuffed!

18. He collapsed during a stand-up show

Back when Martin was a stand-up superstar, he had to endure a grueling schedule. This took its toll during one particularly hot and sweaty show in Tennessee. In his 1982 interview with Rolling Stone the comedian recalled, “I was about a half-hour into the act when I realized I couldn’t go on. They called the medics and took me to the hospital. It was just exhaustion. I was a wreck.”

17. He quit stand-up for movies

Despite a still-flourishing career in the early 1980s, Martin decided to turn his back on stand-up. As he explained to NPR in 2009, “I still had a few obligations left but I knew that I could not continue. But I guess I could have continued if I had nothing to go to, but I did have something to go to, which was movies.”

16. He did his own lasso work in Three Amigos!

Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short were side-splittingly funny in this 1986 Western about a trio of movie actors who find themselves defending a Mexican village from bandits. Amazingly, Martin did his own lasso tricks in the film — a talent he picked up while working with a rope wrangler at Disneyland!

15. He learned to tap dance for Pennies from Heaven

It was a big change of direction for Martin when he took the lead role in 1981’s Pennies from Heaven. The movie — adapted from a British screenplay — was a musical rom-dram. And Martin was so dedicated to his craft that he learned to tap dance just for the film. Unfortunately, his hard work wouldn’t pay off, as the flick tanked at the box office. 

14. He’s been romantically linked to several co-stars

Martin’s co-star in Pennies from Heaven and The Jerk was Bernadette Peters, with whom the actor had a relationship. And it seems he had a habit of falling for actresses, as he also dated Mary Tyler Moore in the early 1980s. He went on to marry his co-star in All of Me and L.A. Story, Victoria Tennant. But the couple sadly divorced in 1994, bringing eight years of marriage to an end.

13. Eyes Wide Shut nearly starred Martin

Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 erotic drama Eyes Wide Shut nearly had Martin playing the lead instead of Tom Cruise. Can you imagine? But we should add that when the idea was first discussed, Kubrick was envisioning a zany comedy based on the 1926 German novella Traumnovelle. At some point, Kubrick changed direction and the Eyes Wide Shut we know now was born.

12. He and Mary Steenburgen were neighbors

You’ve got to love Ron Howard’s 1989 comedy Parenthood. Its star-studded cast included Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis, Keanu Reeves, and Dianne Wiest. Martin headed up the ensemble as anxious dad-of-three Gil, alongside Steenburgen as his devoted wife Karen. But did you know that the on-screen couple once lived next door to each other in Manhattan? Crazy coincidence or what!

11. He got tinnitus from filming Three Amigos!

Proving just how actors sometimes suffer for their art — Martin has tinnitus connected to hearing damage from shooting Three Amigos! The star apparently developed the unpleasant condition — which causes a persistent ringing sound in the ears — after filming a noisy gunfight scene in the flick. But according to website Ranker, he doesn’t let it bother him, telling one interviewer, “You get used to it.”

10. He wrote a play in 1993 that upset some people

Let’s now add playwright to Martin’s long list of credentials! Yes, back in 1993, the Roxanne star wrote a play called Picasso at the Lapin Agile. It was a pretty big success and went on to run in a number of cities. But some parents in Oregon refused to allow their kids to stage a school production, citing offensive content including “treating women as sex objects.” Yikes.

9. He shocked guests with his “surprise” wedding

When stars including Tom Hanks and Diane Keaton were invited to a “party” hosted by Martin, they must’ve gotten the surprise of their lives when it turned out to be a wedding! Yes, the actor and his journalist wife Anne Stringfield managed to keep one heck of a secret in 2007. The guests then witnessed them getting married. Aw!

8. He guest-voiced a character in The Simpsons

You know you’ve made it when you’re immortalized as a character in The Simpsons. Back in 1998, Martin was asked to voice the role of sanitation commissioner Ray Patterson in the special 200th episode of the iconic cartoon. The star-studded voice cast for “Trash of the Titans,” as the episode was named, also included rock music giants U2.

7. He visited U.S. troops during the Gulf War

Martin flew out on a tour to entertain the troops with a United Service Organization show. But he was only allowed to meet the soldiers and sign autographs in the end. Martin told reporters, “Everybody coming out here, giving up part of their lives for this effort. I had some time off, and I felt kind of bad just sitting there,” he added, “so I came.” 

6. He wrote and composed the musical Bright Star

Martin fused his writing talent with his love of bluegrass when he both wrote and composed the Broadway musical Bright Star. The gifted musician teamed up with co-writer Edie Brickell, whom he also worked with on their 2013 bluegrass album Love Has Come for You. Set in North Carolina shortly after World War Two, the award-winning show received mostly favorable reviews from critics.

5. He was duped into buying a forged painting

We’ve mentioned that Martin is an art lover and collector. But the Man with Two Brains star fell foul of his hobby in 2004 when forgers tricked him into buying a fake. Martin thought he’d bought a genuine Heinrich Campendonk painting worth around $800,000 dollars. The fake Campendonk had come from a collection sold by a German forgery ring. He didn’t find out until years later.

4. He nearly played Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s movie

Imagine if Johnny Depp hadn’t played Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Apparently Warner Bros. considered Martin — among others — for the role before Burton got involved and recruited his old favorite Depp. Probably for the best, as we’re finding it hard to imagine Martin in a Tim Burton picture…

3. He’s a successful novelist

In 2000 Martin penned the novella Shopgirl, which was later made into a movie starring himself and Claire Danes. A book about a young man with OCD, The Pleasure of My Company, followed in 2003. While Martin’s personal memoir, Born Standing Up, was published in 2007 to a warm critical reception.

2. He became a dad for the first time at 67

Proving that it’s never too late to become a dad, Martin welcomed his first child into the world aged 67. His daughter was born in December 2012 to the Cheaper by the Dozen star and his wife Anne Stringfield. And Martin told the Australian Daily Telegraph that fatherhood at his age was “fantastic” adding, “you have all the time in the world.”

1. Martin still gets emotional thinking about John Candy

Martin became good buddies with co-star the late John Candy while making Planes, Trains & Automobiles. And according to author Nick de Semlyen, Martin “still sheds a tear” when he remembers his friend’s poignant line in the movie. Candy explains at the end how he gets attached to passers-by since his wife’s death. “But this time I couldn’t let go,” was the tear-jerking ad-lib. Martin was clearly very fond of Candy — and these facts about the late star let fans in on why.

He didn’t like watching himself on camera

Audiences may have flocked to the cinema whenever a new John Candy film was released. However, the actor had little interest in watching himself on the big screen. His son Chris told the Hollywood Reporter in 2016, “He put a lot of effort and love into everything he did, but he didn’t like going to the premieres. He had a hard time watching the final product.”

He valued his mom’s opinion

But although Candy didn’t enjoy seeing the fruits of his labor, he still wanted to know what other people thought. And the star often asked his family to give him an insight. Daughter Jen told the same publication, “He would send Mom [to screenings] and she would come back and tell him where [the audience] laughed, what they laughed at.”

Steve Martin comforted Candy’s family after his death

Odd couple comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles famously ends in heartwarming style. Steve Martin’s Neal invites Candy’s Del over to his family home for Thanksgiving despite the fact he’s made the previous few days a living hell. And Martin also lent a helping hand to Candy’s real life family in the wake of his untimely death.

Moving in

Yes, Martin reportedly revealed in 2004 that he’d moved in with Candy’s family to help them cope with their sudden loss. The star of several other 1980s’ classics, including Roxanne, Parenthood and Little Shop of Horrors, was also going through a turbulent period at the time. He’d just divorced his first wife Victoria Tennant.

He co-owned a football team

Candy had initially dreamed of becoming a footballer before an injury forced him to have a rethink. However, he was still able to become a part of his favorite Canadian Football League team later on in life. The actor was appointed as a minority shareholder after investing in the Toronto Argonauts. And he appeared to spur the franchise on to victory in his first season on the board.

The team didn’t do well

Indeed, 1991 was also the year that the Argonauts triumphed over the Calgary Stampeders to lift the Grey Cup. Sadly for Candy, the team failed to sustain this level of success over the next few years. And in 1994 Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall, the Argonauts’ co-owners, decided to put the franchise on the market.

He was a keen animal lover

Candy loved animals and often brought home strays despite the fact that his wife had an allergy to cats and dogs. Daughter Jen recalled how much the family home resembled a zoo in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. She also described her mother as a trooper for suffering to keep the star happy.

He loved the farm

Jen said, “He’d go to shelters and rescue them. We had [on the farm in Queensville, just outside of Newmarket] four Clydesdales: Peaches and Cream, Uncle Buck and Harry Crumb. We had cows. The farm, for him, was creating something where he could just go and escape and not be bothered, and be with his family.”

He had his own animated series

Candy had become so popular in the 1980s that he was even given his own animated Saturday morning TV series. Yes, Camp Candy premiered in 1989 on NBC and saw the actor lend his voice to a summer camp leader. Candy also appeared in front of the camera for the live-action scenes that would bookend the show.

A family affair

Entertaining kids at the weekend for three seasons, Camp Candy was something of a family affair. Indeed, both Candy’s daughter Jen and son Chris would gain their first acting credits on the cartoon. Furthermore, it spawned a comic book adaptation, with six volumes published by none other than Marvel in 1990.

He had his own radio show

At the height of his popularity Candy enjoyed a stint as a DJ on KNX-FM, a radio station based in Los Angeles. The star hosted Radio Kandy, a 120-minute mix of comedy and chart music which invited several of his former Second City colleagues to join in with the fun. Candy had previously worked on Canadian radio while rising to fame.

Playing the golden oldies

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Candy revealed his passion for radio. He said, “I love the medium and, since I can’t play an instrument, I can at least play records. Two years ago I did That Radio Show for about 100 stations in Canada. They were 90-minute shows that ran weekly through the summer – kind of an oldies rock-and-roll and comedy show.”

His kids have followed in his showbiz footsteps

Both of Candy’s children have pursued a career in showbiz.Yes, daughter Jen has appeared in the likes of Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie and feature-length comedy In Vino. Meanwhile, son Chris has more than two dozen acting credits in various movies, TV shows and short films. However, the pair told the Hollywood Reporter that they’ve never been interested in trading on their famous surname.

His kids didn’t like using his name

Jen said, “It took a while for us to even use the name. I wanted to develop who I was as a person, develop what I wanted to do. We have had people say, ‘Call so and so and have them do this for you,’ and I have said, ‘No, I don’t want to do that.’” Meanwhile, Chris admitted that he often gets mistaken for Candy’s brother rather than his son once the casting team makes the connection.

He turned down Saturday Night Live

It may seem baffling that Candy was never a member of the Saturday Night Live team. But it sure wasn’t for the want of trying. Producers repeatedly invited the actor to join the comedy institution. However, Candy felt it would be an act of disloyalty to SCTV, the show that helped launch him in his native Canada, if he jumped ship.

A few appearances

Still, Candy did grace the SNL set from time to time. Yes, in 1983 he served as host for the episode which also featured music from Aussie outfit Men at Work. And he was due to return in the same role two years later alongside friend Eugene Levy before a writer’s strike got in the way.

He seemed to predict his own death

Candy left the world in mourning in 1994 when he passed away from a heart attack at the age of 43. And according to longtime friend Catherine O’Hara, the star appeared to predict that something ominous would happen shortly before his death. Candy had contacted his fellow SCTV alum while traveling to Mexico to shoot Wagons East.

Health and heart problems

The stress of filming what would sadly become his final movie may well have been a factor in Candy’s untimely passing. But a heavy alcohol and tobacco consumption, not to mention his hefty size, was also deemed to have played a part in the star’s untimely passing. Furthermore, there was a history of heart problems in his family.

He lost his father at age four

Candy experienced tragedy from a young age having lost his father at the age of just four. Indeed, car salesman Sidney Candy passed away in 1954 from a heart attack in his mid-30s, leaving wife Evangeline to raise the star and his older sibling Jim. The family then relocated to the borough in Toronto known as East York to stay with Evangeline’s sister and parents.

It stayed with him forever

According to Frank Hober, Candy’s brother-in-law, this early tragedy weighed heavily on the star’s mind throughout his life. In fact, Hober told People in 1994 that the entire Candy family were worried that the actor would suffer the same fate as his father. However, no one ever spoke up about their concerns.

He appeared in more John Hughes films than anyone else

Candy memorably played the leading man in Uncle Buck and shared top billing with Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. But the star also popped up in another six movies either helmed, produced or penned by John Hughes. He first aligned himself with the hugely popular filmmaker playing a water park guard in National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Remembering the others

Then there was a brief cameo in romantic comedy She’s Having a Baby and a supporting turn in the Christmas classic Home Alone. Candy’s other Hughes collaborations include The Great Outdoors, Only the Lonely and Career Opportunities. This means the funnyman appeared in more Hughes films than any other actor.

He appeared in Canada’s answer to Band Aid

The United Kingdom gave us Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” America gave us USA for Africa’s “We Are The World.” And you may not know that Canada also helped to raise money for the Ethiopian famine with their own musical effort, Northern Lights’ “Tears Are Not Enough.” The song boasted one of the country’s biggest comedic exports, too.

A recording artist, too

Yes, John Candy briefly added recording artist to his list of talents in 1985 when he appeared in the chorus for the track. The star was joined by several other friendly faces including Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara. But the main vocal duties went to those with slightly more musical experience, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bryan Adams.

He showed up in Home Alone as a favor

In 1990 Candy shared the screen with Uncle Buck co-star Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. Only this time around, the actor was very much a supporting character. In fact, Candy spent just one full day on the set of the festive classic as a favor to his regular collaborator, the film’s writer John Hughes.

Too funny

And Candy also only took home the acting equivalent of the minimum wage when he played polka musician Gus Polinski. Unfortunately, most of the footage he shot ended up on the cutting room floor. In 2015 co-star Catherine O’Hara explained to Chicago magazine that Candy’s improvised scenes were simply too funny for a situation in which a mother is desperately searching for her child.

Dan Aykroyd encouraged him to pursue comedy

Candy always had ambitions to be a performer. You see, he studied acting at Toronto’s Centennial Community College and shortly after began to pursue a career in the profession. However, one of his friends, and a future Hollywood star, believed that Candy would be better off focusing on his funny bones.

A life-changing decision

Dan Aykroyd, who would later star alongside Candy in 1988 family comedy The Great Outdoors, made a suggestion that would change his friend’s life. Yes, he persuaded him to audition for Toronto’s Second City, the comedy troupe famously first established in Chicago. To little surprise, Candy was accepted and the rest is history.

His favorite character was Yosh Schmenge

Candy played several iconic characters during his career including Uncle Buck, Del in Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Cool Runnings’ coach Irving Blitzer. However, the star’s all-time favorite would only be familiar to viewers of Canadian sketch show SCTV. Indeed, according to his children, Candy most enjoyed appearing alongside Eugene Levy as the Schmenge brothers.

“He brought a little bit of himself to his characters.”

However, it’s a different story when it comes to which character most reflected Candy. Daughter Jen told the Hollywood Reporter, “Johnny LaRue was most him. And the reason I say that is Johnny LaRue was a business guy, he was lovable, but Dad was not smarmy. You mix that with Uncle Buck and Del Griffith [from Planes, Trains and Automobiles] and you’ve got my dad. He brought a little bit of himself to his characters.”

He met his wife on a blind date

In 1979 Candy walked down the aisle with the future mother of his two children, Rosemary Hobor. Their daughter Jen recalled the interesting way her parents first connected to the Hollywood Reporter. She said, “They went out on a [blind] date and enjoyed each other, and then my dad reached out to mom asking if she could help him type out a script.”

Keeping memories private

But although Candy’s two kids are happy to discuss the late star, his abstract painter and ceramicist widow prefers to keep her memories private. Chris told the same entertainment publication, “It’s just not her thing. My father was the one who was in front of the cameras.”

He created one of Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ most memorable scenes

One of the most memorable scenes in Planes, Trains and Automobiles is when Neal imagines Del as none other than Beelzebub during a particularly hair-raising drive down the freeway. And it turns out that Candy was responsible for this striking image making it into the classic comedy. Although as son Chris recalled to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio bosses had their reservations.

Creative license

Chris said, “They were really over budget and overschedule, and Paramount was coming down to get everything going. Well, that was the day they were filming the scene with the devil costume. So [the Paramount execs] finally get on set and Dad is walking around in this devil costume, and they’re like ‘What the hell does this have to do with anything?!’”

He once got on the wrong side of John Hughes

Candy may have been Hughes go-to guy for many of his films. But the director wasn’t afraid to put his regular collaborator in his place. On one particular day shoot for Uncle Buck, Hughes took umbrage with Candy’s activities the night before and decided the best course of action was to send everyone home.

Not fit to film

So what had caused Hughes to act so drastically? Well, he got cross when he heard a radio station caller discuss his meeting with Candy and the music supervisor on Uncle Buck Tarquin Gotch at a local bar. The funnyman tried to placate Hughes by insisting that his hungover state was in keeping with his character. But unsurprisingly, the filmmaker didn’t buy it.

He was given his own postage stamp

In 1996 the Canada Post service revealed that Candy was being honored with his very own postage stamp. But just days later the star’s brother-in-law Patrick Duco told Entertainment Weekly that this was too soon. He said, “We’re asking for a postponement. We consider it a great honor. However, we feel that John’s passing was so recent, the family is still in the grieving process.” we feel that John’s passing was so recent, the family is still in the grieving process.”

More stars with the same honor

A whole ten years later, philatelists were finally able to get their hands on a stamp bearing Candy’s face. And several other famous faces were given the same honor as part of a series dubbed “Canadians in Hollywood” in 2006. These included three stars from the golden age of cinema, Lorne Greene, Fay Wray and Mary Pickford.