In John Candy’s best movies, he tended to play characters with a real heart of gold. It turns out that in real life, the Canadian actor was no different. That was on full display too in resurfaced footage of the late actor, as Candy agreed to let a reporter interview him as long as he agreed, in return, to get a perm with him.
Of all the things someone could have requested in return for doing an interview, a perm sure is an unexpected and hilarious choice. However, that’s exactly what John Candy asked a dedicated broadcast reporter of Channel 7 Buffalo News to do with him to be guaranteed an interview. Take a look at the funny footage of the dual hair appointments posted on TikTok below.
@alltherightmovies JOHN CANDY getting his hair permed for his role in PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES.
Back in the ‘80s, John Candy allowed a Channel 7 Buffalo news reporter to interview him as long as he agreed to get his hair permed with him at Crimpers Haircutters.
The sketch comedy actor had to get a new ‘do to star in one of the best road trip movies ever made– Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. And now, not only do we know more about the hilarious prep work that led to Candy’s puffed, curly locks, but he gave us some insight into working with co-star Steve Martin. Here’s what he jokingly said when asked if he got starstruck by working with big names like him:
Sure absolutely. And then you meet him and you realize he’s not funny at all.
When you see resurfaced footage of late actors like this, it makes you mourn them even more. Based on this footage, it looks like John Candy truly did have a lovely sense of humor when he wasn’t in character. He was also kind-hearted to those around him and even made sure to end his interview promoting the salon that did his hair.
To get a better sense of the Spaceballs actor, his daughter described her father as a lot like his Uncle Buck character. He was all about tough love, but he still knew how to have fun by doing things like prank-calling his friends with silly voices. I’m sure it was never boring having this comedy genius by your side.
It’ll be close to 30 years since the world lost John Candy after he died in his sleep in 1994. Watching old footage of his helps audiences get to know the actor who made them laugh throughout his career. Three years ago, the Second City actor was honored by his hometown of Toronto as they declared October 31st “John Candy Day” for his birthday. Candy’s children also made sure to honor him on the 29th anniversary of his death, sending kind words and loving messages in his memory. Ryan Reynolds wrote about making a documentary centering on the comedian. As the Deadpool actor finished off his tweet announcement by saying “Expect tears,” I’ll take his word for it.
Watching footage of John Candy agreeing to be interviewed while perming his hair shows what a good-humored man he was. Once the Ryan Reynolds documentary comes out, I’m sure we’ll have more footage like it that will give us an idea of who the Cool Runnings actor was not just as an actor, but as a father, a friend, and a person in general. You can refresh your memory of Candy’s permed hair by watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with a Paramount+ subscription.